U.S. pig farms that followed select antimicrobial use regulations as of 2016
U.S. pig farmers are required to withdrawal antimicrobial use before marketing a pig. Residues from antimicrobials can cause harm to human health if not monitored closely. In order to comply with the USDA requirements on allowable amounts of residues found in edible pig tissues many farms take certain precautions. As of 2016, 89.7 percent of farms would not administer antimicrobials for a predetermined period prior to marketing to ensure there were not residual antimicrobials in the pig meat.