Local Vet Promotes Pork as Healthy School Lunch Option

ST. CLOUD --  A veterinarian from Rice, who works with hogs, spoke to a group of school lunch workers in St. Cloud as part of the annual Minnesota School Nutrition Association's annual conference.

Dr. Nate Winkleman spoke about responsible use of antibiotics in our food system and the link between healthy animals and healthy people.

Winkleman says there are no growth hormones used in pork products and any antibiotics which are used, are carefully regulated and out of the meat long before market.  He says healthy animals, leads to healthy food, which leads to healthy people.

Dr. Winkleman says changes in regulation will further minimize the use of antibiotics in piglets and they'll only prescribe specific treatments for animals which are sick.

He promotes pork as a lean, nutrient-rich protein which can be substituted for chicken and fish on lunch menus.