Antibiotic-free pork production creates welfare challenges as the removal of routine antibiotic use requires compensating management improvements to maintain animal health and welfare.
The transition to antibiotic-free production has welfare implications in both directions. Poorly managed antibiotic-free systems where disease rates increase without compensating management improvements create welfare harms from undertreated illness. Well-managed antibiotic-free systems that address the root causes of disease through better housing, nutrition, and management often achieve both reduced antibiotic use and better welfare simultaneously. The Danish experience demonstrates that responsible antibiotic reduction with appropriate investment in management improvement does not require sacrificing animal welfare. Antibiotic-free claims without evidence of compensating management improvements should be treated with skepticism.