The National Pork Producers Council will soon submit comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s toxicological review of formaldehyde. NPPC says formaldehyde is used in pork production for, among other things, preventing Salmonella infections in pigs and as a disinfectant. Pork industry-funded research has demonstrated formaldehyde’s potential as a mitigant for contamination of feeds with viruses such as African swine fever. EPA in mid-April released a draft risk assessment on formaldehyde for public comment in advance of an external peer review that will be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. NPPC and other agricultural groups met last week with senior EPA leadership on the assessment and requested an extension of the comment period, which runs through June 13. EPA research claims long-term formaldehyde exposure in small amounts increases risks for rare head and neck tumors, and leukemia, among other health issues.