ClO-Uncwir Fanning, Saturday, Daoambtr 2, IM3
Quality Assurance Educational Programs For Animal
Editor’s note: This is the first
of ■ two-part series.
Lowell L. Wilson
Penn State Professor
Of Animal Science
Food Safety
Wholesomeness
And Quality
Antibiotic residues, injection
site blemishes, microbial contami
nation, animal welfare, animal
handling, livestock transportation,
trim loss, industry credibility are
all important concerns for animal
agriculture. How effectively we
address them will determine the
profitability of our animal
industries.
Let’s review a progressive new program
designed to deal with these concerns.
“Qualify Assurance” (QA) is being put into
effect in every segment of animal agriculture,
including beef, dairy-beef, milk, pork, poul
try, veal, even lamb and aquaculture. Of
course, producers and processors always have
been quality-conscious. And they always
have practiced many of the steps included in
modem, organized QA programs.
But now QA must put it all together in a tot
al, step-by-step program. QA Educational
Programs (QAEPs) woe instituted because of
the occurrence of chemical residues (usually
antibiotics) in animal products.
However, other losses also have been
addressed. For instance, in the beef QAEP,
one major effort is to reduce the frequency
and degree of injection-site blemishes.
Although not a public health concern, they
detract from the appearance of meat These
imperfections usually are not noticed undl the
carcass is cut into retail cuts. The trimming
required to remove them results not only in a
loss of meat, but also in additional labor cost
for packers, processors, and retailers.
In the milk, pork, and veal industries the
primary impetus for QA has been to further
reduce the already low incidence of antibiotic
residues. The special-fed veal industry is a
good example of the effectiveness of such
QAEPs. Frequency of antibiotic residues has
dropped from 3.34 percent in 1988 (when the
veal QAEP began) to 0.13 percent in 1992.
No one program can bring about' all the
changes in a production system needed to
assure profitable production of safe, whole
some foods or maintain high consumer confi
dence in products of animal origin. However,
the short history of QAEPs indicates they are
nonetheless effective.
What makes a QAEP effective? Involve
ment of producers and processors and their
desire to guarantee the future of their respec
tive industries Status 0f
Our Food Supply
Probably anyone who has addressed con
sumer groups or talked to reporters has com
mented, “The U.S. food supply is the safest in
the world.” Although this is true—particular
ly when compared to food produced in deve
loping countries it is not an effective state
ment for our consumers. This nation is one of
the most technologically advanced in the
world, and we have had strong food inspec
tion programs for decades.
With all our knowledge and technology, we
should have a safe food supply as well as a
progressive attitude toward even further
improvements. But finding antibiotic
residues in milk or cull dairy or beef cows or
bob calves indicates we still have work to do,
as does finding E. coli in hamburger.
Quality Loss
Audits
The National Cattlemen’s Association
recently completed a comprehensive study in
which the value of all carcass losses (hide
damage, excess fatness, blemishes, bruises,
undesirable meat color, etc.) were deter
mined. Average losses for each steer and heif
er produced in the nation’s feedlots totalled
$2BO per head.
Packers and processors typically add value
to the live animal they purchase from the pro
ducer. If they have an average loss of $2O,
$5O, $lOO, or $2BO per carcass, then that
amount of loss has to be accounted for. It usu
ally is averaged over all cattle feeders and all
carcasses. Everyone along the producing
marketing chain shares in this loss.
Direct Costs
Of Defects
To Producers
Dairy farmers long have been
aware of the direct cost of a mis
take which contaminates a tankful
of milk. The value of that milk is
lost. But producers usually don’t
have accountability for cull beef
cows, dairy cows, bob calves, or
even finished steers, lambs, or
hogs.
There’s a new trend, though. In
many larger packing plants nowa
days, cattle feeders are being
“billed back” for bruises,
injection-site blemishes, condem-
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nations, and other carcass defects
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trimming. This trend will continue,
and during the next five years th«e
will be increasing producer
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every food animal species, regard
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Although each commodity
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Similarities
Among QAEPs
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larides across all programs:
,• Built on strengthening the
veterinarian-client-patient rela
tionship. but including team mem
bers from other disciplines cer
tified animal scientists, nutrition
ists, meat scientists, animal care
specialists, animal handling exper
ts, etc.
• Involving manufacturers/
distributors of animal health pro
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tissue and administrable
subcutaneously. .
• Improving communications
among producers, veterinarians,
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meat/milk inspectors, and proces
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specific problems that need
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• Improving handling, transpor
tation, and general animal care so
as to result in fewer bruises and
less animal excitement which can
decrease quality—and thus value
of the resulting meat product
• Encouraging producers, in
consultation with their veterina
rians. to initiate early diagnosis
and treatment of health problems,
and to cull animals as soon as it is
dear the animal will not recover.
(Turn to Pago C 11)
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