Ohio Beef Quality Assurance Program

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OHIO BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE GUIDELINES

• Maintain records of any pesticide/herbicide use on pasture or crops that could potentially lead to violative residues in grazing or feedlot cattle.

• Assure that an adequate quality control program(s) is in place for incoming feedstuffs.  A program should be designed to minimize contamination of incoming feed ingredients by molds mycotoxins or chemicals.  Supplier assurance of feed ingredient quality is recommended.

• Suspect feedstuffs should be analyzed prior to use.

• Feeding by-product ingredients should be supported with sound science.

Develop, implement and document a feed sourcing program that incorporates good manufacturing practices established by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) in the “Recommended Salmonella Control for Processors Livestock and Poultry Feeds” and protein ingredients from plants participating in the “Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI) Salmonella Reduction Education Program”, or equivalent programs.  Documentation may be a letter of guarantee from a feed supplier.

Quality control can be easy when you have complete control of the feed production process.  Most herbicides and insecticides, when used on crops according to the guidelines on the label provide a safety margin against the potential for causing harmful residues in beef.  Producers should be aware of label restrictions for feed or grazing of crops after treatment with pesticides.   It is imperative that the labels for any pesticide or herbicide used be reviewed.

Quality control in purchased feeds includes analysis for incoming ingredients and using select suppliers that have quality control programs in place and who stand behind their products. Some ingredients are naturally more perishable than other feed ingredients.  Most incoming feed ingredients should be evaluated for moisture, color, odor, texture, presence of foreign material, heat damage and mold or other spoilage.  Presence of any suspected problems require further testing.   Keep a sample of suspected feedstuffs for later testing in a cool but not frozen state.  Feed fats should be analyzed for moisture, free fatty acid content, rancidity and impurities or, you should purchase your feed from a source that guarantees the analysis of their products.  Ruminant-derived animal protein feeds are not allowed to be used under current federal law.

Harvesting and storing feeds at the correct moisture level will help prevent contamination by molds, mycotoxins and pathogenic bacteria and improves feed efficiency.  Equipment used for loading feed should be routinely inspected for leaks in the hydraulic or other fluids. These fluids can be toxic if ingested and pose a residue threat. Clean tractors and equipment and routinely inspect for fluid leaks.  When equipment is used for other non-feed purposes, such as a front-end loader, clean it again before using it for feeding purposes.  Never store crop chemicals, petroleum products or other potentially hazardous material in areas near where feed is stored, mixed or processed.

FEED ADDITIVES AND MEDICATIONS

• Only FDA approved medicated feed additives will be used in rations.

• Medicated feed additives will be used in accordance with FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) regulation.

• Extra-label use of feed additives is illegal and strictly prohibited.

• To avoid violative residues, withdrawal times must be strictly followed.

• Complete records must be kept when formulating or feeding medicated feed rations.  Records are to be kept a minimum of two years.

• Operators will assure that all additives are withdrawn at the proper time to avoid violative residues.

• Facilities and equipment should be constructed and maintained to minimize vermin and pest infestation, allow proper maintenance and cleaning, accurately produce feed of intended use and prevent accidental contamination from fertilizer, pesticides or other contaminants.

• Quality assurance of feed products through identification, storage, inventory control, documented corrective actions and adherence to label instructions.

• Proper equipment clean out procedures to prevent carry over.

• Proper labeling and complete records of feed formulations

Biosecurity measures have always been valuable in preventing and controlling infectious diseases.  Biosecurity can be defined as management and sanitation practices that decrease the risk of introducing or spreading infectious diseases.  The implementation of biosecurity practices can control pathogens and their vectors and as a result will reduce economic losses caused by disease outbreaks.

Biosecurity should be addressed within each production unit to maximize animal health and minimize foodborne contamination.  Key areas such as sanitation, traffic control, and proper isolation should be addressed in order to prevent the introduction and/or spread of disease to the livestock in the production unit.  Implementation should: 1) focus on the disease and a procedure, 2) evaluate risk factors, and 3) determine and establish realistic intervention strategies.

In order to effectively address biosecurity in a production unit, specific disease targets need to be defined.  Producers working with their veterinarians should outline the diseases of concern, their current herd status, herd goals for prevention and/or control and management capabilities.

Biosecurity is a food safety related issue.  Biosecurity practices or measures will assist in the reduction in the occurrence and need for treatment of infectious diseases, control diseases with possible human health implications, and control infectious agents of concern to human health (i.e. E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella). Biosecurity is a portion of BQA that benefits producers and consumers alike.

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), data from several sources suggest that foodborne pathogens may account for up to 6 million cases of foodborne illness each year and up to 7,000 deaths.  Nearly 5 million cases of illness and 4,000 deaths may be associated with meat and poultry products.

In the past five years, the U.S. beef industry has spent more than $8 million in food safety research programs on concerns of foodborne pathogens.  America’s beef industry continues to implement new technologies and procedures, as a result of this research, in order to provide the consuming public with a safe, wholesome beef product.  The beef industry currently operates with zero tolerance standards for fecal, ingesta and milk contamination.  Interventions such as steam vacuuming, organic acid applications, hot water carcass washes and/or carcass pasteurization (steam) individually or in a series (multiple hurdles concept) are used to accomplish this goal.

The pathogens often associated with beef and foodborne illness are E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp.  E. coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic strain of the normally harmless E. coli bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Salmonella spp. organisms do not reside in the muscles of cattle or other healthy animals.  Any Salmonella organism found on meat is the result of contamination during handling, processing and/or preparation. As with E. coli O157:H7, proper handling and cooking techniques by the consuming public should destroy the pathogenic risk associated with these microorganisms.

Antibiotic resistance has received heightened awareness in the past several months because of the concern that treating cattle with antimicrobials may result in resistance to antimicrobials commonly used in human health situations.  The following are some suggested procedures prescribed by the American Veterinary Association.

• Preventive strategies, such as appropriate husbandry and hygiene, routine health examinations, and vaccinations, should be emphasized.

• Judicious use of antimicrobials, when under the direction of a veterinarian, should be within a Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship (VCPR).

• Therapeutic alternatives should be considered prior to using antimicrobial therapy.

• Avoid using certain antimicrobials for initial therapy that are considered important in treating refractory infections in human or veterinary medicine.

• Utilize culture and susceptibility results to aid in the selection of antimicrobials, whenever possible.

• Confine therapeutic antimicrobial use to proven clinical indications, avoiding inappropriate uses such as for viral infections without bacterial complication.

• Regimens for therapeutic antimicrobial use should be optimized using current pharmacological information and principles.

• Use narrow spectrum antimicrobials, whenever possible.

• Therapeutic exposure to antimicrobials should be minimized by treating for the shortest period of time possible.

• Limit therapeutic antimicrobial treatment to ill or at risk animals, treating the fewest animals possible.

• Steps should be taken to minimize environmental contamination with antimicrobials whenever possible.

• Accurate records of treatment and outcome should be used to evaluate therapeutic regimens.

What is true value?  Value is when you produce a product that meets or exceeds the expectations of your customer every time.  Ohio cow-calf strive to produce value for their customers (cattle buyers, stocker operators, backgrounders and/or feedlots).

What is the Cost/Benefit Ratio for a healthy calf?  What is the impact of health on the ability of calves to express their genetic potential and the cost associated with sick cattle beyond the cost of medicine.  Shown below are the results of the 1996-97 Texas A&M Ranch to Rail program on the impact of health on performance, profits, and quality grade.

Healthy steers had an average of $117.42 more favorable return.  Steers that got sick not only incurred an average of $23.36 more expense in medicine costs, but there was $94.06 in “lost value ($117.42 - $23.36) due to reduce efficiency, lowered gain and reduce sale value.  One of the best tools for a feeder to have healthy calves is to have those calves receive a sound health/management program back on the farm.

Implants may provide an economic advantage in the production of safe and wholesome beef.  Beef from implanted cattle has proven to be leaner than beef from non-implanted cattle with minute differences in hormone levels.  Nevertheless, consumer concern remains high with regard to implanted beef.  Administer implants properly, following label directions including proper sanitation and the use of antiseptic on the needle between every use.  Proper sanitation results in fewer abscesses in the ear and allows for higher utilization of the implant

Regulations governing the use of implants are set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Always read and follow the manufacturer’s directions before implanting any cattle.  The growth promotant implants approved for use in the United States are extremely safe for both producers and consumers of beef.  There is no required withdrawal time for slaughter with FDA approved implants.

The only approved location for implant administration is the middle third of the backside of the ear.  All implants must be located subcutaneously within this area. This should place the implant outside the cartilage ring at the base of the ear.  Implants should never be placed in locations other than the ear.

Routine inspection of implant and vaccine sites should be done every time animals are handled through a chute.  Document the results of the inspection for future reference in implant management decisions.