Beef Production Chain Research Articles

Epidemiology of bovine cysticercosis and associated economic losses in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Bovine cysticercosis (BCC) is the most frequently detected zoonosis in Brazilian slaughterhouses and is considered a problem for public health and beef production chain, requiring epidemiological studies focusing on evaluating its prevalence, spatial distribution, and economic losses in order to improve and adopt specific strategies for BCC control. Thus, this study focused to establish BCC prevalence and spatial distribution in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and estimate the economic losses for cattle farmers suppliers of one exporter slaughterhouse. A set of 70,591 bovine carcasses were postmortem inspected from 2019 to 2020, which came from 134 municipalities located in eight distinct regions in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The prevalence found was 3.44% (C.I. 95% 3.30-3.57%), and animals infected with unviable cysticerci were more frequently detected (70.56%) than those carrying viable ones (29.44%). The most frequent destination of carcasses and viscera was non-export (65.48%), followed by freezing/salting (25.41%), heat treatment (8.74%), and rendering (0.37%), resulting in a total economic burden of at least US$ 167,868.53 for cattle farmers. Some regions had higher risk for BCC occurrence, such as Porto Alegre, Caxias do Sul, Santa Maria, Ijuí, and Passo Fundo (OR > 1, p < 0.05), respectively. These results highlight the need of adopting prophylactic measures, mainly in specific areas, in order to control BCC and reduce the economic losses for beef production chain.

Are Antimicrobial Interventions Associated with Heat-Resistant Escherichia coli on Meat?

Decontamination practices, which often involve thermal treatments, are routinely performed in beef packing plants and have generally improved the safety of meat in North America. We investigated whether Escherichia coli in the beef production chain is becoming more heat resistant due to those treatments. Cattle isolates (n = 750) included seven serogroups (O157, O103, O111, O121, O145, O26, and O45) which were collected between 2002 and 2017. Beef plant isolates (n = 700) from carcasses, fabrication equipment, and beef products were included. Heat resistance was determined in Luria-Bertani broth at 60°C and by PCR screening for the locus of heat resistance (LHR). The decimal reduction for E. coli at 60°C (D60ºC values) ranged from 0 to 7.54 min, with 97.2% of the values being <2 min. The prevalence of E. coli with D60ºC values of >2 min was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among cattle and meat plant isolates. E. coli from equipment before sanitation (median, 1.03 min) was more heat resistant than that after sanitation (median, 0.9 min). No significant difference in D60ºC values was observed among E. coli isolates from different years, from carcasses before and after antimicrobial interventions, or from before and during carcass chilling. Of all isolates, 1.97% harbored LHR, and the LHR-positive isolates had greater median D60ºC values than the LHR-negative isolates (3.25 versus 0.96 min). No increase in heat resistance in E. coli was observed along the beef production chain or with time.IMPORTANCE The implementation of multiple hurdles in the beef production chain has resulted in substantial improvement in the microbial safety of beef in Canada. In this study, we characterized a large number of Escherichia coli isolates (n = 1,450) from various sources/stages of beef processing to determine whether the commonly used antimicrobial interventions would give rise to heat-resistant E. coli on meat, which in turn may require alternatives to the current control of pathogens and/or modifications to the current cooking recommendations for meat. The findings show that the degree and rate of heat resistance in E. coli did not increase along the production chain or with time. This furthers our understanding of man-made ecological niches that are required for the development of heat resistance in E. coli.

Breeding, Calving, and Trafficking in Conventional Beef Production

Abstract This article uses qualitative and ethnographic methods to trace the beef production chain. An analysis of bovine artificial insemination, calving, and the trafficking of cattle as commodities reveals the various ways kinship and economic bonds are created between ranchers and cattle. These bonds are dynamic and at different times position cows as capital, calves as babies, and ranchers—both male and female—as inseminators, mothers, and traffickers of nonhuman animal bodies. Looking seriously at the ways love, connection, and kinship operate in the context of cattle production shows how animal treatment is experienced at different stages of production and by different members of the ranch family.

Occurrence and Characteristics of Methicillin-Resistant and -Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from the Beef Production Chain in Korea.

The emergence and persistence of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in livestock animals have been reported as a potential risk factor for transmission to humans. In this study, we investigated the nationwide prevalence and characteristics of MRSA and MSSA in the Korean beef production system, including retail markets, slaughterhouses, and cattle farms. From a total of 1,285 samples, only 5 MRSA strains were isolated: from a farmer (1 ST72 MRSA), a carcass sample from a slaughterhouse (1 ST72 MRSA), and beef cattle (3 ST5 MRSA). In addition, 11 MSSA strains were isolated from beef cattle (n=3), humans (1 farmer, 1 slaughterhouse worker, and 4 retail market workers), and carcass samples (n=1) and slaughterhouse environment (n=1). Although the prevalence of MRSA and MSSA in beef cattle was much lower than that reported in pigs, 5/5 MRSA and 2/11 MSSA strains displayed multiple drug resistance (MDR) phenotypes. Unlike the swine-associated MRSA, no correlation was found between tetracycline/zinc resistance and MDR phenotype. However, MRSA strains had an identical set of staphylococcal enterotoxins and exhibited enhanced levels of resistance to antimicrobial peptides (PMAP-36 and LL-37) compared to the MSSA strains. In conclusion, continued and systemic surveillance of livestock, meat products, and humans in close contact with livestock/meat products is necessary to prevent the transmission of MRSA and MSSA to humans.

Bacteriological Analysis of Beef Production Chain in Birnin Kebbi Metropolis of Kebbi State, Nigeria

The hygiene status of most abattoirs and retail outlets in Nigeria is very poor, and it contributes to the unacceptable level of bacteria load in beef, and poses a health risk to consumers. This study examined the bacteriological analysis of beef production chain in Birnin Kebbi metropolis. A total of 100 samples of meat, water and surface swab in Main Market, GRA, Badariya, Bayan Kara and Rafin Atiku, Birnin Kebbi Central abattoir and retail meat shops were collected aseptically, processed and analyzed. Meat from retail outlets were mostly contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus (24.4%), followed by Escherichia coli (17.3%), Klebsiella pneumonia (9.8%), Salmonella typhimurium (9.1%), Entrobater aerogenes (8.5%), Streptococcus pyogenes (8.1%), Proteus vulgaris (7.8%), Micrococcus luteus (7.8%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7.2%). In the abattoirs contact surfaces, contamination occurred mostly by Staphylococcus aureus (23.4%), Salmonella typhimurium (18.2%), Escherichia coli (16.9%), Entrobater aerogenes (9.1%), Streptococcus pyogenes (7.8%), Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.5% each) and Micrococcus luteus (5.2%). The findings revealed a high bacterial load in both abattoir and retail meat outlets. In order to safeguard the health of the public against the risks of food borne infections, there is a need to educate and advocate good sanitation and meat handling practices in the abattoir and beef retail outlets.

Occurrence of vaccine abscesses in bovines after the administration of bivalent foot-and-mouth disease vaccine

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study is to identify the occurrence of abscesses in cattle after the administration of bivalent foot-and-mouth disease vaccine as adverse reaction to components in the new commercial vaccine formulation. Thirty bovines were divided into three groups composed of 10 animals, each. Groups 1 and 2 were vaccinated by researchers based on good vaccination practices criteria. Group 1 was intramuscularly administered with the vaccine, Group 2 received it through subcutaneous route and Group 3 was vaccinated by breeders through subcutaneous route. Animals were selected and observed in vivo in three different moments (7, 28 and 45 days after vaccination). Subsequently, they were observed during post mortem inspection in order to assess the occurrence of vaccine abscesses. Vaccine abscesses were recorded in 40% of bovines in Group 1, in 50% of the ones in Group 2 and in 60% of those in Group 3. There was no significant difference between experimental groups based on the Chi-square test and on Cramer's V analysis; there was no significant difference among experimental groups. Excess of carcass parts presenting vaccine abscesses during post mortem inspection resulted in the meat loss of 1.775 kg in Group 1, of 2.303 kg in Group 2 and of 3.268 kg in Group 3. In conclusion, despite changes in bivalent foot-and-mouth disease vaccine formulation, care should be taken at vaccination time to minimize the occurrence of vaccine abscesses and, consequently, meat losses at slaughter, as well as to reduce losses in beef production chain.

197 Gene-regulation control of muscle fatigue during transportation with rumen-protected methionine supplementation

Abstract Different participants generally located distant among them compose the U.S. beef production chain, therefore shipping is required for cattle at least once in their lifespan. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Rumen-Protected Methionine (RPM) supplementation on muscle fatigue gene network, creatine synthesis (CKM), and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) metabolism after a transportation simulation in a 1.7-miles oval test track. Angus heifers (n = 18) were stratified by body weight (408 ± 64 kg; BW) and randomly assigned to dietary treatments: 1) control diet (CTRL), and 2) control diet + rumen-protected methionine (RPM). After a successful adaptation period to Calan gates, animals received a common diet of Bermuda hay ad libitum and a soy hulls and corn gluten feed based supplement. After 45 days under supplementation, animals were loaded onto a 32 × 7 ft. trailer and transported for 22 hours. Skeletal muscle biopsies, BW and blood samples were obtained on day 0 (Baseline), 43 (Pre-transport, “PRET”), and 45 (Post-transport, “POST”). Heifer’s average daily gain did not differ between Baseline and PRET (P = 0.41). Control heifer’s shrink was 8% of BW while RPM heifers shrink was 10% (P = 0.29). Cortisol level decreased after transportation, but no differences were observed between treatments (P = 0.94). Messenger RNA was extracted from skeletal muscle tissue and gene expression analysis was performed by RT-qPCR. Results showed that AHCY (Creatine synthesis pathway), SSPN (Sarcoglycan complex), DNMT3A (DNA Methylation), and SOD2 (Oxidative Stress-ROS) were upregulated (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in CTRL between baseline and PRET and, decreased between PRET and POST (P &amp;lt; 0.05) while they remained constant for RPM. Furthermore, CKM was not affected by treatments (P = 0.11). In conclusion, muscle fatigue related genes were not affected by RPM. Although, RPM could affect ROS production, after a long-term transportation.

Environmental Impacts of the Beef Production Chain in the Northeast of Portugal Using Life Cycle Assessment

The beef supply chain has multiple negative impacts on the environment. A method widely used to measure impacts from both the use of resources and the emissions generated by this sector is the life cycle assessment (LCA) (ISO 14040). This study aimed to evaluate a semi-intensive system (SIS) and an extensive organic system (EOS), combined with two different slaughterhouses located in the northeast of Portugal. The studied slaughterhouses are similar in size but differ in number of slaughters and in sources of thermal energy: natural gas (Mng) vs. biomass pellets (Mp). Four categories of environmental impact were evaluated: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP). As expected, higher impacts were found for SIS for all studied impact categories. Slaughterhouse activities, fertilizer production, and solid waste treatment stages showed little contribution when compared to animal production. Concerning the slaughterhouses activities, the main sources of environmental impact were the use of energy (electric and thermal) and by-products transportation.

Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes recovered throughout the beef production chain and from patients with salmonellosis.

Salmonella is one of the major foodborne pathogens worldwide. The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of this foodborne pathogen has raised a great concern in recent years. Studies on the frequency and characterization of Salmonella serotypes can help to improve our knowledge on the epidemiology of this pathogen. The purpose of this study was to compare the serotypes, AMR and genetic profiles of Salmonella isolates recovered from raw beef throughout the beef production chain and from human feces associated with clinical cases of salmonellosis. The serotype, AMR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile of 243 Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from beef carcasses (n = 78), ground beef (n = 135), and human feces from clinical cases of salmonellosis (n = 30) were compared. Forty-three different Salmonella serotypes were identified and regardless of the source, the top five corresponded to Typhimurium, Give, Group B (partially serotyped), Infantis and Anatum. Twelve serotypes from beef carcasses were also found in ground beef, showing their presence throughout the beef production chain. Salmonella Typhimurium, Infantis, Anatum and Montevideo were the only serotypes identified in all sample types. Resistance to tetracyclines was the most frequent (41.2%) followed by resistance to aminoglycosides (37%), folate pathway inhibitors (21%), quinolones (20.2%), phenicols (17.1%), penicillins (15.6%) and cephems (7%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 28.8% of the isolates, and those from human feces showed resistance to a larger number of antimicrobials. Great concern arises from the resistance and reduced susceptibility observed to quinolones and cephalosporins because these drugs are the first line of treatment for invasive Salmonella infections. Twenty-seven distinct pulse-types were detected among 238 isolates. Clustering analysis for the most frequent serotypes identified groups of isolates with similar AMR profiles. Multidrug resistance spreading throughout the food production chain should be continually monitored and its importance emphasized.

Applying the nutrient footprint method to the beef production and consumption chain

PurposeAn indicator of nutrient use efficiency through the entire food chain has been lacking. This article proposes a nutrient footprint method to estimate the efficiency of using both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in animal production chains following Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).MethodsFollowing the nutrient footprint method of Grönman et al. (2016), we applied the nutrient footprint method to the Finnish beef production and consumption chain. We defined N and P flows associated with the beef chain from a product-specific point of view. The nutrient footprint is a resource efficiency indicator which combines the amount of nutrients captured for use in the production and consumption chain and their nutrient use efficiency (NutUE) either in the primary product or in both the primary + secondary products.Results and discussionEach 1000 kg of Finnish beef consumed requires 1700 kg N and 189 kg P during its life cycle. The percentage of virgin nutrient is more than 50% for N, but only 25% for P. NutUE in the primary product and in both primary + secondary products for N is 1% and 47% and for P is 0.2% and 74%, respectively.ConclusionsThe nutrient footprint offers information about NutUE in a simple and comparable form. In transition towards systems with sustainable nutrient use, it is essential to identify hot spots of nutrient leakage to be able to close them and improve food chains.

Application of the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach in the identification of Carbon Footprint reduction actions in the Brazilian beef production chain

Abstract Global awareness regarding the effects of Climate Change has led to a more restrictive society and demanding concerned with Greenhouse Gas Emissions associated with consumption. In this context, the livestock sector is seen as a major contributor to various impacts, as it is implemented throughout different climatic zones, with high variations in production and food systems, which, in turn, present direct impacts on productivity and environmental externalities. In this context, the aim of this study was to rank possible improvement actions that allow the reduction of the Carbon Footprint originated from Brazilian beef exports considering multiple criteria, from the identification of the impact profile associated with the final product. Thus, the Carbon Footprint was first estimated considering the production phase, in the Brazilian Central-West, and beef processing and transport until its delivery at three main final export destinations: Rotterdam, Shanghai and St. Petersburg. Subsequently, multicriteria decision-making methods were applied in order to quantify and rank possible improvement actions, with the joint application of the Fuzzy Set Theory and the TOPSIS method. Finally, the criteria are presented in the form of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) matrix for each evaluated alternative. The animal production stage represented the main impacts of Climate Change on the product system (over 96% for all export destinations) due to the digestive fermentation of the animals, leading to methane emissions. The option to implement improvement actions for the evaluated productive arrangement, the use of protein-energetic supplementation and pasture fertilization-rotation in the animal production phase, alongside the replacement of road transport units by more modern vehicles in the industrial phase, were identified as alternatives that decrease the impact potential and facilitate the animal production phase. In this sense, the results point to possible improvements that, in addition to presenting low restrictions for implementation, can significantly reduce the beef Carbon Footprint. Improving Brazilian efficiency in terms of Carbon Footprint in this production chain can, in addition to provide a strategic differential concerning production and commercialization, contribute to reduce environmental impacts resulting from the sector at a global level. However, it is necessary to search for measures that facilitate the implementation of these actions, mainly at the rural producer level, considering both technical aspects and the qualification, training, consulting and financial aspects, such as credit and subsidies, improving the environmental performance of this arrangement with a view to balancing it with the other dimensions.

Challenged nutrient recycling in the animal based protein system - applying the nutrient footprint method to the beef production and consumption chain

Challenged nutrient recycling in the animal based protein system - applying the nutrient footprint method to the beef production and consumption chain

English

Salmonella spp. in food products of animal origin can cause foodborne infections, and when antimicrobial-resistant strains are present, can evolve to severe disease. This study aims to determine the occurrence of Salmonella and identify the serotypes present in the beef production chain of the metropolitan region of Cuiab&aacute;, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and evaluate their antimicrobial resistance profile. The presence of Salmonella was determined by the ISO-6579:2002 method and evaluation of resistance to 17 antibiotics was performed by the CSLI 2014 method. The following samples were analyzed: (1) environmental samples: corral swab, bleeding, skinning and deboning knives, ribbon saw, boning bench; (2) animal samples: anal swab, internal and external carcass sponge, organ pool, boning shavings and by-products in the slaughterhouse; and (3) ground meat samples from retail sales from 10 butcher shops and permanent fair stalls. Salmonella was present in ten of the 182 samples (5.5%), five of which were Salmonella Panama detected in the corral, boning tables, meat from the butcher&#39;s shop and permanent market. These strains were sensitive to all antibiotics characteristics and similar to Salmonella enterica rough, and being isolated from the ribbon saw used in the production chain. However, Salmonella Anatum and Salmonella Infantis isolated from carcasses, bone meal and viscera presented resistance to sulfonamides, trimethoprim, sulfametazol/ trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin in relation to the use of antibiotics in animal production and the selective pressure of multiresistant Salmonella spp. in products derived from these animals. &nbsp; Key words: Serotyping, bovine meat, slaughterhouse, butcher, antibiotic resistance.

Environmental impacts of Italian beef production: A comparison between different systems

Livestock production, particularly beef supply chain, is charged as the major contributor to green-house gas (GHG) emissions, as well as, in land degradation and deforestation. Environmental impacts per kg of edible beef, however, vary largely due to differences in beef production systems. Thus, this study aimed to compare the cradle-to-farm gate sustainability of four different Italian beef production systems, in terms of land occupation (LO, m2/year), global warming (GWP, kg CO2 -eq), water depletion (WD, m3), acidification (AP, g SO2 -eq) and eutrophication (EP, g NO3 -eq) potentials by using the LCA methodology (SimaPro 8.01 PhD, PRé Consultants). The primary data were obtained from 25 farms: 7 farms conducting cow–calf operations, with specialized beef cattle maintained on pasture and finished in confinement, (Specialized extensive, SE); 6 farms conducting high grain fattening of specialized beef breed imported calves (Fattening systems, FS); 5 farms conducting cow-calf operations, with specialized beef animals constantly kept in confinement (Cow-calf intensive; CCI); 7 farms conducting cow–calf operations, with Podolian cattle (a native breed of Southern Italy) maintained on pasture and finished in confinement, (Podolian system; PoS). The functional unit was 1 kg of live weight of marketed beef cattle. Intensive systems (i.e. CCI and FS) showed lower GWP values than systems partially based on pasture such as PoS, and even SE (17.62 ± 1.78 and 21.94 ± 1.95 kg CO2 –eq vs 26.30 ± 1.65 and 25.41 ± 1.65 kg CO2 –eq, P < 0.01, for FS, CCI, SE, and PoS, respectively). No significant effect of production system on WD was observed. Acidification potential was significantly (P < 0.001) affected by production system with the highest values observed in CCI (0.30 ± 0.02 kg SO2 –eq) compared with the other three beef production systems. As for eutrophication potential, FS and PoS tended to show lower values compared with CCI and SE systems (961.71 ± 65.30 and 779.17 ± 70.53 g NO3 -eq vs 1009.20 ± 77.27 and 1009.71 ± 65.30 g NO3 –eq, respectively; P < 0.10). Significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed for LO between the four systems (177.71 ± 20.87 and 194.43 ± 20.87 m2/year vs 40.67 ± 22.54 and 32.60 ± 23.69 m2/year, for PoS and SE vs FS and CCI, respectively). However, as diets in intensive meat systems are mainly based on cereals products that humans could consume directly, the degree of competition with human nutrition should be another feature to be considered. About this aspect, although human edible protein conversion efficiency (HEPCE) was not significantly influenced by production system, PoS showed a higher HEPCE index (0.44 ± 0.08), particularly if compared with CCI system (0.17 ± 0.09), but also in comparison with groups FS and SE (0.34 ± 0.08 and 0.39 ± 0.08, respectively). In addition, grass-based systems may provide other non-commodity outputs and non-marketable public goods services named “ecosystem services” (e.g. provision of clean drinking water, preservation and enhancement of biodiversity, conservation of cultural landscapes, contribution to the socio-economic viability of many rural areas particularly in marginal areas, enhancement of meat quality and animal welfare as perceived by consumers). The present results showed a lower impact of the intensive beef production systems in terms of GWP and LO, whereas some of them were more impactful at AP and EP levels. However, in order to achieve a more accurate estimation of the impact of the beef production chain, particularly for traditional and extensive farming systems conducted in marginal areas, such as the Podolian system, further LCA studies are needed, taking into account the allocation of their ecosystem services.

Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella Enterica Isolated from Whole-Muscle Beef Cuts and Beef Carcasses in Mexico

ObjectivesA substantial number of cattle are raised in Mexico and imported into the U.S., however due to lax regulations, protocols for use of antibiotics in animals are not always properly followed. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Salmonella enterica recovered along the beef production chain in Southeastern Mexico.Materials and MethodsA total of 120 Salmonella enterica isolates were recovered from whole-muscle beef cuts samples (n = 60) and beef cattle carcasses at harvest (n = 60) in 2 cities in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico (Cancun and Merida). All Salmonella isolates were recovered using standard microbiological methods in a previous study. A frozen stock cultures of each isolate was streaked onto blood agar plates and incubated at 37°C for 18 h. Susceptibility profiles were determined using the Sensititre (Trek Diagnostic Systems, Westlake, OH) automated antimicrobial susceptibility system with the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Gram Negative plate format CMV3AGNF. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for each of the 14 antimicrobials tested was interpreted using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards for microdilution broth methods and NARMS breakpoints. Fourteen antimicrobials were tested: amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 2:1 ratio (AUG2), ampicillin (AMP), azithromycin (AZI), cefoxitin (FOX), ceftiofur (TIF), ceftriaxone (AXO), ciprofloxacin (CIP), chloramphenicol (CHL), gentamycin (GEN), nalidixic acid (NAL), streptomycin (STR), sulfisoxazole (FIS), tetracycline (TET), trimethoprim/sulfamethohazole (SXT). Statistical analyses were performed using the GraphPad Prism software to determine statistical differences among the antibiotics tested.ResultsOverall, 68 (56.7%) S. enterica isolates exhibited resistance to at least one or more antibiotic. Furthermore, the isolates displayed 19 different resistance phenotypes. Among the whole-muscle beef cuts isolates, 61.7% (37/60) were considered resistant, most commonly to TET (21.6%), followed by multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotypes to AMP-CHL-STR-TET-SXT (10.8%) and AMP-CHL-TET-SXT (8.1%). Among carcass isolates, 51.7% (31/60) were deemed resistant, most frequently to NAL (18.4) and TET (15.8%). Additionally, the most common MDR phenotypes among carcass isolates were the phenotype CHL-STR-TET-SXT (10.5%) and the phenotype CHL-NAL-STR-TET-SXT (7.9%). No significant differences were found between the resistance patterns across multiple antibiotics (p-value > 0.05).ConclusionIn Mexico, antimicrobial resistance, and in particular, multidrug-resistance may be of concern due to the high prevalence of Salmonella along the beef production chain. An initial investigation like the one presented here contributes to a broader global understanding of the potential exposure to drug-resistant Salmonella through food, thus providing insight into the need for control strategies to avoid the spreading of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in Mexico.

Analysis of bovine cysticercosis in the state of Goiás, Brazil and economical losses for beef farms

SUMMARY This study aimed to assess the prevalence and spatial distribution of bovine cysticercosis in the state of Goiás, Brazil; to verify its association with epidemiological variables, and to establish the economical losses for beef farms. A set of 23 255 979 bovines from 246 municipalities were slaughtered from 2007 through 2014. The prevalence of bovine cysticercosis was 0·53% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0·5295–0·5354]. The Central mesoregion showed a higher risk [odds ratio (OR) = 4·44; 95% CI 4·2936–4·5895] for detecting infected animals with cysticerci compared with those raised at North and Northeast mesoregion (OR = 1·02 and OR = 1·02). The microregion of Goiânia had a higher risk for bovine cysticercosis occurrence (OR = 11·05, 95% CI 10·6933–11·4099) compared with the microregion of São Miguel do Araguaia (OR = 1). None of the epidemiological variables evaluated in this study was significantly associated (P &amp;gt; 0·05) with bovine cysticercosis prevalence. In conclusion, the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in the state of Goiás, Brazil, was 0·53% and some mesoregions and microregions presented a higher risk for its occurrence. The economical losses due to its occurrence during the period ranged from US$9 260 728·57 to 11 313 816·67. These results highlighted the needs of adopting prophylactic measures and the development of political strategies in specific regions in order to control this zoonose and reduce the economical losses for beef production chain and the costs for public health.

Complete Genome Sequence of Clostridium estertheticum DSM 8809, a Microbe Identified in Spoiled Vacuum Packed Beef.

Blown pack spoilage (BPS) is a major issue for the beef industry. Etiological agents of BPS involve members of a group of Clostridium species, including Clostridium estertheticum which has the ability to produce gas, mostly carbon dioxide, under anaerobic psychotrophic growth conditions. This spore-forming bacterium grows slowly under laboratory conditions, and it can take up to 3 months to produce a workable culture. These characteristics have limited the study of this commercially challenging bacterium. Consequently information on this bacterium is limited and no effective controls are currently available to confidently detect and manage this production risk. In this study the complete genome of C. estertheticum DSM 8809 was determined by SMRT® sequencing. The genome consists of a circular chromosome of 4.7 Mbp along with a single plasmid carrying a potential tellurite resistance gene tehB and a Tn3-like resolvase-encoding gene tnpR. The genome sequence was searched for central metabolic pathways that would support its biochemical profile and several enzymes contributing to this phenotype were identified. Several putative antibiotic/biocide/metal resistance-encoding genes and virulence factors were also identified in the genome, a feature that requires further research. The availability of the genome sequence will provide a basic blueprint from which to develop valuable biomarkers that could support and improve the detection and control of this bacterium along the beef production chain.

Modelling systems to describe maternal productivity, with the aim of improving beef production efficiency by eliciting practice change

The overall efficiency of beef production is considered more highly correlated with cow–calf efficiency, viz. maternal productivity (MP), than the efficiency of other segments of the beef production chain. Recently, concerns have been raised that improvements in feedlot and carcass performance have led to a decline in MP due to the uncertainty that surrounds the relationships between production and MP traits. The Beef Cooperative Research Centre ‘Maternal Productivity’ Project examined the impact of cow genotype and nutrient intake on breeding herd productivity. This experiment demonstrated that cow body composition is influenced by genetic differences in rib fat and residual feed intake, as well as nutrient availability. Genetic differences in rib fat were shown to influence heifer pregnancy rates, observed days to calving, MP when nutrient intake is restricted and ME intake by the cow–calf unit. Weaning rate was found to account for a large portion of the variation in MP, while cow genetic background and pre-weaning nutrient availability influenced the postweaning and carcass performance of progeny. These findings demonstrate that although balancing the requirements of MP with those of other traits is not straight forward, it is of critical importance. Incorporating modelling systems into decision-support systems (DSS) offers the opportunity to integrate fragmented knowledge into decision making. Unfortunately, previous DSS have gained little traction and limited adoption due to their perceived complexity, large input-data requirements, and mismatches between outputs and the decision-making styles of producers. The development of the BeefSpecs fat calculator provides an example of how producer-measurable inputs and simple user interactions can be combined using modelling systems to develop DSS to improve MP. No single model that addressed all issues affecting MP was found in the literature. Thus, it was concluded that previous modelling systems would need to be combined to develop a suite of DSS that target-specific components of MP, such as heifer pregnancy rates and interactions between the cow herd and the nutritional environment.

Fatores que afetam o bem-estar de bovinos durante o período pré-abate

A cadeia produtiva da carne bovina tem evoluído nos últimos anos em direção à diferenciação de produtos de qualidade. Os sistemas de produção começaram a gerar produtos diferenciados, que forçaram os frigoríficos a buscar e remunerar pela qualidade dos animais. Entretanto, problemas logísticos e de manejo têm prejudicado a cadeia produtiva, no sentido de gerarem perdas nos produtos acabados. As contusões nas carcaças representam as principais perdas para o frigorifico, pois, a medida que removidas na linha de abate, ocasionam quedas de rendimento de carcaça, danos à cortes e consequentemente diminuição da qualidade da carcaça. Ocasionadas no animal ainda vivo, as contusões são reflexo de problemas durante o manejo pré-abate, problemas nas instalações e/ou das características dos animais, no entanto sua verificação é possível apenas após a retirada do couro, tornando difícil avaliar o momento em que ocorrem. Objetivou-se no presente estudo, através de revisão bibliográfica, identificar as principais causas de contusões em carcaças bovinas durante a etapa de pré-abate enfatizando pontos críticos relacionados ao manejo na propriedade, transporte, descanso ou jejum pré-abate e características relacionadas aos animais.

Environmental impact of beef production in Mexico through life cycle assessment

Intensive and extensive systems of beef production in the Mexican tropics were analyzed. The aim of the study was to estimate and compare the environmental impact of two typical beef production systems in Veracruz, Mexico. A system boundary was established from farm production to prior to transport for consumer consumption, including intermediate stages of product processing, marketing and transportation. The functional unit was 1kg of boneless and fatless beef. The life cycle inventory was built using information from case studies; farmers, slaughterhouses and retail point managers who provided information from records and expert knowledge were interviewed. The study included cow-calf processes, pre-fattening, fattening, processing and retail. Several impact categories were analyzed using SimaPro software and the ReCiPe Midpoint method for impact characterization. The results showed that for the extensive system, the cow-calf stage is the major contributor in eleven of the twelve impact categories analyzed, while in the intensive system, it is the main contributor to the climate change, terrestrial acidification, freshwater and marine eutrophication. The fattening stage of intensive system, has a predominant impact on human toxicity, water depletion, terrestrial ecotoxicity, fossil depletion, photo-oxidants formation, freshwater ecotoxicity and marine ecotoxicity; the processing stage has relevant contributions to fossil fuel depletion and the formation of photochemical oxidants in intensive systems. Finally, the marketing stage did not have a predominant impact on any category. The results indicated that the extensive system has better environmental performance than the intensive system for nine of the twelve studied categories. According last, it is important to improve the reproductive performance in calf breeding herds to mitigate emissions in the beef production chain as well as to improve livestock food quality in the extensive system for the mitigation of GHG emissions due to enteric fermentation.