TheBeefSiteNewsletter - 22 July 2009

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

Our Sponsors: Helping keep you updated for free!

ON-LINE SHOP News Company News Events Articles Diseases Treatments Employment Cattle Breeds SEARCH

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Last Year's Tragedies Fall Under Scrutiny

The National Residue Plan of 2008, carried out by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF), was largely focussed on the discovery of dioxin in samples of pig fat. Contamination occurred last year after pigs ate feed contaminated by dioxin. It was later revealed that the feed had been distributed to many cattle producers resulting in the cull of thousands of their animals.

According to DAFF'S report, during 2008, more than 31,000 samples of Irish food of animal origin were tested, covering all 11 food-producing species. The report says that the discovery of the presence of dioxins in a routine sample of porcine fat tested in November 2008 demonstrates the ongoing effectiveness of DAFF's residue surveillance as a public health protection measure.

Also out this week was a Canadian report on last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak that killed 22 people. The Weatherill Report outlines events that led to the outbreak, identifies deficiencies in the system and makes 57 recommendations.

"Listeria defeated the best efforts of all those trying to prevent it from entering the food supply, including workers attempting to control it in the Maple Leaf Foods Bartor Road plant," the investigator, Sheila Weatherill, says in her report. "It also evaded the oversight systems of both Maple Leaf Foods and the federal government (CFIA)."

Adam Anson

In the Shop

Wildlife Artwork Prints
Have a look at our range of animal artwork prints from Richard Whittlestone, a truly great wildlife artist.

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 5 new features this week:

Dioxin Discovery Leads National Residue Plan Results
The discovery of dioxin in samples of pig fat is the major feature in the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) results of testing carried out under the National Residue Control Plan for 2008, writes TheCattleSite senior editor Chris Harris.

Identifying Sick or Injured Cattle
Proper and timely identification of sick or injured cattle helps minimise unnecessary treatment expense and preventable production losses, write Dr. Jane A. Parish, Associate and Dr. Justin D. Rhinehart, Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Assessing Drought Management Strategies for Cattle
The objective for cattle producers is to "buy feeding days" of forages and/or grazing while maintaining a reasonable level of productivity, says this Government of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development report.

Opportunities for Scientific Knowledge Transfer to the Beef Industry
A prevailing paradigm in science research is that it should be applied for the benefit of individuals, corporations and societies, writes Ian Jenson, Meat & Livestock Australia, in the proceedings of an international conference organised by ProSafeBeef, a European Commission Research Project.

US Beef and Dairy Outlook Report - July 2009
By USDA, Economic Research Service - This article is an extract from the July 2009 issue of Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook Report.