Quality Assurance

What could quality mean in livestock?

that the animal looks ideal or has excellent breeding value

What does quality mean for food?

the quality of meat and food products of the animals that producers raise

What is assurance?

a pledge or promise

What is quality assurance for livestock producers?

is making a promise to consumers that you as a producer will produce a safe and wholesome food product for the consumption

What are some quality assurance programs?

Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance Program (SSQA), Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA), Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus), Poultry

What is a quality assurance program?

producer driven programs that are voluntary and provide certification upon completion with recertification usually every 3 years to add value to animals at marketing and avoid additional government regulations by preforming independent audits to maintain the integrity of the programs

Why quality assurance?

improves care and management, avoids drug residues, increases the value of the product, improves food quality

Who starts the food supply chain?

livestock producers by raising animals that are free from residues by correctly using animal health products and medicated feeds

Where does meat enter the food chain?

through retail and distribution companies like Sysco or Hormel and through food service restaurants

What is HACCP?

Hazard Control and Critical Control points that is a system used in meat plants to prevent food safety problems regulated by the USDA food safety and inspection service

What are the hazards identified as?

Microbial contamination, chemical hazards, physical hazards

Why are keeping accurate records important?

a great management tool, animal identification, proof of ownership and traceability, record medications, good management, most reliable method of disease surveillance

What should be recorded for medication and treatment records?

date of treatment, animal treated, product used, amount administered, who gave the drug, withdrawal time, completed withdrawal date

Why should you establish a veterinary client patient relationship?

only use medication in conjunction with a VCPR, use products extra-label only under vet instructions, never use feed additive extra label, work with your vet to establish a herd health plan

How do you follow healthy production practices?

read and follow label instructions for all medications, store medications properly, use safe delivery methods and appropriate equipment, observe withdrawal times, responsible use of antibiotics

How do you understand product label?

what is the name of the medication, what is the withdrawal time on this medication, cautions you be aware of when using this medication, proper storage, how should this medication be administered, how many mL per injection site.

How do you properly care and handle an animal?

provide adequate feed water and environment, alway shandle animals carefully to prevent injury and stress, never tolerate animal abuse

How do you provide adequate and safe feed according to their nutrient requirements?

read and follow feed label instructions, use quality ingredients, provide balanced rations, test feed sources for nutrient analysis

How do you maintain biosecurity?

reduce external vector transmission by reducing rodent and birds and human/vehicle traffic and reduce internal vector transmission by keeping animals of different ages separated quarantine new animals control spread by people and improve sanitation