Relationships between European carcass evaluation and Meat Standards Australia grading scheme applied to young beef cattle.

The European carcass grading scheme (EUROP) places large emphasis on meat yield and therefore on quantitative traits such as carcass conformation and superficial fat coverage. However, it falls short in considering sensory properties and consumer satisfaction. In contrast, the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading scheme considers, among others, animals' ossification, marbling, and ultimate pH as primary indicators of beef eating quality. This study aims to characterize MSA carcass grading scheme applied to the Italian beef production system, considering its significant role in European beef market. The study involved 3204 Charolais, Limousin, and crossbred young bulls and heifers slaughtered in a commercial Italian abattoir. Data collection spanned a broad range of variables, including animal characteristics, MSA traits, and EUROP carcass grading traits. Regardless of the sex of the animal, no significant relationship was observed between MSA traits and EUROP carcass grading scores. Factors such as sex, age, and arrival season at the fattening unit significantly affected most of MSA traits. Females had significantly higher marbling score, and lower ossification score and hump height than males. Animals imported in autumn and winter had significantly lower marbling score, but similar ossification score compared to those imported in spring and summer. Older females had the highest marbling scores. While further research is needed to assess whether the MSA grading scheme can be adapted to all different European rearing systems, results of this study are a prelude to the potential benefits that the MSA grading scheme can bring to the European beef industry.

Presence of pathogen DNA in milk harvested from quarters is associated to changes in cows' milk yield and composition.

BACKGROUND: Intramammary infection is the result of invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in the mammary gland and commonly leads to mastitis in dairy animals. Although much has been done to improve cows' udder health, mastitis remains a significant and costly health issue for dairy farmers, especially if subclinical. In this study, quarter milk samples from clinically healthy cows were harvested to detect pathogens via quantitative PCR (qPCR) and evaluate changes in individual milk traits according to the number of quarters infected and the type of microorganism(s). A commercial qPCR kit was used for detection of Mycoplasma bovis, Mycoplasma spp., Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Prototheca spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterococcus spp. and Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis. Quarter and pooled milk information of 383 Holstein, 132 Simmental, 129 Rendena, and 112 Jersey cows in 9 Italian single-breed herds was available. RESULTS: Among the cows with pathogen(s) present in at least 1 quarter, CNS was the most commonly detected DNA, followed by Streptococcus uberis, Mycoplasma bovis, and Streptococcus agalactiae. Cows negative to qPCR were 206 and had the lowest milk somatic cell count. Viceversa, cows with DNA isolated in ≥ 3 quarters were those with the highest somatic cell count. Moreover, when major pathogens were isolated in ≥ 3 quarters, milk had the lowest casein index and lactose content. In animals with pathogen(s) DNA isolated, the extent with whom milk yield and major solids were impaired did not significantly differ between major and minor pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of the number of affected quarters on the pool milk quality traits was investigated in clinically healthy cows using a commercial kit. Results remark the important negative effect of subclinical udder inflammations on milk yield and quality, but more efforts should be made to investigate the presence of untargeted microorganisms, as they may be potentially dangerous for cows. For a smarter use of antimicrobials, analysis of milk via qPCR is advisable - especially in cows at dry off - to identify quarters at high risk of inflammation and thus apply a targeted/tailored treatment.

The Meat Standards Australia carcass grading site affects assessment of marbling and prediction of meat-eating quality in growing European beef cattle.

The lack of consumer feedback on beef eating quality contributes to reduced beef consumption in Europe. The Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading scheme can assess the palatability of beef carcasses usually graded at the 10th thoracic vertebrae. However, the European beef industry relies on late-maturing breeds usually cut at the 5th vertebrae due to commercial reasons. Data from 55 young bulls and heifers of late-maturing breeds were collected in an Italian slaughterhouse following the MSA guidelines at both carcass grading sites and sides. Intramuscular fat levels were assessed through two scores and used with other variables to feed the MSA model, which predicts the MSA index, the meat-eating quality scores (MQ4) for 5 muscles and for each carcass grading site × side combination. The scores were analyzed using a mixed linear model. A correlation analysis was conducted to predict the variables measured at the 10th site using their correspondent at the 5th carcass grading site. A stepwise regression was conducted to understand the weight of each measured variable on marbling and MQ4 scores measured both at 5th and 10th carcass grading sites. Results showed significantly higher value for the studied traits at the 5th carcass grading site, while carcass side had no significant impact. The equations had high predictive capability and MSA marbling score played a key role in explaining the variability across carcass grading sites. The differences in marbling and MQ4 scores between the carcass grading sites suggest considering this factor if the MSA grading system will be applied to Europe.

Effects of vaccination timing and target pathogens on performances and antimicrobial use in long-transported Charolais beef cattle from France to Italy - A retrospective study.

Antimicrobial use (AMU) in the livestock sector is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. Italian beef industry strongly relies on the import of young cattle from France, which are commingled in sorting facilities before transportation to Italy. Both commingling and transportation are stressors for animals and lead to higher risk of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which in turn increases the risk of AMU. This study aimed to investigate how the timing of first BRD vaccination and the different vaccination target pathogens affect AMU and performance of young Charolais beef cattle imported from France to Italy. Information on animal performance, antimicrobial treatments, and vaccinations was available for 60,726 Charolais cattle belonging to 1449 batches in 33 Italian specialised fattening farms between January 2016 and December 2021. Antimicrobial use was estimated using the treatment incidence 100 adapted for Italy (TI100it). A mixed linear model was used to quantify the effects of the vaccination and the time of first administration on slaughter age, carcase weight, and average daily carcase gain. Similarly, a generalised linear mixed model was used to analyse the TI100it. The vaccination programme was usually applied the first day after the animals' arrival to the Italian fattening farms. Most animals were vaccinated with a polyvalent vaccine against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine parainfluenza type 3 virus (PI-3), bovine viral diarrhoea virus type 1 and 2 (BVDV), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). The most used class of antimicrobials to treat BRD were the macrolides, followed by aminoglycosides, amphenicols, tetracyclines, aminopenicillins, and fluoroquinolones. Animals that got vaccinated against any of the considered BRD pathogens upon arrival had significantly lower TI100it, greater average daily carcase gain, and reached slaughter age earlier than animals that got vaccinated later. Animals that received the vaccination against BVDV had lower TI100it and greater average daily carcase gain, and animals that received the vaccination against BRSV were younger at slaughter than unvaccinated animals. The vaccination against Mannheimia haemolytica significantly decreased the slaughter age and increased the carcase weight and average daily carcase gain, and the vaccination against PI-3 and Histophilus somni significantly increased the slaughter age. Thus, even if the vaccination programme is essential to tackle BRD, this practice is questionable if applied at arrival to the Italian fattening farms and it is advisable that the vaccination programme is planned before the commingling procedure in France.

Consumer perception of the challenges facing livestock production and meat consumption.

With the global meat market growing and intensive livestock farming systems increasing, the impacts of livestock are a growing concern among consumers, further influencing their meat consumption. Understanding consumer perceptions of livestock production is therefore a key issue. This study surveyed 16,803 respondents in France, Brazil, China, Cameroon and South Africa to investigate the different perceptions of the ethical and environmental impacts of livestock production among consumer segments in different countries based on their sociodemographic characteristics. On average, the current respondents in Brazil and China and/or who consume little meat, are female, not in the meat sector and/or more educated, are more likely to think that livestock meat production causes serious ethical and environmental problems; while those in China, France and Cameroon and/or who consume little meat and/or are women, younger, not in the meat sector, and/or more educated, are more likely to agree that reducing meat consumption could be a good solution to these problems. Additionally, an affordable price and sensory quality are the main drivers of food purchases for the current respondents. In conclusion, sociodemographic factors have significant effects on consumer perception of livestock meat production and meat consumption habits. Perceptions of the challenges facing livestock meat production differ between countries in different geographic regions based on social, economic, cultural contexts and dietary habits.

Across countries implementation of handheld near-infrared spectrometer for the on-line prediction of beef marbling in slaughterhouse.

Only few studies have used Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to assess meat quality traits directly in the chiller. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the ability of a handheld NIR spectrometer to predict marbling scores on intact meat muscles in the chiller. A total of 829 animals from 2 slaughterhouses in France and Italy were involved. Marbling was assessed according to the 3G (Global Grading Guaranteed) protocol using 2 different scores. NIR measurements were collected by performing 5 scans at different points of the Longissimus thoracis. An average MSA marbling score of 330-340 was obtained in the two countries. The prediction models provided a R2 in external validation between 0.46 and 0.59 and a standard error of prediction between 83.1 and 105.5. Results did provide a moderate prediction of the marbling scores but can be useful in the European industry context to predict classes of MSA marbling.

The Role of Quarantine on Post-Mortem Performances of Charolaise Young Bulls.

Biosecurity is essential to prevent the spread of diseases in livestock animals such as the bovine respiratory disease which can lead to negative effects on growth performance, and carcass and meat quality, as well as to an increase of antimicrobial use. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the quarantine on post-mortem performances (hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, pH 60 min after slaughtering, carcass SEUROP conformation, and fat cover) of 576 Charolaise young bulls imported from France and fattened in specialized Italian farms. Approximately half of the animals followed a standard fattening procedure without initial quarantine upon arrival to Italy (NO-QUA) and the other half underwent a 30-day period of quarantine (QUA) since their arrival to the farm. Post-mortem performances and parenteral administration of antimicrobial use were recorded. NO-QUA animals had lower average daily gain and slaughter weight but scored higher for carcass SEUROP evaluation and pH than QUA animals (p < 0.05). NO-QUA received more than double the number of parenteral antimicrobial treatments than QUA animals for respiratory diseases (139 vs. 56). Overall, quarantine applied on-farm contributes to improve post-mortem performances while reducing antimicrobial use in beef production.

Promoting Judicious Antimicrobial Use in Beef Production: The Role of Quarantine.

Judicious antimicrobial stewardship in livestock industry is needed to reduce the use of antimicrobials (AMU) and the associated risk of antimicrobial resistance. Biosecurity measures are acknowledged for their role against the spread of diseases and the importance in reducing AMU in different species. However, their effectiveness in beef production has been scarcely considered. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the quarantine strategy on AMU in beef cattle. A total of 1206 Charolaise animals in five farms were included in the trial. Roughly half of the animals followed the standard procedure of the fattening cycle (no-quarantine; NO-QUA group) and half followed a 30-day period of quarantine (QUA group) since their arrival. Performance and antimicrobial data were recorded and a treatment incidence 100 (TI100it) per animal was calculated. Penicillins was the most used class of antimicrobials. Differences between groups were significant for males only, with NO-QUA group having greater TI100it (3.76 vs. 3.24; p < 0.05) and lower body weight at slaughter (713.4 vs. 723.7 kg; p < 0.05) than QUA group. Results suggest that quarantine strategy can reduce AMU in males without compromising their performance, whereas further investigation is needed for females.

Use of antimicrobials in beef cattle: an observational study in the north of Italy.

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide issue whereby a more prudent use of medications is needed, especially for those antimicrobials (AM) classified as 'highest priority critically important antimicrobials' (HPCIAs) which are likely contributors to the development of resistance. So far, data on antimicrobial use (AMU) in EU are mainly reported at sales level while information on real use, mostly in beef production, is poor. The most reliable indicator to measure AMU is the treatment incidence (TI100) calculated by using the Defined Daily Dose Animal (DDDA) as stated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Although Italy ranks second among EU countries with regard to the AM sales in livestock production, data on AMU of the Italian beef production is still lacking, whereby the aim of this study was to provide information on the current scenario of AMU in Italian beef cattle. Data were collected from January 2016 to April 2019 from specialized beef fattening farms located in the north of Italy yielding a final dataset of 1376 batches. Data on performance and AM agents used in the study were collected and TI100 indexes per batch were calculated according to both Italian and EMA's DDDA. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to check for differences between years and seasons. Results showed a significant variation between years and seasons with a reduction of TI100 based on Italian DDDA as time progressed (P < 0.05). However, about 40% of the total amount of treatments administered were HPCIAs with macrolides accounting for the 27.7% of the total amount. The most common reasons of administration of AM were respiratory diseases (68.9%) and lameness (17.6%). Penicillins was the class of AM used on the highest proportion of batches (84.4%) showing that broad-spectrum AM were widely exploited among herds. In summary, despite a general reduction of AMU in beef cattle over time, a great use of HPCIAs was still observed suggesting that AM stewardship for Italian beef production should pay particular emphasis on the reduction of HPCIAs use. This shows how overall knowledge on where efforts need to be optimized is important to develop targeted strategies for a more responsible AM stewardship. Results of the current study may also contribute to define national and EU benchmark criteria for AMU, as a comparison with studies carried out in other countries or on other food-producing sectors is still challenging to achieve.