Russian and Chinese consumers' acceptability of boar meat patties depending on their sensitivity to androstenone and skatole.

The aim of this work was to study the sensitivity of Chinese and Russian female consumers to androstenone and skatole and to identify their preference for pork patties from entire male pigs compared with those from castrated pigs. One-hundred-twenty women in each country were enrolled. The sensitivity of the consumers to both compounds was tested using smell strips and triangular tests. Pairwise tests were performed comparing patties from castrated male pigs with patties from boars with different levels of androstenone and skatole. Approximately 70% of the Russian and 60% of the Chinese consumers were sensitive to skatole and 37% and 32% were sensitive to androstenone, respectively. Nevertheless, a higher percentage of sensitive Russian consumers compared to Chinese consumers disliked the smell of both compounds. In Russia, the consumers' preferences were higher for patties with low levels of both compounds, while no differences were found in China. In both countries, consumers who were sensitive to skatole also preferred patties with low levels of both compounds. Thus, the levels of androstenone and skatole affect boar patty preferences.

Perceived risk and strategy efficacy as motivators of risk management strategy adoption to prevent animal diseases in pig farming.

For Dutch fattening pig farms, this study explored (1) farmers' perceptions towards animal disease risks and animal health risk management; (2) factors underlying farmers' adoption of the two risk management strategies, namely, biosecurity measures and animal health programs. The risks included endemic and epidemic diseases. Data were obtained through a questionnaire (n=164). A behavioral model was developed using the Health Belief Model and tested using structural equation modeling. Endemic and epidemic diseases were regarded as an operational and catastrophic risk, respectively. Farmers considered severity of epidemics as slightly more important, compared to endemics. For both disease categories, farmers valued biosecurity measures as a more effective strategy than animal health programs. In the behavioral model, perceived benefits in terms of strategy efficacy was the strongest direct predictor of strategy adoption. Other behavioral components had a minor indirect effect, namely, via perceived benefits, and only in case of biosecurity measures. The indirect effect path did, however, vary per disease category. For endemics, such a path captured the effect of perceived susceptibility on perceived benefits mediated by perceived severity. For epidemics, it only captured the effect of perceived severity on perceived benefits. The results also revealed the importance of innate risk characteristics of farmers in their adoption decisions. In particular, general self-protection behavior directly contributed to decisions to adopt a certain strategy. The obtained knowledge highlights possible ways of improvement of programs aimed at promoting effective risk management strategies.

Incentive mechanisms for liver lesion control in finishing pigs in the Netherlands.

Liver lesion prevalence in slaughtered finishing pigs in the Netherlands remained relatively high from the mid-1990s until 2004, although sufficient measures existed to control the main cause, an infection with the roundworm Ascaris suum. In July 2004 a new incentive mechanism was installed to induce finishing pig producers to increase control of A. suum infections. This paper compares the effectiveness of two Dutch incentive mechanisms: a collective insurance - in place prior to July 2004 - and a reduction in producer payment for each delivered pig with a liver lesion - in place from July 2004. Liver inspection data of pigs slaughtered in 2003-2006 by a major Dutch slaughter company were analysed with an out-of-sample dynamic forecast test and non-parametric bootstrapping. Results showed that after introduction of the price reduction, mean liver lesion prevalence decreased from 9 to 5%. A reduced liver lesion prevalence ranging from 0 to 46 percentage points was observed on 67% of 1069 farms that delivered both during the insurance and the price reduction. The number of farms with a liver lesion prevalence of 5.0% or less increased from 52 to 68%. The price reduction for each pig with a liver lesion was a more effective incentive mechanism to induce finishing pig producers to control A. suum infections than the collective insurance.

Economic and epidemiological evaluation of Salmonella control in Dutch dairy herds.

This paper presents an analysis of a Salmonella control program for Dutch dairy herds. Salmonella control strategies were evaluated using a computer-based model consisting of an epidemiological module and an economics module. The epidemiological module is a state transition model of the infectivity of a herd, with the unit of analysis being the individual farm. The probability of a herd going from one state in the model to another state was derived from biological characteristics of Salmonella infections in dairy herds, and the presence or absence of risk factors. The economics module was based on partial budgeting. Control measures were modeled as influencing the risk factors. Amongst the measures considered were the prohibition of transporting potentially infectious animals and manure to farms, the culling of chronically infected animals, and herd management measures such as separate housing of groups of animal that differ in age. Alternative strategies, both compulsory and obligatory, were defined and evaluated concerning the reduction of prevalence of infected herds, the cost of a strategy, and cost-effectiveness. Results of the model suggested that a compulsory control strategy which included culling chronically infected animals and prohibiting the transport of potentially infected animals reduces the prevalence of Salmonella positive herds considerably, and was most cost-effective. Adding hygienic measures and a ban on the transport of animal manure further reduces prevalence, but only slightly, and with substantially more costs.