Farmed
Animal Watch
A Project of Animal Place
November 1, 2001
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Issue #37
CONTENTS
1. New Slaughterplant Procedures and Approach
2. Cipro & Chickens
3. New Bird Stem Cell Line Could "Remake Poultry Industry"
4. Transgenics Researchers Convene
5. National Hog Farmer Focus on Disease
6. OSU Beef Research Field Day
1. NEW SLAUGHTERPLANT PROCEDURES AND APPROACH
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has written new
inspection procedures for slaughterplants handling cattle, sheep, pigs,
goats or horses. It was created for "consistent documentation of
noncompliances related to humane handling of livestock." It outlines what
inspectors are to observe and verify, and what actions they are to take if
noncompliance is observed. Especially noted by industry is a provision
which allows FSIS to suspend inspection without prior notification if a
plant is handling or slaughtering animals inhumanely.
Industry has done a "lousy job" convincing consumers that it cares
about
animals, the president of the largest cattle-feeding company in the U.S.
told attendees at an American Meat Institute meeting. Meat-industry
executives admit to losing the public-relations war with animal protection
advocates over slaughter practices and say they will improve slaughterplant
policies. Other industry spokespersons claim improvement is already
occurring, and that the use of new carbon dioxide-powered equipment is
being considered to stun animals in place of electrical stunning. A former
director of the American Meat Institute asserts that it is not in
industry's interest for animals to be frightened or tense since it will
negatively affect meat quality. He noted that better handling "improves the
meat quality and color, which is a win-win for all involved."
"New ISP Procedure Code for Humane Slaughter," FSIS Notice, October
11, 2001.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/43-01.htm
"FSIS Issues Notice on New Inspection Procedure Code for Humane
Slaughter,"
This Week, American Meat Institute, October 24, 2001.
"Meat industry responds to the beefs," Scripps Howard News Service,
Lance
Gay, October 30, 2001.
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=ANIMALWELFARE-10-30-01&cat=AN
2. CIPRO & CHICKENS
Baytril is an antibiotic very similar to Cipro, the one used against
anthrax infections. Both are a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones.
Cipro has been used in human medicine since 1986, and Baytril has been used
in the poultry industry since 1995. It is feared that the widespread use of
Baytril will lead to bacterial resistance of fluoroquinolones, severely
diminishing the effectiveness of these valuable antibiotics. Prior to
Baytril's use by the poultry industry, there was about a 1% resistance rate
of Campylobacter bacteria to fluoroquinolones. In less than 4 years, the
resistance rate rose to 17%, and scientists are worried it will go much
higher.
Last year the government recommended banning for poultry the 2
fluoroquinolones being widely used. Abbott Laboratories voluntarily removed
the one they were manufacturing but Bayer has refused to withdraw Baytril.
Both Bayer and industry claim poultry-raising practices will have to change
if the drug is removed. The company is calling for additional proof that it
poses a problem. Critics say Bayer should instead have to prove it is safe.
Criticism has been especially great since the anthrax attacks. A recent
editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine by the dean of Tufts
University School of Medicine asserted that industry can counter the loss
of the drug through "improvements in animal husbandry, the quality of feed,
and hygiene." Other editorials critical of the industry's use of the drug
have run in major newspapers.
"Cipro for Chickens Sets Off Antibiotic Debate," The New York Times,
Philip
J. Hilts, October 30, 2001.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/30/science/life/30CHIC.html
"Misuse of Cipro," Editorial, The Boston Globe Online, October 25,
2001.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/298/editorials/Misuse_of_Cipro+.shtml
"Drug Culture: Farmers Need to Cut Back on Antibiotics," The Columbus
Dispatch Online, Editorial, October 24, 2001.
http://libpub.dispatch.com/cgi-bin/documentv1?DBLIST=cd01&DOCNUM=46433&TERMV=196:4:200:7:
3. NEW BIRD STEM CELL LINE COULD "REMAKE POULTRY INDUSTRY"
The world's first line of avian stem cells has been developed by
researchers at the University of Wisconsin. It is being hailed as a
breakthrough with "the potential to remake the poultry industry."
Embryonic
stem cells are a type of precursor cell that can form other types of cells
that make up nerve, blood, muscle and other cells. This gives them the
potential to be used in the treatment of injury and disease. The stem cell
line will be used in an attempt to insert the genetic material of other
species into bird embryos to create transgenic birds. This would enable the
production of protein-based drugs in the birds' eggs, such as antibodies,
clotting factor drugs, growth hormones, and vaccines. "Basically, the
[chickens] would become drug factories," a USDA researcher explained.
Additionally, desired traits could be incorporated into birds, such as
disease resistance. The stem cell line could also be used to preserve
endangered bird species.
"Bird stem cells created at UW," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, John
Fauber,
October 25, 2001.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/oct01/bird26102501a.asp
4. TRANSGENICS RESEARCHERS CONVENE
More than 100 scientists from around the world converged at Lake Tahoe
recently for the 3rd Transgenic Animal Research Conference. Transgenic
animals were first developed nearly 2 decades ago but their viability
remains poor. With commonly used methods, only about 1% of the embryos that
receive foreign genes result in the live birth of a healthy animal. There
is also little control over the expression of the inserted genes. This
article explains these methods and new methods that are being attempted.
Applications of the technology are also discussed, including the production
of spider silk protein in goats' milk; synthesis of immunoglobulins,
hormones, or growth factors in the seminal transgenic boar semen; and pigs
with a degenerative eye disease who are used as models for human disease.
Many researchers expressed concern that the government and consumers might
hamper their efforts. In a presentation entitled "Commercializing the first
transgenic food animal," environmental concerns about transgenic salmon are
mentioned. So far, about 300,000 farmed fish have escaped their confines
and fish in the wild have been found with their phenotypes.
"Transgenic Animal Researchers Convene," Informational Systems for
Biotechnology News Report, Shirley Dang, Rachelle Jones and Elena Conis,
October 2001.
http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2001/news01.oct.html
5. NATIONAL HOG FARMER FOCUS ON DISEASE
The current issue of National Hog Farmer includes a number of articles on
PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) and other diseases
that plague the pig industry. One, entitled "Ten Practices to Promote Herd
Health," comments "Numerous studies prove the impact of environment on
respiratory disease. Yet objective evaluations of the environment are
rarely part of a problem-solving strategy for respiratory disease." It
mention stocking density, noting that inadequate space is commonly observed
in the late nursery phase which can promote disease in a later phase. A
section on disease spread and population size states: "Larger herds
typically take longer to develop whole herd immunity and the dose of
organisms can progressively increase as the disease spreads through the
herd. Pig density also influences the effectiveness of the ventilation
system. The bottom line is that large herds must make fewer mistakes."
National Hog Farmer, October 2001.
http://industryclick.com/magazine.asp?SiteID=5&magazineid=17
6. OSU BEEF RESEARCH FIELD DAY
The 3rd annual Oklahoma State University (OSU) Beef Research Field Day will
be held at the OSU Cross Timbers Research Range on November 3rd from 10-3.
It is a free event open to the public. The focus will be on current cattle
research and will include a demonstration of ruminant animals' digestive
systems replete with canulated cattle. Other agenda items include
prescribed burning, determining optimal stocking rates, factors affecting
the success of artificial insemination programs, detecting and treating
sick calves, and management of feedlot cattle and fall-calving cows.
Register by 5 p.m., Oct. 31st by contacting Katina Chance at: (405)
744-6060 or at: ckatina@okstate.edu.
"'Practical Issues' Highlighted at Field Day," Beef Times, Laura
Engelson,
October 30, 2001.
http://www.directag.com/directag/news/article.jhtml?article_id=1004467