Adding nutritional value to meatand milk from pasture-fed livestock

Staple meat and milk provide excellent nutrition, but when traditional foods and ingredients are tailored to meet the particular nutritional or lifestyle demands of a population they become even more attractive and valuable. These foods can be considered as delivery systems for health-promoting nutrients. Nutritional improvement of meat and milk can be achieved several ways, preferably by making desirable changes on-farm to directly improve the food without subsequent manipulations. Scope for these changes is limited by animal homeostasis, but alternatives may be less desirable. Methods in vivo that suit typical pastoral farming practice and can complement the solving of animal health and production problems include: selection of traits or phenotypes; specialty diets; long-acting parenteral supplements; and modification of ruminal microflora. Successful techniques to increase the concentration of calcium, selenium, iodine and iron in milk or meat are described.

Manipulations to change composition are only one part of bringing tailored foods to market. Commercial realisation of these new products needs the initiative and collaboration of scientists, veterinarians, growers and producers responding to market pull. The uptake of future biotechnologies to capture more value inside the farm gate will also be required if the pastoral industry in New Zealand is to sustain a global competitive advantage.     

Environmental and economic impacts of livestock productivity increase in sub-Saharan Africa

Livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is not matching the annual 2.5?% growth of its population. Regional per capita meat and milk production corresponds, respectively, to about 13 and 8?% of developed countries indicators. Livestock performances in this region have decreased within the last 30?years. In fact, SSA, with a 12?% bovine extraction rate against a world average of 21?%, includes about 16?% of world cattle, only producing 6 and 2.6?% of global meat and milk, respectively. These low performances have economic and environmental consequences reflecting the necessity for upgrading livestock managing skills in the region. This effort includes various components such as sanitary prophylaxis, reproduction, nutrition, and in particular, substantial increase in livestock yield for human consumption. This will allow for an improved animal and pasture management and soil preservation, enhancing meat production and decreasing methane and nitrogen emissions from enteric fermentation and manure processing. These environmental gains due to increased livestock off-take rates can represent relevant credits in the global Environmental Carbon Market under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Kyoto protocol. These credits can be used for investments in livestock essential services and marketing facilities leading to improved productivity.     

Adding nutritional value to meat and milk from pasture-fed livestock

Staple meat and milk provide excellent nutrition, but when traditional foods and ingredients are tailored to meet the particular nutritional or lifestyle demands of a population they become even more attractive and valuable. These foods can be considered as delivery systems for health-promoting nutrients. Nutritional improvement of meat and milk can be achieved several ways, preferably by making desirable changes on-farm to directly improve the food without subsequent manipulations. Scope for these changes is limited by animal homeostasis, but alternatives may be less desirable. Methods in vivo that suit typical pastoral farming practice and can complement the solving of animal health and production problems include: selection of traits or phenotypes; specialty diets; long-acting parenteral supplements; and modification of ruminal microflora. Successful techniques to increase the concentration of calcium, selenium, iodine and iron in milk or meat are described. Manipulations to change composition are only one part of bringing tailored foods to market. Commercial realisation of these new products needs the initiative and collaboration of scientists, veterinarians, growers and producers responding to market pull. The uptake of future biotechnologies to capture more value inside the farm gate will also be required if the pastoral industry in New Zealand is to sustain a global competitive advantage.     

An international panorama of goat selection and breeds

The preservation of the biodiversity of animal breeds is an important condition to maintain the ability of animal production to adapt to the changing conditions of breeding and production systems in the future. The decrease of the number of animal breeds has been observed both for sheep, cattle and goats in relation with the standardisation and intensification of animal production systems.Goats are mainly concerned by the situation as they have the biggest increase in livestock numbers in 20 years. A global overlook of goats worldwide is showing a contradictory situation: On one hand, small but well organised sectors have developed in a few countries for milk and cheese, meat and fibre production. On the other hand, most of the goats are mostly still used for auto consumption of milk meat and skin or fibres in village herds. The present goat genetic situation is the direct consequence of this evolution with the high specialisation of a small number of selected and well characterised breeds for milk, meat and fibres and a majority of not well defined populations and local breeds, generally without selection schemes and organisation.A global panorama of the main families and breeds is presented. A special consideration is then pointed on the necessary financial and logistic conditions to achieve successively these selection objectives. After having observed that in many cases these conditions are not present, this report concludes by some proposals to control better the possibilities of success and express with more efficiency the genetic potentiality of this interesting species.     

What are the livestock industries doing, and what do they need from us?

Livestock industries are facing global competition and revolutionary changes. While facing this global competition, the similarities of many animal meat products require that they compete on a cost-of-production basis. Additional issues include the environmental impact of animal agriculture, the role of animal products in human nutrition, food safety and quality, biotechnology, animal welfare, and market access. Progressive producers are becoming more aware of the needs of their customers and are striving to improve product quality. Checkoff funds are used to finance promotion, research, and consumer information programs and are increasingly used to finance producer education. Industrialization trends in the livestock industries are changing the needs of constituencies, delivery mechanisms, and relationships with the people involved. Characteristics of closed operations include high production cost, outdated technology, smaller size, older operators, and lack of management focus. Successful operations tend to be growing in capacity, are system-oriented, maintain high throughput, keep accurate records, use outside consultants, and control production costs. Modern livestock production has lowered the cost of production by integrating new production and management technologies. In order for producers to be successful in the future, access to technology, capital, and timely information will be critical. Animal scientists have many common objectives with livestock industries. Their work in research, teaching, and extension is critical for continued progress. However, people in the industries sometimes have the perception that academic arrogance, discipline myopia, uncoordinated research, slow technology transfer, increasing research costs, and counter-productive tenure systems prevent animal scientists from being as relevant and responsive as they could be. Support from the industries is essential as animal scientists and academic departments seek political and funding support. This support can be attained by including integrated systems research, improving communication skills, achieving more efficient research budgets, rapidly publishing results, reducing the cost of information distribution, developing flexible research agendas, retraining scientists, acquiring modern methods, and emphasizing critical thinking, communication, and teamwork when teaching.     

Future of the animal health industry at a time of food crisis

It is popular in some quarters to say that there is no food crisis; that there is food aplenty; and that the problem is one of distribution or other over-arching technical difficulty. To the starving, however, there is a food crisis; and it neither speaks well nor bodes well for humanity if we dismiss their plight so glibly. The United Nations has called for a large and rapid increase in food production. Veterinary parasitologists and industry leaders can contribute to the production of healthier livestock and the expansion of aquaculture, but enhanced production and better delivery of plant foods may provide faster relief. Although livestock farming is not the most energy-efficient way of producing food, meat will remain a significant component of the global diet for the foreseeable future. New measures for parasite control will be needed, and we must improve our methods of inventing them. They need not act directly against the parasite. In the distant future lie other threats to the inhabitants of planet Earth, and here we must acknowledge the cogency of the no-food-crisis argument. In the long term, the production of animal foods and animal feeds will be revamped in ways that depend on how (or whether) we solve the energy crisis, the environmental crisis, the increasingly dire regional population crises, and the current world financial crisis. Throughout the 20th century, the animal health industry had to adapt to industrialization and expansive agribusiness. It will have to adapt to even greater changes in the 21st century and beyond.     

Present status of rinderpest diseases in pakistan

All animal diseases have the potential to affect human lives adversely by reducing the quantity and/or quality of food (meat, milk, etc.), secondary livestock products (hides, skins and fibres) and animal power (traction and transport). The importance of the livestock sector is growing more rapidly than any other agricultural sector in Pakistan. In the past, livestock production in Pakistan has been affected because of transboundary animal diseases like rinderpest, foot and mouth disease and peste des petits ruminants disease, posing a serious threat to the livestock industry in Pakistan. The continuing persistence of rinderpest has been of grave concern for the entire region including Pakistan. The export of livestock products managed to retain its growth with relaxation of restrictions imposed by the Gulf states in the year 2001 only. Pakistan has been provisionally declared a rinderpest free country in 2003, as a result of a vigorous eradication programme.     

World veterinary manpower: comparative aspects.

The number of veterinarians in relation to livestock units, human population, milk and meat production and gross national product for 93 countries is presented. The structure of veterinary manpower is discussed and information on veterinary involvement with companion animals and public health is given. For 23 countries representing all the continents, the number of livestock units, human population and gross national product per veterinary school are presented.     

Global trends in milk quality: implications for the Irish dairy industry

The quality of Irish agricultural product will become increasingly important with the ongoing liberalisation of international trade. This paper presents a review of the global and Irish dairy industries; considers the impact of milk quality on farm profitability, food processing and human health, examines global trends in quality; and explores several models that are successfully being used to tackle milk quality concerns. There is a growing global demand for dairy products, fuelled in part by growing consumer wealth in developing countries. Global dairy trade represents only 6.2% of global production and demand currently outstrips supply. Although the Irish dairy industry is small by global standards, approximately 85% of annual production is exported annually. It is also the world's largest producer of powdered infant formula. Milk quality has an impact on human health, milk processing and on-farm profitability. Somatic cell count (SCC) is a key measure of milk quality, with a SCC not exceeding 400,000 cells/ml (the EU milk quality standard) generally accepted as the international export standard. There have been ongoing improvements in milk quality among both established and emerging international suppliers. A number of countries have developed successful industry-led models to tackle milk quality concerns. Based on international experiences, it is likely that problems with effective translation of knowledge to practice, rather than incomplete knowledge per se, are the more important constraints to national progress towards improved milk quality.     

Towards a sustainable livestock production in developing countries and the importance of animal health strategy therein.

Livestock and animal health development projects have not always led to substantial increases in animal productivity or in farmers' welfare. Some have even resulted in unsustainable systems, when they were not based on an understanding of (livestock) production systems. The multipurpose functions of livestock and complex relationships between the biological, technical and social components require a systems approach, whereby nutrition, animal health, breeding, biotechnology knowhow, inputs and technologies are used to optimise resource use. The challenge for developed and developing countries is to reverse the current degradation of the environment, and arrive at sustainable increases in crop and livestock production to secure present and future food supplies. For rural development, governments should show long term commitment and political will to support the rural population in development programmes, because smallholders (including women and landless livestock keepers) represent a large labour force in developing countries. Different systems need different approaches. Pastoral systems must focus on effective management of grazing pressure of the rangelands. Communal rangelands management involves not only the development and application of technologies (e.g. feedlots, vaccination campaigns), but also land tenure policies, institutional development, economic return and a reduction in the number of people depending upon livestock. Smallholder mixed farms must aim at intensification of the total production system, in which external inputs are indispensable, but with the emphasis on optimum input-output relationships by reducing resource losses due to poor management. Resource-poor farming systems must aim at the improved management of the various livestock species in backyards and very small farms, and proper packages for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, rabbits and poultry should be developed. Specialised commercial livestock farming systems (poultry, pigs, dairy or meat) can only be sustainable with adequate marketing, supply of quality feed, veterinary services, labour, management and control of pollution. Animal health programmes play a keyrole in the proposed system approach.     

Domestic livestock resources of Turkey

Water buffalo are an ancient component of Turkey’s domestic livestock resources. Commonly referred to as the Anatolian buffalo the animal is part of the Mediterranean group which includes Syrian, Egyptian and Southeast European animals. Once quite numerous, there have been drastic reductions in their numbers since the 1970s due to intensification of dairy activities, agricultural mechanization and changing consumer preferences. The main areas of distribution are in northwest Turkey in the Marmara and Black Sea Regions. Buffalo are kept in small herds by livestock and mixed crop–livestock farmers. Milk is the main product, meat is largely a by-product of the dairy function and provision of the once-important draught power is now a minor output. Buffalo milk is used to prepare a variety of speciality products but output of both milk and meat is very low in comparison to cattle. Conditions of welfare and health status are not optimal. Internal parasites are a constraint on productivity. Some buffalo are being used for conservation grazing in the Black Sea area to maintain optimal conditions for bird life in a nature reserve. Long neglected by government there are recent activities to establish conservation herds, set up in vitro banks and undertake molecular characterization. More effort is needed by government to promote buffalo production and to engage the general public in conservation of their national heritage.     

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point's (HACCP) concept as applied to some chemical, physical and microbiological contaminants of milk on dairy farms. A prototype

Quality management on dairy farms becomes more and more important regarding the different areas of animal health, animal welfare and food safety. Monitoring animals, farm conditions and farm records can be extended with risk identification and risk management. The hazard analysis critical control point's system is useful as an on farm strategy to control the product as well as the production process on the areas of animal health, animal welfare and food safety. This article deals in detail with the question how to develop a qualitative method where risk can be defined as an interaction between probability and impact. Two parts of the production process (milk harvest and treatment of cows) where used as an example how to apply the hazard analysis critical control point's system on chemical, physical and microbiological contaminants of milk. Not just only by summarizing the different critical checkpoints for each area but also by giving them a precise judgement of probability and impact.     

Potential of Pakistani camel for dairy and other uses

Camels have the potential for milk, meat and draught power and can contribute a handsome share of the production of these commodities. The potential of this wonderful animal has never been realized and it could be harnessed as a prospective milk producing animal. The future of animals that can thrive under harsh environmental conditions, the camel being at the top of the list, is bright. The camel is still a neglected species in Pakistan and has not received the proper attention of researchers and scientists. The population explosion, urbanization and industrialization have expanded agricultural activities to produce more food for the rapid growing human population of the country. Cultivated areas are shrinking, thus reducing the fodder production area for buffalo and cattle. Under these circumstances we have to search for other available sources to enhance milk production. The environmental changes occurring on the earth and the water shortage in the region have also adversely affected the production potential of buffalo, cattle, goats and sheep. Under these changing ecological circumstances, rearing camel is the best option for more milk production and the proper utilization of the vast unused lands of this country. Most studies also have named the camel as an animal of great socioeconomic importance in large tracts of the industrializing world. The camel serves as a cheaper source of power for drawing water from wells, plowing and leveling land, working mini extraction mills (extracting from oil seeds), grinding wheat, corn and other grains and crushing sugarcane and pulling carts for the transportation of goods as well as people.     

世界山羊选育的现状及展望

保护动物品种的多样性,不仅对维护家畜的环境适应能力来说是非常关键的,还关系到未来动物生产模式的建立和完善。调查结果表明,现在世界山羊育种形势呈现一个矛盾的现象:一方面,发达国家通过完善的选育组织对山羊的乳用、肉用及毛用性能进行改进;另一方面,在一些落后的地方,山羊的产品还都用于农牧民的自身消耗。当前山羊育种情况如下,少数山羊经过了充分的选育过程并具有某些特点和特性;而大多数山羊尚未经过系统、完善的选育。通过分析山羊选育的现状,作者提出了一些建议,可以更有效的开发这一物种的遗传潜质。     

Veterinary medicine educational requirements to meet the needs of the US Agency for International Development

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) works within the overall purpose of US foreign assistance to improve the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Through partnerships with other agencies, organizations, and governments, and using its field offices around the world, USAID strives to develop local capacity and thus build sustainable development. Two specific USAID programs pertinent to veterinary medicine are global health and agriculture. In the area of global health, veterinarians can aid USAID's work to improve the quality, availability, and use of essential health services that specifically target maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health, infectious diseases, environmental health, nutrition, and other life-saving areas. The challenge of making the agricultural sector in a developing country more productive is a critical one for USAID and a clear area for input from the veterinary profession. Animal agriculture is the largest single sector of agricultural economies in most developing countries, and livestock remains a critical component of poverty alleviation. There are educational requirements that benefit anyone working at USAID and can be met prior to admittance to a DVM program, as part of a DVM curriculum, or in post-graduate training/employment, such as proficiency in a foreign language; environmental sciences background; familiarity with accounting and management techniques; expertise in foreign animal diseases, zoonotic diseases, epidemiology, food safety, and nutrition, as well as the application to human health of those areas; an advanced degree such as an MPH; and management experience. Appropriately trained veterinarians can make enormous contributions to USAID's global efforts to improve the health and agriculture sectors of developing nations.     

转基因在动物生产中的应用

人们一直期望畜产品和人类健康产品能快速得到提高,DNA重组技术和转基因的出现使得在不同物种间,甚至不同系统发育领域间的这一提高在很大范围内变为可能。如今,我们能在细菌中生产人类胰岛素,在牛奶中获得人类凝结因子。转基因、动物克隆和动物多产技术的进步在一定程度上已经实现了在动物转基因领域的期望。作者回顾了当前动物转基因乳、肉和转基因抗病动物的研究近况,并讨论了一些由转基因技术应用而引发的生物伦理学和商业性问题。     

Developing vaccines to control protozoan parasites in ruminants: dead or alive?

Protozoan parasites are among some of the most successful organisms worldwide, being able to live and multiply within a very wide range of hosts. The diseases caused by these parasites cause significant production losses in the livestock sector involving reproductive failure, impaired weight gain, contaminated meat, reduced milk yields and in severe cases, loss of the animal. In addition, some protozoan parasites affecting livestock such as Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum may also be transmitted to humans where they can cause serious disease. Data derived from experimental models of infection in ruminant species enables the study of the interactions between parasite and host. How the parasite initiates infection, becomes established and multiplies within the host and the critical pathways that may lead to a disease outcome are all important to enable the rational design of appropriate intervention strategies. Once the parasites invade the hosts they induce both innate and adaptive immune responses and the induction and function of these immune responses are critical in determining the outcome of the infection. Vaccines offer green solutions to control disease as they are sustainable, reducing reliance on pharmacological drugs and pesticides. The use of vaccines has multiple benefits such as improving animal health and welfare by controlling animal infections and infestations; improving public health by controlling zoonoses and food borne pathogens in animals; solving problems associated with resistance to acaricides, antibiotics and anthelmintics; keeping animals and the environment free of chemical residues and maintaining biodiversity. All of these attributes should lead to improved sustainability of animal production and economic benefit. Using different protozoan parasitic diseases as examples this paper will discuss various approaches used to develop vaccines to protect against disease in livestock and discuss the relative merits of using live versus killed vaccine preparations. A range of different vaccination targets and strategies will be discussed to help protect against: acute disease, congenital infection and abortion, persistence of zoonotic pathogens in tissues of food animals and passive transfer of immunity to neonates.     

Bioinformatics analysis of candidate genes for milk production traits in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an important livestock species in developing countries due to its contribution to meat, milk production, and a certain...     

Technical Characteristics and Demand Analysis of Artificial Meat

At present, human's demand for meat is increasing, but the environment pressure caused by the meat production of livestock is also increasingly apparent. The development of green and sustainable meat substitutes to reduce global carbon emissions and meet the increasing demand for meat has become the hotspot of social concerns. Although artificial meat belongs to food, it still lacks in-depth analysis on whether it brings challenges or opportunities to the livestock industry. In this paper, the classification and development history of artificial meat, the existing core manufacturing technology and market prospect of artificial meat are summarized, and the importance of using the diversity of livestock and poultry germplasm resources to promote cell-based meat are analyzed.     

Board-invited review: intrauterine growth retardation: implications for the animal sciences

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), defined as impaired growth and development of the mammalian embryo/fetus or its organs during pregnancy, is a major concern in domestic animal production. Fetal growth restriction reduces neonatal survival, has a permanent stunting effect on postnatal growth and the efficiency of feed/forage utilization in offspring, negatively affects whole body composition and meat quality, and impairs long-term health and athletic performance. Knowledge of the underlying mechanisms has important implications for the prevention of IUGR and is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of livestock production and animal health. Fetal growth within the uterus is a complex biological event influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors, as well as maternal maturity. These factors impact on the size and functional capacity of the placenta, uteroplacental blood flows, transfer of nutrients and oxygen from mother to fetus, conceptus nutrient availability, the endocrine milieu, and metabolic pathways. Alterations in fetal nutrition and endocrine status may result in developmental adaptations that permanently change the structure, physiology, metabolism, and postnatal growth of the offspring. Impaired placental syntheses of nitric oxide (a major vasodilator and angiogenic factor) and polyamines (key regulators of DNA and protein synthesis) may provide a unified explanation for the etiology of IUGR in response to maternal undernutrition and overnutrition. There is growing evidence that maternal nutritional status can alter the epigenetic state (stable alterations of gene expression through DNA methylation and histone modifications) of the fetal genome. This may provide a molecular mechanism for the role of maternal nutrition on fetal programming and genomic imprinting. Innovative interdisciplinary research in the areas of nutrition, reproductive physiology, and vascular biology will play an important role in designing the next generation of nutrient-balanced gestation diets and developing new tools for livestock management that will enhance the efficiency of animal production and improve animal well being.