ASAS Centennial Paper: Developments and future outlook for preharvest food safety

The last century of food animal agriculture is a remarkable triumph of scientific research. Knowledge derived through research has resulted in the development and use of new technologies that have increased the efficiency of food production and created a huge animal production and food manufacturing industry capable of feeding the US population while also providing significant quantities of high-quality food for export to other countries. Although the US food supply is among the safest in the world, the US Center for Disease Prevention and Control estimates that 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die each year from foodborne illness. Consequently, preventing foodborne illness and death remains a major public health concern. Challenges to providing a safe, abundant, and nutritious food supply are complex because all aspects of food production, from farm to fork, must be considered. Given the national and international demand and expectations for food safety as well as the formidable challenges of producing and maintaining a safe food supply, food safety research and educational programs have taken on a new urgency. Remarkable progress has been made during the last century. Wisdom from a century of animal agriculture research now includes the realization that on-farm pathogens are intricately associated with animal health and well-being, the production of high-quality food, and profitability. In this review, some of the developments that have occurred over the last few decades are summarized, including types, sources, and concentrations of disease-causing pathogens encountered in food-producing animal environments and their association with food safety; current and future methods to control or reduce foodborne pathogens on the farm; and present and future preharvest food safety research directions. Future scientific breakthroughs will no doubt have a profound impact on animal agriculture and the production of high-quality food, but we will also be faced with moral, ethical, and societal dilemmas that must be reconciled. A strong, science-based approach that addresses all the complex issues involved in continuing to improve food safety and public health is necessary to prevent foodborne illnesses. Not only must research be conducted to solve complex food safety issues, but results of that research must also be communicated effectively to producers and consumers.     

Decomposition of woody debris in managed Pinus radiata plantations in New Zealand

Decay rates of stems, branches and roots were assessed in Pinus radiata (D. Don) plantation forests located throughout New Zealand. Stem and branch decay rates were obtained using (1) post-harvest material from two central North Island locations (Kaingaroa and Tarawera Forests) based on a 10-year chronosequence (in ground contact or suspended) and (2) post-thinning stems and attached branch material from five sites covering a range of climatic conditions across New Zealand (Woodhill, Puruki, Hokonui, Nemona and Selwyn) with up to 5 years of decay. Stem, stump and root decay rates were determined from two central North Island locations (Kinleith and Puruki) from thinnings with 0, 5, and 10 years of decay (Kinleith) and mature trees at 0 and 11 years of decay (Puruki). Stem and branch post-harvest material decayed faster when in contact with the ground than when elevated above the ground. The proportion of material elevated or in ground contact was not estimated in this study. P. radiata discs from young trees and post-harvest residue showed no significant diameter effect on decay rate and could be used confidently to predict whole stem decay rate. Discs from older trees covering a larger diameter range at Puruki showed a significant effect of diameter on decay rate. Decay rates of coarse roots at the two central North Island sites were faster than above-ground whole stem decay rates. Exponential models incorporating mean annual temperature for P. radiata stems in ground contact arising from thinning and harvest currently provide the best estimate of residue decay in New Zealand. There was no increase in carbon concentration with decay, suggesting that live stem values may be applied to all dead wood for determining the mass of carbon change with decomposition. Nitrogen concentrations increased with decay.     

Effects of bovine serum albumin on function of cryopreserved stallion spermatozoa during medium culture and uterine tube epithelial cell coculture

OBJECTIVE: To compare function of cultured cryopreserved stallion spermatozoa in a modified Tyrode's medium (TM), with or without bovine serum albumin (BSA), or in uterine tube (oviduct) epithelial cell (OEC) coculture in TM, with or without BSA. SAMPLE POPULATION: Cryopreserved spermatozoa from 6 proven stallions and OEC from bovine reproductive tracts in follicular phase. PROCEDURE: Thawed spermatozoa were cultured in TM, with or without BSA, or cocultured with OEC monolayers in TM, with or without BSA. Percentages of capacitated and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa were measured at 5 hours for TM cultures. Spermatozoal survival and motility characteristics were observed over time for all culture methods. Number of spermatozoa attaching to OEC were compared for cocultures. RESULTS: Use of TM without BSA altered spermatozoal function in cell-free medium culture and OEC coculture. A higher percentage of spermatozoa were acrosome reacted in TM with BSA, although percentages of capacitated spermatozoa did not differ. Spermatozoa survived longer and maintained superior motion in TM culture without BSA and in OEC cocultures. More spermatozoa were able to attach to OEC in TM without BSA. CONCLUSIONS: Incubation of cryopreserved spermatozoa in media with BSA resulted in rapid decrease in percentage of intact, motile spermatozoa and limited their ability to interact with OEC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Current culture media used for assisted reproduction techniques in horses do not provide functionally capacitated spermatozoa. Removal of BSA from such media improves spermatozoal quality and survival.     

ACVIM consensus statement on the treatment of immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia in dogs

Immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) causes severe anemia in dogs and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Treatment with various immunosuppressive and antithrombotic drugs has been described anecdotally and in previous studies, but little consensus exists among veterinarians as to the optimal regimen to employ and maintain after diagnosis of the disease. To address this inconsistency and provide evidence‐based guidelines for treatment of IMHA in dogs, we identified and extracted data from studies published in the veterinary literature. We developed a novel tool for evaluation of evidence quality, using it to assess study design, diagnostic criteria, explanation of treatment regimens, and validity of statistical methods. In combination with our clinical experience and comparable guidelines for humans afflicted with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, we used the conclusions of this process to make a set of clinical recommendations regarding treatment of IMHA in dogs, which we refined subsequently by conducting several iterations of Delphi review. Additionally, we considered emerging treatments for IMHA in dogs and highlighted areas deserving of future research. Comments were solicited from several professional bodies to maximize clinical applicability before the recommendations were submitted for publication. The resulting document is intended to provide clinical guidelines for management of IMHA in dogs. These guidelines should be implemented pragmatically, with consideration of animal, owner, and veterinary factors that may vary among cases.     

Effect of Lactic Acid on Protein Solubilization and Starch Yield in Corn Wet‐Mill Steeping: A Study of Hybrid Effects

To better understand the role of lactic acid (LA) in corn wet‐milling, steeping studies were performed on different yellow dent corn hybrids using four different solutions containing LA, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), a combination of LA and SO₂, or no added chemicals. Although there was variation in protein solubilization among the hybrids, protein release was consistently higher when LA was included in the steepwater than when it was excluded (both with and without SO₂). Several groups have reported that starch recoveries are improved when steepwater contains LA. To explore the relationship between protein solubilization and starch yield as effected by LA, several yellow dent hybrids were steeped in 0.20% SO₂ and 0.50% LA‐0.20% SO₂ solutions and milled to recover starch by a 100‐g laboratory corn wet‐milling procedure. In all instances, both starch yields and protein solubilization were enhanced in solutions containing LA. These results support the hypothesis that direct dissolution of the endosperm protein matrix by LA contributes to the improved starch recoveries.