ANIMALNET JUNE 24, 1998-II Antibiotic Resistance. Is this a Food Safety Issue? High E. coli bacteria counts DFO takes issue with milk comparison in soy beverage ad Biotech slowly turning attention to animals Technology could wipe out PRRS Hog management program announced Demand for chicken prompts project Manure bylaws proliferate but many lack enforcement teeth No-meat crusaders too simplistic Saskatchewan fish farm searches for cheaper feed AnimalNet is produced by researchers at the Agri-Food isk Management and Communication Project at the University of Guelph, is edited by Douglas Powell (dpowell@uoguelph.ca) and Amanda Whitfield (awhitfie@uoguelph.ca), and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), the U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, Canadian Animal Health Institute, The Rutgers University Food Safety Extension Program, National Cattlemans Beef Association, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE. IS THIS A FOOD SAFETY ISSUE? June 16, 1998 Meeting Summary Is a "super bug" that is resistant to antibiotics emerging in food-producing animals? Will this new bug pose a health risk to humans? These questions about antibiotic use in food animals are among the hot topics in food safety this year. Two scientific experts, Dr. Richard Carnevale, vice president, regulatory, scientific and international affairs for the Animal Health Institute and Dr. Lester Crawford, head of the Georgetown University's Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, demystify this very complex, confusing and controversial topic. At a meeting of AHI's Food Safety Network, Carnevale tackled what he believes is the public's confusion about what exactly antibiotic resistance is. In particular he addressed the issue of "reduced susceptibility" versus "resistance." "The potential development of reduced susceptibility is the normal response of bacteria to outside stimuli including antibiotics," stated Carnevale. Therefore, an organism that has "reduced susceptibility" does not mean the organism has become "resistant" to antibiotics. As Carnevale explained, "changes in susceptibility do not necessarily lead to full clinical resistance in all species or strains of a bacterium. In other words such changes do not mean that antibiotics won't continue to be effective." Carnevale addressed the popular misconception that residue levels in foods cause antibiotic resistance. "Most scientists, including the World Health Organization, are not very concerned with residues having an impact on bacterial resistance," Carnevale explained. The reason for this, according to Carnevale, is due to the fact that the actual amount of residues in foods are too low to have a significant effect on bacterium and are only sporadically encountered in food. He went on to clarify that when an animal is treated, scientifically established withdrawal times are adhered to prior to processing. This effectively eliminates violative residues and, therefore, is not a food safety risk. Carnevale also addressed what he believes is another misconception that foodborne pathogens and pathogens in humans pose the same threat. "We must separate foodborne pathogens that can reside in animals from other pathogens that may develop resistance in humans, such as gonorrhea, tuberculosis, and staph infections, because they have no connection to animal use," he said. "The critical question," according to Carnevale, "is how often do resistant organisms transfer to the food supply?" In this regard resistant foodborne pathogens are no different than antibiotic susceptible food pathogens. "Preventing human infection [from foodborne pathogens] is dependent on hygienic processing of meat, proper refrigeration during storage and transportation, and how carefully the consumer prepares the food." Carnevale also gave a summary of the June 2-5 World Health Organization conference on the "Use of Quinolones in Food Animals and Potential Impact on Human Health," where he was asked to critique the scientific data. The conference brought together international experts in the fields of human health, veterinary medicine, regulatory policy and food safety to examine the medical impact on humans of fluoroquinolone use in food animals. According to Carnevale the goal of the conference was not only to examine what is known about fluoroquinolone use but also to fill "data gaps" of what is not known about the effects of fluoroquinolones. "Making inferences on [available] data is very difficult." said Carnevale. "To make an accurate assessment, there is a need for standardized definitions for resistance, standardized protocols for collecting and analyzing samples, and long enough sampling to detect trends." Carnevale went on to summarize the conclusions from the WHO conference as follows: Antibiotics, including quinolones, are necessary for the therapeutic treatment of animals; however these drugs should be administered under the control of a veterinarian and should not be used for performance enhancement or growth promotion. Furthermore, countries are encouraged to promote prudent use to maximize the effect of antibiotics while minimizing resistance. Although changes in susceptibility of foodborne pathogens to quinolone antibiotics have been reported, there has been little documented impact on human health from the use of quinolones in animals. Antibiotic susceptibility testing is critical to assess the risks and guide public policy. Further research is needed into how resistance is acquired, persistence of resistant versus sensitive strains in an animal and management practices that may mitigate resistance development. As far as what the fate of antibiotic use in food animals will be, Carnevale stated that "animal drugs are needed to treat animal diseases and to maintain a safe food supply. Therefore, in order to make these drugs available, the risks must be put into perspective, otherwise a serious dampening effect on research and development will result." He further noted that a balanced, scientific approach is necessary to accurately weigh the therapeutic benefits of antibiotics versus the possible risks. Crawford presented an outline of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy's current risk assessment, "Risk and Benefit Analysis of Antibiotic Use in Food-Producing Animals." The study will provide some answers as to how antibiotic use in food-animals factor into the big picture. In particular the study will analyze the risks and benefits of antibiotic use to human health, animal health, the environment and the economy. According to Crawford, the study asks basic questions to determine the impact of antibiotic use such as "What would be the cost to human and animal health if the use of antibiotics stopped?" and "What would be the impact if antibiotic use continued at the present rate?" Among the various factors that the study will investigate are food processing hazards, waste residues, efficient feed consumption and reduced waste quantity. The project is halfway to completion and a preliminary report is expected later this summer. Crawford will return to a future Food Safety Network meeting to share the study's findings. AHI has developed an extensive information kit explaining this issue. The kit can be obtained through the internet at www.ahi.org/info/general/antibiotics.htm; or send a fax request to (703) 684-0125 to receive a mailed copy. HIGH E. COLI BACTERIA COUNTS; GODERICH TO CHECK PROPERTIES FOR ILLEGAL HOOKUPS TO SEWERS June 23/98 The London Free Press A4 Duane Jessup GODERICH -- Every property in this Huron County, Ont. town will, according to this story, be inspected for illegal sewer hookups officials say are behind high E. coli counts in Lake Huron. The high counts of the bacteria periodically mean the town's beaches are posted by the local health unit, warning anyone entering the water the beaches are prone to frequent pollution. Starting next month, town crews will look for storm water drains such as eaves troughs connected to its sanitary sewer system. Duane Forth, Goderich pollution control plant manager was cited as saying that eliminating illegal connections will cut the number of times the pollution plant is flooded during heavy rains. That's key to cutting E. coli in the lake because when the plant is flooded, excess drain water and raw sewage overflows into Lake Huron with little or no treatment. It happened 42 times in 1997. Before 1967, when the pollution plant was built, storm water was allowed into the sanitary sewer system. Joining Goderich in the effort is SOLVE (Save Our Lake Value Environment), which includes representatives from area municipalities, cottage organizations, farmers, area conservation authorities and the province. DFO TAKES ISSUE WITH MILK COMPARISON IN SOY BEVERAGE AD June 16/98 Ontario Farmer Tom Van Dusen The contentious ad shows a Holstein cow and the slogan 'It's not milk, it's So Good' An advertising dispute between Dairy Farmers of Ontario and a manufacturer of soy beverages over its depiction of milk has been bumped up to lawyers for both sides after executives failed to reach a settlement. DFO director of product promotion Michael Pearce was cited as telling Ontario Farmer he had to be cautious in discussing the dispute because of possible legal implications adding that DFO believes a recent television ad campaign by Vancouver-based Soya World was "disparaging to milk and dairy products. I wouldn't expect this type of advertising from any company." Soya World general manager Maheb Nathoo was cited as saying the ad in question received the customary approval from Advertising Standard Canada (ASC) before it went to air, as does all company advertizing. He declined to comment further. BIOTECH SLOWLY TURNING ATTENTION TO ANIMALS June 25/98 Western Producer Ed White Saskatoon newsroom While genetically engineered crops have garnered extensive press, attention is now turning to animal biotech. So far, the story says, the growth hormone bovine somatotropin has been more of a bane than a boon; a public relations mess that has prevented the milk yield-enhancing hormone from coming to Canada and has made consumers nervous about good old, wholesome milk. The story says that biotech leaders at the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference, held June 9-12 in Saskatoon, said animal biotechnology has finally arrived and will radically change the livestock industry. Animal breeding will be revolutionized because breeders are now able to produce animals with specific genes, rather than mating good-looking animals and hoping the desired genes are passed to offspring. The new methods will provide better breeding stock and meat animals. But animal production will also be changed by giving animals the ability to grow pharmaceutical and industrial substances, the way some crops are used. Organic chemist Duane Thurman was cited as saying the livestock industry should also see major innovations in animal health products, which have lagged far behind crop production aids, adding, "This technology is here, folks." Thurman was further quoted as saying, "If you can achieve your results with your customer without having to raise a flag where it doesn't need to be raised, why worry people?" TECHNOLOGY COULD WIPE OUT PRRS; UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH SCIENTISTS FOUND THAT NO PIGS BORN FROM EMBRYO TRANSFER HAD THE DISEASE June 16/98 Ontario Farmer Jim Romahn It looks like PRSS can be eliminated through embryo transfer technology. While it's difficult to prove that any technology works perfectly when it comes to completely eliminating a disease, none of the pigs born from embryo transfers completed at the University of Guelph have shown any signs of the highly-infectious respiratory disease that plagues a majority of Canadian pigs. The key to success appears to be washing embryos recovered from PRSS-infected sows. Jim Whitehouse of Pureline Swine was one of the purebred breeders who donated hogs that were used in the research headed by Dr. John Pollard at the University of Guelph. "They totally infected those pigs," with a particularly virulent strain from Alberta and they could see the virus under the microscope, Whitehouse said of the sows from which the embryos were drawn. They could also see the virus on the outside of the embryos that were drawn, but they appeared clean after they were washed with a technique that Struthers Research Inc. is trying to protect with a patent. Struthers has funded some of the embryo research at Guelph and is trying to protect and exploit technology arising from that research. The embryos were transferred to sows at the Animal Diseases Research Institute at Nepean, on the outskirts of Ottawa, because they are known to be free of PRSS. So far none of the offspring have shown any signs of the virus, and they have been checked through a number of different tests. The technology will be of obvious interest to anybody who wants to obtain PRSS-free genetics from a herd that is infected with the virus. That includes China, which is shopping aggressively for Canadian swine genetics, but is having trouble finding enough PRSS-free pigs to fill its demand. HOG MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ANNOUNCED June 24/98 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS B8 A new program to be offered at the University of Manitoba and Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, The Advanced Pork Production Manager Training Program, is being developed in co-operation with the province, Manitoba Pork and agricultural businesses. Puratone Corp. and Elite Swine are among the industry partners involved in the program, which is expected to take at least two years to complete. At least 175 students are expected to enrol in the first five years. Education and Training Minister Linda McIntosh said in a statement was quoted as saying in a statement that ''Building a skilled workforce is essential to ensuring the province maintains its competitive edge in this growing industry. Quality managers are needed to sustain the growth being experienced in this vital economic sector. We want to make sure Manitobans are in a position to capitalize on these opportunities.'' The province will contribute $120,000, while Manitoba Pork and the private sector will provide matching funds. The story notes that pork production in Manitoba is expected to reach five million hogs by 2000. The growth is expected to create 8,000 new jobs in production, processing and related industries. Maple Leaf's $112-million hog plant, scheduled to open in Brandon next year, will create 1,200 new jobs immediately and as many as 2,200 when a second shift is added to production. DEMAND FOR CHICKEN PROMPTS PROJECT June 25/98 Western Producer Joscelyn Proby Freelance writer EDMONTON -- Researchers at the University of Alberta are, according to this story, planning to build a federally inspected slaughterhouse to keep up with the growing demand for chicken breast meat. Frank Robinson, professor of applied poultry sciences at the University of Alberta, was cited as saying the new building will enable staff to better research product efficiency, food safety and processing technology, adding, "Breast muscle consumption is increasing so much. It's definitely the most expensive part of the chicken." The researchers will look at broiler breast muscle yield and shape and how to increase the percentage of white meat on breeding birds and their offspring. Henry Van Zeggelaar, chief executive officer of Lilydale Co-operative, was cited as saying the university is the only one in North America doing broiler research and he finds it valuable. Beef is still the most popular form of meat in North America, he said, but its consumption is declining while chicken consumption is increasing and expected to equal pork this year. The chicken producers are investing $500,000 into the $1.6 million project while Lilydale Co-operative is putting in $250,000. The new poultry centre will also include a 2,100 sq. foot hatchery and a simultaneous translation room. MANURE BYLAWS PROLIFERATE BUT MANY LACK ENFORCEMENT TEETH June 16/98 Ontario Farmer Jim Romahn According to this story, there has been little enforcement of manure management plans farmers have been filing at municipal offices as a condition of acquiring a building permit for big barns. Don Hilborn, manure management specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, was cited as saying he's not aware of a single municipality that has a bylaws officer checking up on farmers to ensure they're living up to the commitments they've made under their manure management programs. He was cited as agreeing that it's therefore possible that a farmer who owns 100 acres, but needs 600 to spread his manure and filed rental agreements for 500 acres might, in fact, be dumping it all on the 100 acres around his barn. Hilborn was cited as saying that's also likely to change, and soon. Oxford County will probably lead the way because it's in the final stages of drafting manure management regulations that include enforcement provisions. Under the Oxford plan, farmers need not own all of the land they require for proper manure management, but they will have to file proof that they have leased enough land to meet the guidelines. And those leases will have to be registered against the property deed and proof will have to be updated every year. Failure to comply will carry a fine of up to $2,000 a day . Perth County is in the process of implementing an almost identical system. Reeve Dave Shearer said the four municipalities within Perth are going to pass identical bylaws that will require farmers to file annual proof of leases and an updated manure management plan every three years. Hilborn added that Quebec has banned manure irrigation through guns and cannons and said it would be wise to switch away from those systems in Ontario. He offered the example of a phone call he got from an upset woman this spring whose glasses were sprinkled with manure droplets when she went outdoors while the neighbour was irrigating manure on his field during high winds. Hilborn was further cited as saying that Dutch Farmers who have been consideraing immigration to Ontario don't want to locate in townships with no regulations because they've been through that in Holland and realize that regulations will eventually come, and they would rather know the rules before they investy than be surprised later. Further, North and South Carolina, Minnesota and Pennsylvania are all working on nutrient management regulations. Hilborn said Ontario has been quite lax about regulating manure. It could be done under the Environmental Protection Act or under the Fisheries Act, but in both of those cases, officials would have to prove that manure caused damage. Under the Water Resources Act they need only prove that manure is in the water, so that's the law enforcement officials usually cite when they go after farmers for manure pollution, Hilborn said. NO-MEAT CRUSADERS TOO SIMPLISTIC June 23/98 The London Free Press A12 Regarding the letter, People don't need to eat animals any more, so why don't they stop? (June 6). The author says he is the first one to advocate we treat animals humanely in life and at the time of their deaths. Unfortunately, the author does not think it is as simplistic as the writer would like us to believe. The author goes on to say that if we just "open the gates" and let animals roam free, animals would be everywhere but, maybe even worse, one species would feed on the other as this is only natural. SASKATCHEWAN FISH FARM SEARCHES FOR CHEAPER FEED June 25/98 Western Producer Karen Briere LAKE DIEFENBAKER, Sask. -- According to this story, rainbow trout, like other livestock, know when it's feeding time. The stock at Cangro Fi sh Farm, located on Lake Diefenbaker in central Saskatchewan, ate one million kilograms of feed last year, making it the highest-cost item. That's why research into new feed, using prairie crops, is being done here. Paul Adelizi, a feed scientist with Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's research and development department, has, according to the story, been testing crops like canola, flax and peas as replacements for more expensive ingredients. The pool owns Cangro. Two of those ingredients are fish oil and meal. The prices are escalating because demand is high, aquaculture is booming, El Nino is creating uncertainty and fish stocks are declining. Adelizi was cited as saying that peas are an obvious choice because they have fairly high protein content. However, peas also contain trypsin inhibitors, which interfere with digestion, and trout are particularly sensitive -- 25 times more so than humans. Canola is another obvious choice, since prairie production is on the rise. The meal is less than half the price of fish meal, but canola is "trickier" to work with and has a limited use in fish feed, Adelizi said. "If we do start replacing fish oils, flax or canola or a combination of the two are a good replacement because the fish are still getting something of nutritional value," he said. To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: subscribe animalnet-L firstname lastname i.e. subscribe animalnet -L Doug Powell To unsubscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: signoff animalnet -L For more information about the AnimalNet research program, please contact: Dr. Douglas Powell dept. of plant agriculture University of Guelph Guelph, Ont. N1G 2W1 tel: 519-824-4120 x2367 fax: 519-824-6631 dpowell@uoguelph.ca archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html