Farm assurance scheme Flashcards
What are the different neurological diseases in cattle?
- Cerebellar hypoplasia
- BSE
- Listeria
- Tetanus
- Hypomagnesia
Describe the clinical signs of listeria in terms of animals appearance
- Pump handle tail
- Rigid erect ears
- Trestle table stance
What are the clinical signs of BSE?
- Hyper aggression
- Head shaking
- Low head carriage
- Hyperesthesia (hyper active)
What was the impact of BSE on UK farming?
- Collapse of export markets
- Reduced value/ prices for meat which has only just returned
- Reduced beef production within UK
- More imports of beef
- Development of precautionary principle and extension of HACCP INTO FOOD PRODUCTION
What are the key facts of BSE as a disease?
- Neurological disease of cattle (ingest contaminated feed, enters LN, affects brain)
- approx 5 year incubation period
- Caused by consumption of BSE infected brain material
- Source of infection via feed contaminated with MBM
- No horizontal transmission
- Small degree vertical transmission in later stages
Why was BSE such a problem?
- Able to cross species barrier (cats/ humans/ zoo animals)
- Potential zoonotic risk
- Huge impact of trade
When was BSE identified in the UK?
1986
What is MAFF?
Ministry of agriculture, fishery and food
- They represented agriculture and food safety.
- Kept people in the dark and gave it out on need to know basis
When was the ruminant feed ban introduced and why?
1988
- Prevent recycling of disease through cattle population
- BSE notifiable and diseased animals were stopped from entering food chain
- NO MBM could be given to ruminants
Why was the RMBM ban not effective?
- MAFF instructed ban only to ruminanats
- Not aware how small effective dose was
- Cross contamination at feed mills preparing MBM for pig/ poultry food mean some still getting to ruminants.
- Also no fecall on food so farmers using up the stores they still had
When was MBM banned to all species?
1996 when nvCJD confirmed link with BSE
Why did FSA implement the methylene blue staining of high risk offal?
-Workers would move it from no value to value bins
Give a brief summary of UK original controls of BSE
1988: No ruminant MBM/ Removal of suspect cows
1989: SRM material removed from human food chain
1990: SRM removed from animal feed chain
1996: No MBM to any animals
1996-2004: no human consumption of cattle 30months+
How is BSE monitored in the UK now?
- Carcass testing of healthy animals stopped
- Testing restricted to fallen stock over 48 months?
How many cases of nvCJD were diagnosed?
178
What useful things have come of the BSE outbreak?
- Meat production industry more clean/ regulated
- Created national database and cattle ID system (cattle passports/ BCMS)
- Induced farm assurance schemes
What drives farm assurance?
Consumer concerns e.g. renewable energy
Discuss the national dairy farm scheme
- Set up post BSE outbreak
- Farms are assessed and given non compliances with 90 days to rectify
- Health plans are needed
- Vets encouraged to create a health plan annually
What was made compulsory regarding the Beef Red Tractor scheme in 2018?
- Had to have vet involved and produce an audit towards antibiotic use
List some of the standards included in the dairy standards farm assurance scheme
- Traceability and assurance status
- Vermin control
- Milk production
- Feed/ water
- Animal health and welfare
- Biosecurity and disease
What are the aims of Tesco standards?
-To satisfy consumers expectations with regard to high standards of animal welfare, food safety, food quality, environmental concerns and value for money
Describe the tesco health index
- Farm scored in 5 categories: consumer, welfare, cow heath, calf health, milk quality)
- Antibiotic use = a negative score (it is weighted to type of antibiotic used)
- Farmers get a regional ranking and they can be compared with other farms
- Gives an overall carbon footprint and welfare outcome measure.
What other companies have health plans?
- Waitrose: small than Tesco but good traceability and welfare
- Arlagaarden: large company with health plan spread across Europe
What did traditional food safety involve?
- Physical exam e.g. looking for abscesses and end point testing
- End point testing doesn’t transfer responsibility to the farmer and the testing is costly
- It is ALWAYS retrospective so doesn’t stop new disease from spreading
