U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Livestock Issues Research: Lubbock, TX
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    NewsletterSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area Lubbock, Texas Cropping Systems Research Laboratory Livestock Issues Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            BROADWAY, PAUL - Texas Tech Universityitem
                                            Carroll, Jeffery

                                                         - *Jeff Carroll*item
                                            Callaway, Todd
  Submitted to: Agriculture, Food and Analytical Bacteriology
                                    Publication Type: Review Article
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2014
                                    Publication  Date: 4/15/2015
                                    Citation: Broadway, P.R., Carroll, J.A., Callaway, T.R. 2014. Alternative antimicrobial supplements that positively impact animal health and food safety. Agriculture, Food and Analytical Bacteriology. 4:109-121.Interpretive Summary: Antibiotic usage in meat animal production is a hotly debated issue in the livestock industry that has acquired more attention as consumers seek to place more “natural” and “safer” products on their table.  Consumer perception can greatly influence food animal production as has been recently observed for some common food production practices; such as lean finely textured beef (“pink slime”) which was removed from meat formulations of producers due to negative media attention and consumer perception.  As more increasingly negative attention surrounds the use of antibiotics in livestock production, and as consumers increase the pressure for future legislation regarding livestock production practices, more research and product development is needed to find suitable alternatives to the use of antibiotic supplemented feed for growth promotion and health benefits to meet the demand of an ever growing and evolving consumer population.  There are many currently available or near-market ready, products that can assist livestock producers in the control of bacterial populations within their animals to assist in the maintenance of growth and production performance parameters, while simultaneously improving the safety of food products for the consumer.  Many factors must be taken into consideration when selecting a particular product as an alternative to antibiotics, and there are advantages and limitations to each product.  Therefore, producers must select product(s) that best suit their specific operational needs and are economically feasible.
                                Technical Abstract: Antibiotic usage is a common practice in the livestock industry that has progressively gained attention from consumers of livestock products in regard to human and environmental health.  Specifically, sub-therapeutic usage of antibiotics and the belief that prophylactic supplementation leads to antimicrobial resistance are the reasons that have led to this consumer perception. Antibiotics directly and indirectly affect the livestock industry by treating illness, promoting the overall health of the animal, and in some cases enhance production parameters such as growth and profitability.  Recently, a vast array of antibiotic alternatives have been introduced and researched to provide the producer with a product that will positively impact animal health and decrease antibiotic usage. Some of these innovative antibiotic alternatives include direct fed microbials (DFM), yeast extracts, bacteriocins, and bacteriophages, and acids.  Many of these products have the ability to promote animal health and improve growth performance, and some of these compounds may additionally enhance food safety through pre-harvest pathogen reduction.  Antibiotic alternatives may be necessary tools for livestock production should legislation arise that inhibits prophylactic usage of conventional antibiotics, while also appealing to shifting consumer demands. Furthermore, these alternatives can be used as an additional supplement to current practices and strategies in livestock production to maximize the potential to enhance both animal health and growth performance.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov