ERS tracks animal health and welfare issues as they relate to food safety and the production and availability of animals for processing into meat. Specific livestock production technologies, like feeding low levels of antimicrobial drugs to livestock, become important when they have the potential to impact food safety or human health. Antimicrobial resistance (the ability of bacteria or other microbes to resist the effects of antimicrobial drugs) is a global concern for both human health and agriculture. Moreover, animal diseases increasingly affect international trade, food safety, and human health. The care and welfare of animals raised for food has also become an issue for consumers in some countries.

Feeding low levels of antimicrobial drugs to livestock can affect food safety, human health, and livestock production costs and returns. Economic Effects of a Ban Against Antimicrobial Drugs Used in U.S. Beef Production and Antimicrobial Resistance and Veterinary Costs in U.S. Livestock Production examine the economics of antimicrobial resistance in livestock and the economic implications of banning the use of growth-enhancing antimicrobial drugs in livestock production.

Live animal imports are regulated by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to ensure that livestock diseases—such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease), swine flu, and avian flu—are not introduced to domestic animals or humans. Diseases that are specific to certain types of livestock, but not humans, can cause catastrophic economic losses to U.S. producers, as well as affecting the availability and prices of meats and other animal products. One factor affecting the spread of disease among livestock is interstate livestock movements.

APHIS is also the first line of defense in preventing cross-species diseases from entering the U.S. food supply, where they could affect the human population. Because the purposeful introduction of animal disease is considered a homeland security issue, the market effects of the spread of such diseases are receiving increased scrutiny. See Background on the U.S. Beef Industry and Dissecting the Challenges of Mad Cow and Foot-and-Mouth Disease for a discussion of issues surrounding BSE and FMD. USDA's Foot-and Mouth-Disease page has additional information.

Animal welfare is a collective term that describes physical conditions that make animals comfortable and free from distress. Some consumers are concerned not only with characteristics such as the nutritive content of animal products, but also want assurances that food animals are raised in humane conditions and receive humane treatment during handling and slaughter. ERS follows industry developments, as well as regulations in other countries, to identify the market impacts of animal welfare issues.

ERS also has information on the economic effects of foodborne diseases—that is, diseases caused by ingesting bacteria, fungi, parasites, or viruses through contaminated food or water or through person-to-person contact—in the Economics of Foodborne Disease briefing room. Related information is available in the Government Food Safety Policies briefing room.

Other regulatory programs that affect livestock production systems are discussed in the regulatory issues section of this briefing room.

See the animal care and food safety section of the recommended reading page for ERS reports and articles related to animal care and food safety.

suggested links
USDA National Agricultural Library

• Animal Welfare Information Center provides information for improved animal care that can be used in research, teaching, and testing.
  
  
• Animal Welfare Issues Compendium is a collection of discussion papers related to animal welfare.

• The Animal Care page provides leadership in establishing acceptable standards of humane animal care and treatment and in monitoring and achieving compliance with the Animal Welfare Act through inspections, education, and cooperative efforts.
  
  
• Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health produces timely, factual information and knowledge about animal health.
  
  
• Center for Emerging Issues identifies and analyzes both emerging animal health issues and emerging market conditions for animal products.
  
  
• Recent news, APHIS initiatives, and other information on foot-and-mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
  

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• Center for Veterinary Medicine has the latest information on antimicrobial resistance.
  
  
• FDA is involved with preventing the spread of BSE via contaminated livestock feed. (See the regulatory issues section of this briefing room for a short description of the regulations governing ruminant feeds.)
  

United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization

• Animal Production and Health Division facilitates development of the global livestock sector.
  
  
• Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas provides information related to animal production and health through maps, tables, and charts.
  
  
• Animal Production and Health Subprogram emphasizes improving the nutrition, reproductive efficiency, and health of ruminants and poultry through more efficient use of resources.

David Blandford's website at Penn State University provides information for consumers who are interested not only in the food they eat, but also how that food is produced. This site contains information about European animal welfare activity.

Temple Grandin's website at Colorado State University contains information about livestock behavior, design of facilities, and humane slaughter.

for more information, contact: Kenneth H. Mathews (animal health) and Mildred Haley (animal welfare)
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: August 9, 2004