Weekly Livestock-Equine News: October 28, 2024

FDA finalizes guidance on animal feed ingredients

The FDA finalized “Guidance for Industry #293: FDA Enforcement Policy for AAFCO-Defined Animal Feed Ingredients,” which means that the agency will not initiate enforcement action in response to: 1) interstate marketing of animal food ingredients that are not approved animal food additives or GRAS for the intended use, but are listed in the ingredient definition chapter of the 2024 AAFCO OP; or 2) use of animal food ingredient names that are not common or usual names but are defined in the AAFCO OP, unless the name leads to false or misleading labels.

Utah county enacts weekly dairy testing for HPAI

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food has enacted mandatory weekly surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza in all dairies in Cache County. If a dairy’s milk tests positive, the dairy will be placed under a quarantine and no movement of lactating cattle will be permitted on or off the facility except for cows going direct to slaughter. The agency confirmed that the HPAI H5N1 virus was recently detected in a Cache County commercial poultry facility, but there have been no confirmed cases in any Cache County or other Utah dairies.

FDA warns against use of aspirin in cattle

The FDA is warning veterinarians and farmers to stop using unapproved aspirin to treat pyrexia and pain in lactating dairy cattle. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug is being used on some dairy farms to treat cattle infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, more specifically, avian influenza type A H5N1), according to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. But there are no FDA-approved aspirin products for use in cattle, according to the FDA.

Electronic cattle ID tags mandatory by November 5

Cattle ranchers and dairy farmers will need to adopt EID or RFID electronic identification for dairy cows and sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months or older, plus cows used in rodeos or show exhibitions, per a USDA rule effective Nov. 5. Farms will not need to replace plastic tags with electronic ones if they were applied prior to Nov. 5.

Dairy biosecurity must be improved

Until now, most dairy farmers have not been faced with a reportable disease, biosecurity consultant Dan Hougentogler told Farm Progress. But with the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in cows, the game has changed. Preventive measures dairy farmers should consider include limiting access to the dairy farm, enforcing the use of barn-specific clothes, and attending biosecurity workshops in the area.

Dietary guidelines ‘unhinged,’ says beef group

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) criticized the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (which advises USDA and U.S. Health and Human Services departments) for its “unhinged recommendations” that propose replacing proteins like beef with beans, peas, and lentils. “We would laugh at the suggestion that beans, peas, and lentils are going to replace lean red meat and fill all the nutrient gaps Americans are facing if it weren’t such a dangerous and deceptive idea,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane.