What Is Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) And How Does It Impact Me As A Cow Calf Producer? -
A cooperative program developed by the Montana Stockgrower’s and Montana State University Extension is called the Montana Beef Network. This program has three objectives: 1) beef quality assurance (BQA) training of beef producers; 2) feeder calf certification documenting health and management practices and 3) the return of data from the packing plant to determine how well the carcass met customer expectations. The aim of this beef update is to review why BQA is necessary in today’s environment.
BQA is much more than ensuring injections are administered properly and in the right location (neck region). According to Dr. Bill Meis from Future Beef “The concept of quality management starts with the design of the product, such as genetics, and continues through the marketing of the final product. In the cow-calf industry, the producers must first design the genetics with both the final consumer as well as the rest of the industry in mind”. This means that implants, injections, brands and body composition are all keys to producing a high quality product.
http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/Articles/Beef/Wklynwsltr/10-18.01.htm


The History of Beef Quality Assurance -
The Beef Quality Assurance program is not new. Started in 1982 by beef producers to address the governments concern for an organized approach to avoid violative residues in food. At it inception beef had the lowest residue rate of all red meats .. well below government targets for other foods. The low residue rate has even gotten lower .. literally non-existent in finish fed beef today.
Because the majority of beef is raise by small independent producers in a vast variety of environmental climates, the BQA program has been modified and adapted to meet the needs of a wide range of production and marketing circumstances. Presently, a BQA educational program is active in 47 states. Like HACCP, all programs address BCP targets. Certification, including HACCP based training is active in several states.
http://www.bqa.org/


Beef Quality Assurance:
This Page Is Dedicated To All The Cattlemen Who Have Worked So Hard To Develop And Implement The Beef Quality Assurance Program, The Nations Oldest Pre-harvest Quality Assurance Program.
The BQA resource map has been developed to aid cattleman in exploring and gathering information about Beef Quality Assurance Programs all over the United States. While most states have BQA programs, many do not have Internet sites that link to their BQA materials. Those that are available can be linked to on the map below.
http://www.bqa.org/

Oregon's Beef Quality Assurance Program –
Oregon's Beef Quality Assurance Program provides the steps for producing quality beef that satisfies our consumers' desires for a safe, wholesome and quality eating experience. This Program is for producers who want to produce beef that meets high standards for safety and quality from ranch to table.
The goal is to provide beef for our consumers in which every bite is a good eating experience.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/beef-quality/


Beef Quality Assurance Program - Clyde Lane, Jr, Warren W. Gill, James B. Neel, F. David Kirkpatrick and Fred Hopkins, Department of Animal Science
The Tennessee Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certification Program was initiated in 2000. The animal science faculty of The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service developed educational materials and assisted in conducting educational sessions. The Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association conducted the certification.
In the spring of 2000, 149 Extension agents, Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association representatives, veterinarians and agribusiness representatives were certified as trainers for the BQA program. These individuals conducted educational sessions during the remainder of 2000 and the first half of 2001. More than 2,000 beef cattle producers attended these sessions, with more than 750 producers taking the certification test and becoming certified. This action provided an opportunity for certified producers to market BQA-certified feeder calves in video auctions and a special feeder calf sale. Calves marketed through the Smoky Mountain Feeder Calf Association’s Southeast Pride Calf Sale sold for $2 to $11 more per hundred pounds than calves sold through other board and video sales that same week.
http://animalscience.ag.utk.edu/pdf/Reports/BQA.pdf


Developing Beef Quality Assurance: This Neb-Guide gives guidelines for developing a feedlot beef quality assurance program - Dee Griffin, Feedlot Veterinarian, Louis Perino, Beef Cattle Veterinarian, and Don Hudson, Extension Beef Cattle Veterinarian
The displacement of people from agriculture into other areas of employment has broken the relationship between most consumers and producers. The consumer's lack of knowledge about agricultural production coupled with concern for misuse of technological advances in agriculture has created great concern for the safety of their food supply. Consumers are worried that their food will be contaminated by antibiotics, hormones, and agricultural chemicals. Recently, bacterial contamination of beef has been added to their fears. These concerns, combined with diet and health concerns for eating red meat and the cattlemen's use of the land, place tremendous pressure on the beef industry.
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/beef/g1236.htm#OVERCOMING


UC partners with industry in Beef Quality Assurance - UC Davis Department of Animal Science
Identification and control of pre-harvest critical control points for the safety of beef are necessary. In particular, the beef industry wants to eliminate residues and contamination in market beef and dairy beef products; enhance food safety and microorganism biosecurity at the beef production level, including prevention of zoonotic diseases; and improve medical care, including appropriate drug antibiotic use, and avoid development of antibiotic resistance.
http://ucanr.org/delivers/impactview.cfm?impactnum=282&mainunitnum=0


Beef quality assurance “down under”- John Lawrence, extension livestock economist
Australia exports approximately 60 percent of beef production and New Zealand exports 85 percent. Because they depend on a diverse set of export customers, these countries are developing quality assurance (QA) programs that differentiate their beef in domestic and global markets and assure individual customers that the product is safe and meets customer needs. Whereas most U.S. producers think of quality in terms of USDA grades (Prime, Choice, Select), Australian and New Zealand supply chains strive to meet the mark of quality as defined by their customers. In striving to break out of the commodity market, supply chains in the two countries typically provide more information about their products and strive to improve product quality.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/lawr/LawrAug02.htm


Beef Quality Assurance Injection Sites and Techniques - R. L. Morter, D.V.M
School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University
Cattlemen have a responsibility to assure that only beef of the highest quality reach the consumer. The National Cattlemen's Association has maintained a very strong position on beef safety and quality assurance for several years. The public has been assured that the beef at the retail counter is a very safe product for human consumption. The safety of the product is still a major concern, while emphasis has shifted to reduction of injection site lesions.
http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/VY/VY-60.html


Injection Methods -
For many medicines and vaccines, injection is the only method of administration. Although the purpose of an injection is to benefit your animal, each injection has the potential to do harm. The harm may be pain or suffering. However, the injection could also create residues, scar tissue, or abscesses. Here are methods of giving vaccines and injectable treatments to prevent problems at injection sites and to maximize the benefits of your treatments.
http://www.beefcowcalf.com/cgi-bin/pseek/go.cgi?id=1693