Tracing the Local Breeds in an Outdoor System – A Hungarian Example with Mangalica Pig Breed

Pig farming is largely characterized by closed, large-scale housing technology. These systems are driven by resource efficiency. In intensive technologies, humans control almost completely. However, there are pig farming systems where humans have just little control. These free-range technologies are called organic pig farming systems in which the quality characteristics of the produced meat sold on a premium price are primary. We present the practical difficulties that are challenging in implementing precision pig farming. We characterize the data science methods that determine the reliability our conclusions. This chapter describes the literature on the behavior and production results of pigs, social aspects, and the possibilities of the certified pig meat supply chain. Digital solutions can be implemented to verify and trace the origin of meat products. In our project, Mangalica breeding sows were tagged with passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, and a research zone was established at wallowing area. RFID readers record the presence of sows in this zone. In addition, temperature, humidity, and air pressure are recorded hourly for 24 hours a day. Data are analyzed using visualization and data science techniques. We present our interim results and conditions of the experiment in this chapter.

Has the euro been fattening the European pig meat trade?

The introduction of the euro is one of the great achievements of the European integration process. We ask whether the creation of the euro led to a significant increase in pig meat trade in the eurozone. The pig meat industry is the most important in the European meat sector, and the EU is the world's second-biggest producer of pork and the leading supplier of pig meat to the global market. No study has yet been conducted in this respect for this sector. Our results suggest that pig meat trade was encouraged between countries sharing the euro, although the impact of EU single market was still greater. Trade creation was also observed, increasing pig meat exports from eurozone to non-eurozone countries. Also, non-eurozone EU exporters suffer from a diversion effect that benefits eurozone exporters.

Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Streptococcus suis Infections in Catalonia, Spain

Introduction:Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a human zoonotic pathogen of occupational origin, with infection acquired through contact with live pigs or pig meat. Pig farming is one of Catalonia's biggest industries and as a result this region of Spain has one of the highest density pig populations per km2. The aim of our study was to describe the infections caused by S. suis occurring in that area over a 9-year period.Materials and Methods: A retrospective, multi-center study was carried out by searching records from 15 hospitals in Catalonia for the period between 2010 and 2019.Results: Over the study period altogether nine cases of S. suis infection were identified in five hospitals, with five of these cases occurring in the 2018–2019 period. The mean age of patients was 48 ± 8.9 years and all of them were males. Five patients (55.6%) worked in pig farms. The most frequent manifestation of infection was meningitis (5 cases; 55.6%) followed by septic arthritis (3 cases; 33.3%). None of the patients died at 30 days; nonetheless, 4 developed hearing loss as a long-term complication.Conclusion: The most commonly identified S. suis infection was meningitis. Over 50% of the episodes occurred in the last 2 years and have affected pig farm workers. Further surveillance is needed in order to know its prevalence.

Salmonella in Pig Farms and on Pig Meat in Suriname

Salmonella is one of the most important food borne zoonotic pathogens. While mainly associated with poultry, it has also been associated with pigs. Compared to the high-income countries, there is much less known on the prevalence of Salmonella in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the Caribbean area. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of Salmonella in pigs and pig meat in Suriname. A total of 53 farms and 53 meat samples were included, and Salmonella was isolated using standard protocols. Strains were subjected to whole genome sequencing. No Salmonella was found on pig meat. Five farms were found to be positive for Salmonella, and a total of eight different strains were obtained. Serotypes were S. Anatum (n = 1), S. Ohio (n = 2), a monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium (n = 3), one S. Brandenburg, and one S. Javaniana. The monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium belonged to the ST34 pandemic clone, and the three strains were very similar. A few resistance genes, located on mobile genetic elements, were found. Several plasmids were detected, though only one was carrying resistance genes. This is the first study on the prevalence of Salmonella in pigs in the Caribbean and that used whole genome sequencing for characterization. The strains were rather susceptible. Local comparison of similar serotypes showed a mainly clonal spread of certain serotypes.

Rapid Full-Cycle Technique to Control Adulteration of Meat Products: Integration of Accelerated Sample Preparation, Recombinase Polymerase Amplification, and Test-Strip Detection

Verifying the authenticity of food products is essential due to the recent increase in counterfeit meat-containing food products. The existing methods of detection have a number of disadvantages. Therefore, simple, cheap, and sensitive methods for detecting various types of meat are required. In this study, we propose a rapid full-cycle technique to control the chicken or pig adulteration of meat products, including 3 min of crude DNA extraction, 20 min of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) at 39 °C, and 10 min of lateral flow assay (LFA) detection. The cytochrome B gene was used in the developed RPA-based test for chicken and pig identification. The selected primers provided specific RPA without DNA nuclease and an additional oligonucleotide probe. As a result, RPA–LFA, based on designed fluorescein- and biotin-labeled primers, detected up to 0.2 pg total DNA per μL, which provided up to 0.001% w/w identification of the target meat component in the composite meat. The RPA–LFA of the chicken and pig meat identification was successfully applied to processed meat products and to meat after heating. The results were confirmed by real-time PCR. Ultimately, the developed analysis is specific and enables the detection of pork and chicken impurities with high accuracy in raw and processed meat mixtures. The proposed rapid full-cycle technique could be adopted for the authentication of other meat products.

El redescubrimiento del cerdo: aspectos zootécnicos y problemas de gestión de la cría de cerdos en Italia entre los siglos XIX y XX

The transition from the wild to the sedentary state represents the first change in farming practice which was followed by the dissemination of the practices of breeders on the improvement of breeds and specific studies in the zootechnical field for a better yield of pig meat productivity. The family-run breeding was gradually replaced by the industrial and intensive one. The demand for meat with an increasingly low-fat content has also pushed farmers to recover the ancient system of free grazing in the woods with a diet based on chestnuts and acorns to obtain a genuine and quality. Sector studies are crucial for the development of the sector and to reflect on the typical problems of the meat farming and processing sector. The focus then shifts to the deepening of national and European legislation to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the sector with a look at the environmental impact and the opportunity of livestock companies to adopt specific plants for the transformation and use of animal manure in biogas with great advantages in terms of energy and environment.

Heavy Metal Resistance in Salmonella Typhimurium and Its Association With Disinfectant and Antibiotic Resistance

Metals are widely used in animal feed for their growth-stimulating and antimicrobial effects, yet their use may potentially promote the proliferation of antibiotic resistance through co-selection. We studied the prevalence and associations of metal, antibiotic, and disinfectant resistances of 300 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates from pig meat, pig manure, chicken meat, poultry manure, and human stool from Sichuan, China. Seventy four percent of the 300 Salmonella Typhimurium isolates were considered resistant to Cu, almost 50% to Zn and Cr, over 25% to Mn and Cd, and almost 10% to Co. Most of the isolates carried at least one heavy metal resistance gene (HMRG). The Cr-Zn-Cd-resistance gene czcD was carried by 254 isolates and the Cu-resistance genes pcoR and pcoC by 196 and 179 isolates, respectively. Most of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic and almost 80% were multidrug-resistant. The prevalence of resistance to six antibiotics was higher among the pig meat and manure isolates than among other isolates, and that of streptomycin and ampicillin were highest among the pig meat isolates and that of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin among the pig manure isolates. From 55 to 79% of the isolates were considered resistant to disinfectants triclosan, trichloroisocyanuric acid, or benzalkonium chloride. The metal resistances and HMRGs were associated with resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants. Especially, Cu-resistance genes were associated with resistance to several antibiotics and disinfectants. The transfer of the Cr-Zn-Cd-resistance gene czcD, Cu-resistance gene pcoC, and Co-Ni-resistance gene cnrA into Escherichia coli and the increased Cu-resistance of the transconjugants implied that the resistance genes were located on conjugative plasmids. Thus, the excessive use of metals and disinfectants as feed additives and in animal care may have the potential to promote antibiotic resistance through co-selection and maintain and promote antibiotic resistance even in the absence of antibiotics.

Antibiotics in pig meat production: restrictions as the odd case and overuse as normality? Experiences from Sweden and Italy

For people interested in high-quality food, Italy has long been acknowledged for its production of Parma ham, salami and similar pig meat-based products. For researchers in the field of antibiotic resistance, they are known as products of a highly antibiotic-dependent production system. Italy has one of the highest consumptions of antibiotics by animals in the EU, estimated to be 244 mg/PCU. By contrast, Sweden has the lowest consumption of antibiotics by animals in the EU, estimated to be 12.5 mg/PCU. Thus, the Italian level is about 20 times higher than the Swedish one. The aim of this paper is to pinpoint the role of antibiotics in the Swedish and Italian production systems. What are the underlying forces and the key features of the Swedish production system—a system that can actually compensate for routine group treatment with antibiotics through precautionary health and biosecurity? What aspects are behind the different antibiotic consumption patterns in the Italian setting? We argue that the Swedish ability to compensate for routine prophylactic antibiotic group treatment was the outcome of an extensive interaction process: ‘outsiders’ increased the general awareness of routine antibiotic use by debating it in the media, and ‘insiders’ took the debate seriously and consequently acted to develop a production system that was able to compensate for routine use of antibiotics. Based on both the Swedish and Italian experiences, we argue that a legal ban on routine group treatment does not in itself guarantee a change. Those who are supposed to adopt must first share the ideas the legislation rests on; second, they must be prepared to invest in a change of material structures; third, they must foresee a ‘fair’ distribution of costs and benefits among producers and users—that is, an economic context in which all players are incentivised to follow the same route.