Quality assurance is vital for the future of the industry. It requires controls throughout the production chain - from feedmill to the farm and slaughterhouse. Consumers all over the world have rising expectations, not least for their health and what they consume. They have come to expect meat, eggs and other animal products that are nutritious, consistent and free from contaminants such as foreign bodies, additives or pathogens. Forty years ago, the major concern of producers was the amount produced. Ten years later, the focus had shifted to productivity. In the 1970s, quality began to be an issue and in the 1980s, environmental concerns that started to influence animal production. In the last years of the millennium, food security became the goal, closely followed by animal welfare standards. The slogan "Safe Feed Towards Safe Food" was invented and the concept has entered all aspects of food production. It is encouraging to note that there is now awareness of the issue among livestock farmers.Farmers know that the only way to grow their business is through the value chain and with safety and quality assurance. This is all the more true in the face of bans and quality restrictions that affect trading following some of the well-publicised foodscares. The major factor likely to influence the poultry industry will be the effect of the GATT/WTO negotiations on further liberalising trade barriers and making markets still more international. Quality assurance (QA) programmes become evermore important.
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