Beef Quality in Texas
Where Do You Begin?

As with any industry trying to build or improve a production system, points in the production chain where problems could arise must be anticipated. Each such point is called a control point (CP). Within each segment of the beef industry, there are three broad types of CPs that need to be anticipated.

The three major concerns can be divided into the following:

These are called "critical" control points (CCPs) because a legitimate food safety risk of sufficient severity exists to warrant control. To decide if a particular issue is a critical point, an additional question would be, "Is there a real possibility that it will occur at some time?"

If the answer is "yes," then preventative measures should be identified and control measures put in place. If current management practices do not allow preventative measures to be put in place, then management needs to be modified to allow or provide for control of risks that are a hazard to consumers.

Measures must be designed and implemented to prevent, eliminate or reduce the risk of the hazard to consumers.

Most cow-calf and stocker operations will have only a few management points that are truly critical control points. Examples would be antibiotic residues, broken needles, etc. Most areas where control is possible relates to quality of the product being produced, rather than true hazards to consumers.

However, it is imperative that all CCPs where food safety can be affected are initially identified with preventive and corrective measures put in place.

Quality control points

These are called "quality" control points (QCPs) because these points in the production chain can alter the eating quality of the products produced through your segment of the industry. Management decisions that will impact product traits, such as tenderness, flavor, juiciness, quality grade and yield grade, are all quality control points.

Environmental control points (ECPs) are identified due to increasing awareness and concern of the general public as to the environmental impact that agriculture has on off-farm quality of life. Non-point sources of pollution are increasingly being targeted for regulatory control.

Watershed management is concerned with potential contamination of municipal water supplies. Documentation and compliance with best management practices on grazing, fertilizer and herbicide use will put producers that follow BQA guidelines at a competitive advantage in dealing with these emerging issues.

Of major concern at this time is nitrogen and phosphorus contamination of water through run off containing fertilizer and manure. Preconditioning and backgrounding yards – and some stocker operations – are particularly susceptible to Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) regulations. Adherence to a quality assurance program will put you in a proactive position rather than the usual reactive position.

Texas Beef Quality Producer News

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is pleased to announce dates and locations for the first round of Texas Beef Quality Producer training sessions designed specifically for Texas cow-calf and stocker producers. You do not have to be a member of TSCRA to attend one of these meetings, which is the first step to becoming certified in Beef Quality Assurance.

The Texas Beef Quality Producer Program is a cooperative effort by TSCRA, the Texas Beef Council and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, with input from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.

To be put on our mailing list for these meetings, contact Sharla Ishmael or Lionel Chambers at 800-242-7820 or sharla@texascattleraisers.org.

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Working cattle:
Wetting down the processing area can help reduce dust and risks of contamination in injections sites and during castration.