Beef Quality Assurance Injection Sites and Techniques

Food safety has become a very important issue in our society. Modern livestock management practices rely upon the prudent use of injectable antibiotics and vaccines for the purpose of maintain herd health and productivity. Rasmussen (1980) concluded that both the active pharmaceutical and the carrier-vehicle administered are responsible for tissue injury. Now we need to put great emphasis on improper injections which can lead to trimming and discarding of expensive cuts, and learn to use a proper injection method to cause less injection site blemishes as a costly problem for the beef industry. This paper examines the effect of needle based injections and makes a case for using needle-free injections for all but intravenous targets. Results from research on estimating the value of carcass information and potential improve­ment in pricing accuracy with injections are reviewed. Lastly, management implications are discussed for producers choosing proper injection systems to fed cattle.