Toxicology and the Dairy Industry: Will Problems Outrun Solutions?

Abstract

Modern dairying has become increasingly dependent on, and is practiced in close proximity to, potentially harmful chemicals. This has resulted in increased opportunities and incidences for problems and harm from these chemicals. Thus, the toxicological aspects of modern dairying have become more and more important to the economic well-being of the industry. Contemporary societal attitudes have forced new questions and concerns. Because of these changing attitudes, the perception of a toxicological problem has raised numerous questions such as who is harmed, the degree of harm caused, the source of the harm, and the proper response to the problem. Society has forced the questions. Toxicologists must answer them. However, toxicological tools for doing so have not kept pace with the sensitivity of the issues, the magnitude of economic impacts, the abilities of analytical chemists to identify new causes for concern, or the rapidity of problem developments. This has led to a vacuum of response capability. This vacuum has been filled by increasing regulatory legislation, overview, and action that has affected the dairy industry. Immediate changes are needed in animal agriculture if we hope to meet new problems with adequate solutions. A greater emphasis on toxicological research will be needed as research imperatives have been identified. New curriculums must be established to train animal scientists in toxicological testing and to develop new resource-sparing toxicological procedures. Animal scientists must assume a position of competence and authority to answer future safety questions for domestic livestock. © 1981, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.