Michela Maria Dimuccio

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a significant global concern, undermining the efficacy of treatments in both human and veterinary medicine. Livestock production plays a major role in the emergence and dissemination of AMR, primarily due to the extensive use of antibiotics for therapeutic, prophylactic, and metaphylactic purposes. Addressing this multifaceted issue necessitates a One Health approach. At the international level, regulatory frameworks are predominantly non-binding, relying on soft-law instruments developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), which advocate for harmonized guidelines and national action plans. In contrast, the European Union has implemented binding regulations, including Regulation (EU) 2019/6 and Regulation (EU) 2019/4, which restrict non-essential antimicrobial use (AMU) and reinforce veterinary accountability. Initiatives such as the Farm to Fork Strategy and platforms like ClassyFarm further advance antimicrobial stewardship by integrating animal welfare, sustainability, and access to EU funding. Achieving substantial reductions in AMR within livestock systems requires coordinated, cross-disciplinary, and multi-level governance efforts. The EU model illustrates how enforceable legal frameworks, combined with science-based monitoring and welfare incentives, can facilitate prudent antibiotic use and promote sustainable animal production. This review aims to provide an integrated overview of international and European strategies for regulating antibiotic use in food-producing animals, focusing on how scientific, veterinary and legal perspectives contribute to combating AMR and promoting animal welfare by emphasizing prevention, and a prudent and responsible AMU.

Objectives: The study aimed to test whether plasma cortisol, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and individual Somatic Cell Count (SCC) can act as reliable proxies for the ClassyFarm risk rank. Materials and Methods: Three Animal-Based Measures (ABMs) (plasma cortisol, IL-6, and SCC) were evaluated and compared with the ClassyFarm risk rank, which is a farm-specific risk score, across three dairy cattle farms (A, B, and C). The ClassyFarm risk rank was 10, 13, and 17 on farms A, B, and C, respectively. Results: Our findings revealed a strong correlation between plasma cortisol levels and SCC across all herds (r > 0.70), particularly in B (r = 0.92). The SCC values generally complied with Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 of the European Commission. However, IL-6 levels did not show a statistically significant correlation with the other ABMs (r < 0.6). Conclusions: This preliminary study indicates satisfactory agreement between the risk analysis conducted using the ClassyFarm system, as reflected in the ClassyFarm risk rank, and the ABMs investigated. These measures might serve as good real-time proxies for the ClassyFarm risk rank, helping implement any required corrective measures on the farm more promptly.

Ritual slaughter—understood as the killing of animals without prior stunning for religious purposes—constitutes a legally and ethically intricate domain, situated at the intersection of animal welfare, freedom of religion, public health, and consumer protection. This review offers a critical examination of the influence exerted by international and supranational jurisprudence—most notably the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union—on the regulatory landscape governing ritual slaughter. While the right to religious freedom enjoys robust protection under European constitutional and human rights frameworks, recent judicial decisions have affirmed the legitimacy of national legislative measures mandating pre-slaughter stunning, insofar as such measures pursue objectives of animal welfare and transparency in the public interest. Particular attention is devoted to seminal rulings originating in Belgium and within the broader EU context, with a focus on the application of the principle of proportionality as a legal mechanism for balancing colliding fundamental rights. The analysis further engages with the scientific and ethical discourse surrounding animal suffering and the legal obligations tied to consumer information and labeling. Taken together, these developments reveal an emergent trajectory within EU law toward the progressive tightening of regulatory standards governing ritual slaughter, shaped by an evolving jurisprudential understanding of animal welfare imperatives.

The aim of this study was to evaluate cadmium (Cd) concentrations in horses imported from various European Union countries and slaughtered in Italy. In addition, we assessed the potential correlation between Cd levels in tissues and organs, and Cd-related gross and histological lesions. The animals were divided into six groups based on age and geographical origin. Among the 430 animals examined, gross renal lesions were observed in only two kidney samples from Polish horses, which also had the highest Cd concentrations: 9.1 mg/kg w/w and 8.23 mg/kg w/w, respectively. Further histological alterations were identified in the same group, in 19 kidney samples with Cd concentrations exceeding 5.72 mg/kg w/w. These findings raise important food safety concerns, as Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 and its subsequent amendments establish strict maximum limits for Cd in horse meat and offal. Considering the EU precautionary principle, the results of this study underscore that only the integration of chemical analyses with histological examinations can provide a comprehensive assessment of the risks, ensuring compliance with EU food safety legislation and international trade standards.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by fungi species belonging to the genera Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. The proliferation of OTA-producing fungal species may occur due to inadequate practices during both the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages of feed. Consequently, poultry species may be exposed to high concentrations of this mycotoxin that can be transferred to animal tissues due to its carry-over, reaching dangerous concentrations in meat and meat products. Therefore, this review aims to propose a comprehensive overview of the effects of OTA on human health, along with data from global studies on the prevalence and concentrations of this mycotoxin in avian feeds, as well as in poultry meat, edible offal, and eggs. Moreover, the review examines significant gross and histopathological lesions in the kidneys and livers of poultry linked to OTA exposure. Finally, the key methods for OTA prevention and decontamination of feed are described.

Within the European socio-cultural landscape, which is increasingly attuned to animal welfare concerns and characterized by growing multiculturalism, ritual slaughter has become a subject of considerable debate due to its legal, economic, and health implications. This debate is increasingly fueled by interventions by judicial bodies that, not infrequently, have filled protection gaps in legislation on the relationship between human rights and the treatment of animals. In this review, the authors aim to describe the evolutionary path of supranational jurisprudence in the case of religious slaughter, focusing on the most recent animal welfare decision rendered by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 13 February 2024. This innovative judgement, in line with other precedents, indicates the orientation of the international and European law, which, driven by public morality, is increasingly characterized by the compression of human rights in favor of animal interests.

Colibacillosis, caused by E. coli, is responsible for economic losses in the poultry industry due to mortality, decreased production, and the cost of antibiotic treatments. Prevention of colibacillosis is based on improved biosecurity measures and the use of the vaccine performed with O78 E. coli strains, which is responsible for most cases of colibacillosis. Recently, there has been increased interest in other infection control methods, such as the use of natural compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) against E. coli strains isolated from poultry. The MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ of CEO were determined by testing 117 strains belonging to serogroups O78, O2, O128, O139, isolated from laying hens (91 strains), broilers (10 strains), and turkeys (16 strains). The bacterial strains were tested at cell densities of 10⁸ and 10⁶ CFU/mL. At the cell density of 10⁸ CFU/mL, MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ were 0.4 and 0.5 µL/mL for most of the tested strains, while they corresponded to 0.5 µL/mL for all strains isolated from broilers and for strains belonging to serogroup O139. At the cell density of 10⁶ CFU/mL, MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ were 0.3 and 0.4 µL/mL, regardless of bird species of origin and for strains belonging to serogroups O78 and O2. In addition, a concentration of 0.04 µL/mL of CEO corresponded both to MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ for strains belonging to serogroups O139 and O128. Based on these results, cinnamon essential oil showed an effective antibacterial activity against E. coli strains from poultry and could find field application for the prevention of colibacillosis.

The presence of Salmonella spp. on laying hen farms turns out to be a major problem for public health reasons, mainly related to foodborne illnesses that may arise due to ingestion of contaminated eggs. When Salmonella spp. infection on farms is confirmed by laboratory analysis, animal health measures are applied on the establishment, including total elimination of animals. The aim of this study is to describe three different methods of managing Salmonella enteritidis-infected laying hen farms, all of which were used within the Moselle department (France). The methods chosen, culling, use of a mobile CO₂ container, or lethal injection with T-61, depend on specific starting conditions, including the number of birds and proximity to an authorized slaughterhouse. This study, therefore, helps to identify the main problems with each method and provides recommendations for improving the management of Salmonella spp.-infected laying hen farms, where antibiotics cannot be used.

Animal welfare is defined as a permanent state reflecting an animal’s subjective perception of its situation indicated by behavioral, postural, and physiological parameters