Information regarding the relationship between animal welfare (AW) and antimicrobial use (AMU) in dairy cows is limited. The current study aimed to investigate this relationship on Italian farms and to identify potential targets of AMU reduction. The study was performed at 79 Italian dairy farms housing over 15,000 cows during 2019. AW was scored with an on-farm protocol assessing farm management and staff training, housing systems, and animal-based measures. AMU was estimated using a defined daily dose per kg of animal biomass (DDDAit/biomass) for Italy. The median AW score was 73% (range: 56.6–86.8%). The median AMU was 4.8 DDDAit/biomass (range: 0–11.8). No relationship between the total AMU and AW was found. Management and staff training were positively associated with the use of the European Medicines Agency’s category B antimicrobials, which are critical for human medicine, and with intramammary products for dry cow therapy. In those farms, antimicrobial stewardship should aim to reduce the category B antimicrobials and selective dry cow therapy. Our results underline the importance of implementing both an integrated monitoring system (AW, AMU, etc.) and antimicrobial stewardship tailored to the specific needs of each dairy farm.

In fish-based foods, one of the effects of inappropriate storage can be the formation of biogenic amines. Among these, histamine is considered one of the most toxic. The purpose of the present study is to assess the occurrence of histamine in fish-based pet foods, and to evaluate the changes in histamine content during storage at different temperatures. For the analysis, an LC-MS/MS method was used. Fifty-eight pet foods were purchased, and an aliquot of them was analyzed just after opening the packages. Histamine was detected in 12 samples and concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 30.1 mg/kg. The remaining of each positive sample was divided into seven subsamples. One of them was used as a control sample and kept at −20 °C, while the other six were exposed to different environmental conditions. Samples exposed to room temperature showed no significant changes in histamine levels, while samples exposed to high temperatures showed significant increases in histamine content. Finally, samples exposed to refrigerator temperature showed a slight decrease in histamine levels. Under the experimental conditions, the EU limit of 100 mg/kg established for fishery products was never exceeded. These results seem to indicate a low risk of histamine intoxication in cats fed fish-based pet food.

Domestic chicken farming has been promoted and spread in several Italian municipalities and worldwide as an aid to the self-consumption of domestically produced food. This study investigated the levels of four toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) in eggs from an ethical laying hen farm, comparing the element concentrations with those possibly present in supermarket eggs. A total of 201 eggs, 141 from the farm and produced by different hen genotypes, and 60 from the supermarket, were collected. The levels of the toxic elements were evaluated in the yolk, albumen, and eggshells of all eggs. The results show that the supermarket eggs’ yolk and albumen were more contaminated with lead, compared to the rural eggs. Contrarily, the mean content of arsenic was higher in the albumen and eggshells of the rural eggs, compared to the supermarket eggs. The cadmium content was below the LOQ (0.005 mg/kg) in all samples. The mercury content was below or around the LOQ in all rural eggs. Overall, the supermarket egg albumens were significantly more contaminated than the rural ones. No significant differences were found in quality parameters for both types of eggs. The toxic element values that were detected were in line with other studies in the literature. However, despite the concentrations found not representing a risk to the consumers’ health, the results of this study raise a potential food safety issue, and it would be desirable to set specific MRLs for eggs for consumers’ protection.