QUALITY ASSURANCE

The quality assurance program is rapidly becoming a matrix for the cattle industry to address a broad range of issues and opportunities. This column discusses these issues and the manner with which various organizations have addressed them, with the goal of maintaining and perhaps improving the quality of beef products available to consumers. Such issues include misplaced implants, injection site lesions, and the competitive advantage in the marketplace. The role of the veterinarian and the NCA Beef Quality Assurance Task Force in total quality management of beef products also is discussed.