Livestock producers are encouraged to reduce the use of antibiotics belonging to classes of medical importance to humans. We conducted a scoping review on non-antibiotic interventions in the form of products or management practices that could potentially reduce the need for antibiotics in beef and veal animals living under intensive production conditions. Our objectives were to systematically describe the research on this broad topic, identify specific topics that could feasibly support systematic reviews, and identify knowledge gaps. Multiple databases were searched. Two reviewers independently screened and charted the data. From the 13,598 articles screened, 722 relevant articles were charted. The number of relevant articles increased steadily from 1990. The Western European research was dominated by veal production studies whereas the North American research was dominated by beef production studies. The interventions and outcomes measured were diverse. The four most frequent interventions included non-antibiotic feed additives, vaccinations, breed type, and feed type. The four most frequent outcomes were indices of immunity, non-specific morbidity, respiratory disease, and mortality. There were seven topic areas evaluated in clinical trials that may share enough commonality to support systemic reviews. There was a dearth of studies in which interventions were compared to antibiotic comparison groups.

The tetracyclines (TTC) and sulfonamides are among the most common residues found in bulk raw milk samples. Detection of drug residues in bulk milk (BM) tankers demonstrates that the product is not suitable for human consumption. Discarding BM with residue-contaminated milk is a waste of a valuable commodity, and a repurposing for consumption at calf ranches is a way to recapture some value. However, if calves consuming milk with drug residues are slaughtered for veal, their meat could contain drug residues. The objective of this review is to provide a residue avoidance strategy for TTC and sulfonamide residues in veal. To determine the pharmacokinetic properties of each drug a structured review of the literature was performed and the study inclusion criteria were that the publication used dairy breed calves, with body weight <330 kg or <6 months of age. The most pertinent parameters were determined to be plasma, tissue elimination half-lives, and systemic bioavailability. The results of this review were integrated with milk and tissue testing levels of quantification and tissue tolerances to formulate a recommended withdrawal interval for calves ingesting this milk. The suggested withdrawal interval of 20 days will ensure that no veal calves will test positive for residues from being fed this milk.

The study's objectives were to determine herd- and animal-level prevalence and herd-level risk factors for Salmonella in dairy-bred veal calves at slaughter in Denmark. In total, 1296 faecal samples were collected at five cattle abattoirs in Denmark during 2007–2008. The animals came from 71 randomly selected specialized veal-calf producers that delivered more than 100 animals to slaughter per year. Salmonella Dublin bacteria were isolated from 19 samples from 12 herds and Salmonella Typhimurium was isolated from one sample. The apparent prevalence of herds delivering Salmonella-shedding animals to slaughter was 18% (95% CI 9–27). The overall estimated true prevalence of shedding calves at slaughter was 1·3%. Veal-calf herds that purchased animals from herds not classified as low risk in the Danish Salmonella surveillance programme had significantly (P=0·03) higher risk of delivering Salmonella-shedding calves to slaughter. The results emphasize the importance of efforts in the dairy industry to ensure food safety for consumers.