Search

Meat inspection (MI) is essential to verify compliance with legal requirements related to human and animal health and animal welfare protections. Judgement criteria applied during MI, resulting in condemnation data of importance, among other things, for livestock producers and for benchmarking reasons. However, although the Meat Inspection Regulation sets out judgement criteria, most are generic, favouring flexibility, but also subjectivity. To address the degree of variation on total condemnation (TC) criteria applied during post-mortem inspection (PMI) of finishing pigs, an online survey was prepared aiming to collect this information from several European countries. The focus was on TC criteria regarding the following PMI findings: abscesses, arthritis, cachexia, erysipelas, icterus, Mycobacterium-like lesions, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, pleuritis and pneumonia. From September to November 2020, a total of 44 completed questionnaires were obtained from 26 European countries. The results showed a substantial variation in the TC criteria in place in the participating countries. One of the main reasons for the variability seen in the respondents' reported answers was related to the indicators used to define a generalised condition related to the 10 PMI findings addressed, making harmonisation a chal-lenge and avoiding to draw conclusions when comparing condemnation causes between abattoirs. This implies that it would make sense to look into how a generalised condition can be identified/described and how it should be judged. The results should be used as inspiration towards possible harmonisation, improving decision-making, and permitting comparative analysis between different reports to allow trend analyses and benchmarking.

The consumption of fish and fish products can significantly contribute to the overall intake of metals in the human body, which depends on the level of contamination and dietary habits in each country. In this study, 185 samples of the 14 most frequently consumed domestically farmed and imported marine fish and fish products and exclusively domestically farmed freshwater fish available on the market in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) were analysed for the presence of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As). None of the sampled fish or fish products contained these heavy metals at levels above the prescribed maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) in B&H and the EU. The mean concentrations of the tested heavy metals were higher in marine fishes and their products compared to freshwater fishes. A study of the dietary habits of 527 consumers in B&H identified that the dietary exposure via fish and fish products to methylmercury (MeHg), inorganic mercury (IHg) and Cd was significantly below the tolerable weekly intake (TWI). In excessive fish consumers (those in the top 95 percentile), the dietary exposure to MeHg was close to the maximum recommended TWI. The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) for Hg was significantly above 1 in the worst-case scenario for both freshwater and marine fish species, indicating possible risk to excessive consumers. In average and excessive B&H consumers, dietary exposure to Cd was estimated as significantly below the recommended TWI. Dietary exposure to total arsenic (tAs) in average and excessive consumers ranged within the acceptable values. The dietary exposure of B&H consumers to inorganic arsenic (iAs) from fish and fish products was significantly below the exposure previously determined in the population from EU countries. The results of this study suggest that fish and fish products at retail level in B&H, considering the content of the most important heavy metals and consumers’ eating habits, present low risks for consumers.

The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia based on their home region towards the level of cognitive abilities and welfare in farm and companion animals. The survey encompassed 505 (91%) students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study programme at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. Student attitudes were examined through 17 statements using fivepoint Likert scale. The survey was focused on cattle, pigs, poultry, dogs and cats. The results obtained revealed that students from Zagreb and central Croatia expressed significantly higher attitudes (P, Cilj je ovoga rada bio ustvrditi razlike u stavovima studenata veterinarske medicine u Hrvatskoj s obzirom na regiju iz koje dolaze o razini kognitivnih sposobnosti i narušenosti dobrobiti farmskih životinja i kućnih ljubimaca. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 505 (91 %) studenata svih šest godina integriranog preddiplomskog i diplomskog studija Veterinarskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska. Stavovi studenata ustvrđeni su na temelju 17 izjava prema Likertovoj mjernoj ljestvici od pet stupnjeva. Izjave su se odnosile na goveda, svinje, perad, pse i mačke. Prema dobivenim rezultatima studenti iz Zagreba i središnje Hrvatske značajno više smatraju (P

Background The traditional meat inspection system is often found to be inefficient. Meat inspection in European countries is in a phase of modernisation to reflect improvements in livestock health and advances in understanding meat safety. The key point of progress is to replace the traditional meat inspection with risk-based meat inspection, including the elements of a meat safety assurance system (MSAS). Scope and approach Modernisation of meat inspection was launched by the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) opinions and recommendations in the period 2011–2013 and consequent amendments to the EU meat inspection legislation in the period 2014–2019. For this study, the EU-funded RIBMINS COST Action conducted a comprehensive survey using an in-depth questionnaire to estimate the level of implementation of new risk-based meat inspection systems in Europe, stakeholders' confidence in the new systems and the main identified obstacles. Key findings and conclusions The implementation of new meat inspection systems is still ongoing, as they have been fully implemented in just 61%, 42% and 38% of the surveyed countries in the pig, bovine, and poultry sectors, respectively. The main identified obstacles are existing trade agreements with 3rd countries, costs of implementation, inadequate food chain information and resistance from meat inspectors. Improvement of all components of the current meat inspection systems is a prerequisite for further modernisation.

This paper investigates differences in efficacy of isolating pathogenic bacteria Salmonella Enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 between conventional cultivation (ISO method) and immunomagnetic separation (IMS method) related to the types of dairy products and initial numbers of bacteria. Different milk products (dairy pudding- vanilla or chocolate ; a mixture of yoghurt and pudding ; solid, liquid and fruit yoghurt ; AB culture - with or without fruit ; cheese spread) were intentionally contaminated with different numbers (≈10 and ≈30) of live cells of the observed bacteria per mL. The obtained results showed that the classical ISO procedure still represents an equally adequate method for the detection of S. Enteritidis and L. monocytogenes in dairy products as well as the IMS method. However, the ISO method was found to be inefficient for determination of E. coli O157:H7 when the initial contamination was low (≈10 live cells per mL). In such cases, even the IMS method appeared to be inefficient when used for fermented dairy products analysis. Fermented dairy products in contrast to the non- fermented ones, still represent a challenge for the development of routine detection methods, especially for S. Enteritidis, whilst the detection of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 has improved by introducing the IMS method. The largest difference in the ability to detect bacteria in dairy product samples with reference to the initial number of bacteria by both methods was in the detection of E. coli O157:H7. The choice of broth (non- selective fluid broth vs. selective fluid broth) did not matter in the in the detection of S. Enteritidis and L. monocytogenes by applying the IMS procedure. However, for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 the application of modified tripton-soya broth with novobiocin (mTSB+Nb) has proved to be superior when compared to using the buffered peptone water (BPW). The presented results may be of importance as a scientific basis for future determination of standard methods related to laboratory detection of pathogens in dairy products.

The traditional meat safety system has significantly contributed to public health protection throughout the last century. However, it has been recognised that this system suffers many flaws – the main being its limited ability to control the currently most important meat-borne hazards. The European Food Safety Authority evaluated meat inspection in the public health context, prioritised meat-borne hazards and proposed a generic framework for a new, risk-based meat safety assurance system. The proposed system aims to combine a range of preventive and control measures, applied at farms and abattoirs and integrated longitudinally, where official meat inspection is incorporated with producers' food safety management systems into a coherent whole. The modernisation process has recently started as a direct result of changes to relevant legislation in the European Union. Many challenges have been experienced while many opportunities are foreseen. More focus on targeted and risk-based inspection along the supply chain as well as use of new technologies may be a cost-effective and feasible way forward. Practical implementation of the system is expected to be a slow and careful process followed by thorough development, fine-tuning, and testing of practical feasibility and general impacts. Further progress that will lead to the full implementation is dependent on intensive research to fill knowledge gaps, enhance education and training and foster close collaboration of all the new system's stakeholders.

Cilj rada bio je prikazati utjecaj temperature okoliša na rad srca 14 konja koji se koriste u preponskom sportu prije, tijekom i nakon treninga. Istraživanja su provedena u privatnom uzgoju na pastusima pasmine Holstein i uzgojnog tipa hrvatskog sportskog konja. Konji su uzgajani i trenirani u istim uvjetima. Mjerenje rada srca provedeno je 60, 30 i 15 minuta te neposredno prije treninga, tijekom i nakon treninga (neposredno nakon, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 i 180 minuta). Konji su istim intenzitetom bili lonžirani, trenirani na traci za trčanje i skakali prepone u parkuru, u dva ponavljanja, uz nadzor jedne osobe, pri temperaturi od 20 do 25 °C u prvom i od 25 do 30 °C u drugom ponavljanju, a relativnoj vlazi zraka 60-70%. Na temelju dobivenih rezultata istraživanja može se zaključiti da povišene temperature okoline utječu na rad srca tijekom i neposredno nakon treninga. Daljnja istraživanja potrebno je proširiti i na utvrđivanje drugih fizičkih pokazatelja kondicije konja u različitim mikroklimatskim uvjetima

Good air quality in poultry houses is crucial for animal health and productivity. In these houses, air is generally contaminated with noxious gases and microorganisms, the concentrations of which depend on numerous factors including microclimate. In this case study, the relation between microclimate and air concentrations of noxious gases and microorganisms was investigated in extensively reared turkey house. The study was carried out at a family household in Dalmatia hinterland, Croatia, with 50.3±3.1 turkeys kept in the house during the study period. Air temperature, relative humidity, airflow rate, concentrations of ammonia, carbon dioxide, bacteria and fungi in indoor air were measured three times per month from September to December, in the morning, prior to releasing turkeys out for grazing. Air temperature ranged from 9.73 to 26.98 °C, relative humidity from 63.29% to 75.08%, and airflow rate from 0.11 to 0.17 m/s. Lowest ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations were measured in September (2.17 ppm and 550 ppm, respectively) and highest in December (4.50 ppm and 900 ppm, respectively). Bacterial and fungal counts were lowest in December (2.51×105CFU/m3and 3.27×103CFU/m3air, respectively) and highest in September (6.85×105CFU/m3and 1.06x105CFU/m3air, respectively). Air temperature and relative humidity showed negative correlation with concentrations of noxious gases and positive correlation with air microorganisms (P

The aim of the study was to investigate the activity of slow-release non-protein nitrogen compound with the enzymatic activity (SENPN) and to compare it with the activity of slow- releasing non-protein nitrogen compound (SNPN) in beef cattle feeding. The following indicators were monitored: body weight (BW), average weight gain (AWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), trunk weight at slaughter (TWS) and dressing percentage (DP). Beef cattle were divided into two groups of uniform body weights ; control group (CG) and experimental group (EG). The feed ration of the CG contained SNPN, while the feed ration of the EG contained SENPN. During the trial, three weights were performed to measure BW. The trial consisted of two parts: (i) the first part of the trial refers to the period between the first and second weighing, in which the feed ration of the EG contained 4.81% less starch per kg of dry matter (DM) compared to the feed ration of the CG, and (ii) the second part of the trial was conducted in the period between the second and third weighing, in which the feed ration contained equal starch levels. After the third weighing, the beef cattle were transported to the slaughterhouse, where they were sacrificed, and subsequently the values of TWS and DP were measured. There were no statistically significant differences found for each of the measured parameters. In conclusion, the usage of SENPN positively affects the utilisation of nutrients in the mixture, e.g. feed ration.

Cilj rada bio je odrediti utjecaj mikroklime na rad srca preponskog konja prije, tijekom i nakon treninga. Istraživanja su provedena na privatnom uzgoju, pastusima pasmine holstein i uzgojnog tipa hrvatski sportski konj, koji se treniraju i koriste u preponskom konjičkom sportu. Konji su uzgajani i trenirani u istim uvjetima. Pokus je obuhvatio četrnaest preponskih konja. Mjerenje rada srca provedeno je prije (60, 30 i 15 minute te neposredno prije), tijekom i nakon (neposredno nakon, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 i 180 minute) treninga. Konji su istim intenzitetom u dva ponavljanja pri temperaturi 20-25 ºC i 25-30ºC, a relativnoj vlazi zraka 60-70% bili lonžirani, trenirani na traci za trčanje i skakali prepone u parkuru. Na temelju dobivenih rezultata istraživanja može se zaključiti da povišene temperature okoline utječu na rad srca tijekom i neposredno nakon treninga. Daljnja istraživanja potrebno je proširiti i na utvrđivanje drugih fizikalnih pokazatelja kondicije konja pod različitim mikroklimatskim uvjetima.

Horse breeding in the Republic of Croatia, before its entrance into European Union, is in the transitional period. In the breeding sense, Croatian horse breeding is set according to the model of European countries and is trying to counteract with “modern horse breeding countries”. Croatian Center for Horse Breeding - Đakovo and Lipik State Stud Farms (CCHB), with the Central register of equidae is, as the head national institution, responsible for running and maintaining national central equidae database (49 registers of horses and 27 registers of breeding types). Croatia has registered total of 21.796 equidae, from which 19.306 animals are horses. Registered horses according to groups make the total proportion of 37% warmblood horses, 59% coldblood horses and 4% ponies. Horse breeders are organized in breeders associations, which form federations of associations referring to separate horse breeds. Currently in Croatia there are four federations of breeders associations (with 43 associations and 11 private stud farms). Those verified breeding organizations are conducting independently breeding programs and fully maintain breeding and selection obligations for horse breeds for which they have approval of the Croatian Ministry. Native breeds in Croatia are Croatian Coldblood, Croatian Posavac and Međimurje horse (Murinsulaner), while Lipizzan horse is considered as protected breed. Development of horse breeding is considerably supported with national subsidies. Internationally verified breeds which are bred in Croatia are Lipizzan horse, Pure Arabian horses, Thoroughbred, Haflinger and Gidran horses. The horse breeding in Croatia is developing in four different directions. Ecological breeding implies native horse breeds and is spread on the areas of protected nature resorts in Croatia. Croatians are through their history connected to horse breeding, which is even today irreplaceable in traditional cultural manifestations (Đakovacki vezovi, Vinkovacke jeseni, Sinjska alka, etc.), various horse shows and fairs and also in more “modern” ways through recreation and entertainment. The third direction of development of horse breeding in Croatia is therapeutic riding, which includes 26 associations, over one hundred horses and over one thousand users organized under the Therapeutic Riding Association of Croatia. Sports horse breeding represents fourth direction in Croatian horse breeding. It is formed by four federations: Croatian Trotting Federation (trotting), Croatian Gallop Federation (gallop sport) and Croatian Equestrian Federation (endurance, dressage, military, show jumping, driving). Croatian Equestrian Federation includes 49 equestrian clubs. In the last four years between 455 and 582 competitors and between 495 and 581 horses (for show jumping 45%, dressage 31%, endurance 19%, driving 5% and military) were licensed annually. Croatia achieved noticeable results on the international scene in driving sports and in Paralympics. In all mentioned directions of Croatian horse breeding, the tendency should be directed to achieving higher breeding standards (nutrition, stabling, transport, training) and more rational using of horses. Such breeding and using of horses will lead to top bred horses and successful sport horses. This implies synchronized work through long period of time, respecting institutional and breeding rules.

Preweaning piglet mortality is a serious source of economic losses in pig production, with enteric diseases as the most common infectious cause of mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of teat sanitation in lactating sows in order to reduce the piglet bacterial invasion through contaminated teats leading to outbreaks of enteric diseases. The study was carried out in a farrowing pen with 60 sows divided into three groups of 20 animals. Group 1 animals served as control group and were left untreated. In group 2, sow teats were treated with water and in group 3 with a commercial antiseptic with potent bactericidal action. Microbiological purity of the teats was determined during 24 days of the piglet suckling period. Study results showed the bacterial count per teat to be significantly lower in both experimental groups as compared with control group (P

The FEI (F?d?ration Equestre Internationale) is the international governing body for equestrian sport which established the new rules and regulations regarding the driving sport and the welfare of the horse from the aspect of animals' well-being (FEI, 2009ab). The FEI rules are applied to the Olympic disciplines of Show Jumping, Dressage and Eventing as well as Endurance Riding, Vaulting, Driving and Reining. The purpose of this paper was to present the FEI rules for international combined driving events which are prescribed by the national Rules and Regulations of the Croatian Equestrian Federation (HKS, 2007). The welfare of the horse must be beyond the economic interest and the demands of breeders, trainers, riders, owners, organizers, sponsors or officials. Good horse management requires the highest standards of nutrition, health, sanitation and safety. During transportation, feeding, watering, ventilation, weather conditions and safety must be taken into consideration. All riding and training methods in all stages of driving sport must treat horses as living beings and must not include any techniques which are not approved by the FEI and are degrading for the horse or cause them injuries and pain. Championships in driving sport (Dressage, Marathon, Obstacle Cones Driving) in Croatia are organized according to the FEI rules and the Croatian representative qualified in the last two World Championships in twohorse team driving (Baban et al., 2007, 2009). However, regardless of the individual success of Croatian drivers on the international scene, the traditional attitude of other drivers towards horses is still at a low level regarding the rules for the welfare of the horse. The competence of the driver is essential in the interests of the horse and the emphasis is placed on the practical experience of drivers and scientific research. The FEI especially encourages all those who participate in driving sport to achieve the highest level of education in training and management of horses. For this reason, within the scientific project, the education and training on the international level have been provided for the judges, who spread their acquired knowledge, through presentations at the seminars, to the other competitors in driving sport in Croatia. More time is needed for the full implementation of the FEI rules for the welfare of the horse at competitions in Croatia in order for all two-horse team drivers to understand that the welfare of their horses is more important than placement in competitions and money awards.

Using semi-structured interviews, Croatian pig farmers and institutional stakeholders were asked about their intentions to improve pig welfare, future perspectives, opinions and communication efforts on the EU pig welfare directives. While full-time family farmers (FFF) and employees at farm enterprises (EFE) expressed interest in improving pig welfare on their farms as a prerequisite for increasing competitiveness in the future, part-time family farmers (PFF) were not interested in pig welfare because they did not want to increase productivity and feared for their existence. Communication between institutional stakeholders and FFF with more than ten sows is best stablished, whereas communication with EFE is more via private consultants and communication with PFF is lacking. As Croatia is today counting over 85% farms as production units with up to 10 sows covering 75% of whole pig production, these results represent considerably important indicators of necessity to approach this population of farmers.

The study was carried out in a farrowing pen during 6 production cycles of 24 days in the spring-summer period. The effect of season and other microclimate parameters on airborne dust concentration was investigated. Study results showed a decrease in airborne dust concentration in summer period that yielded negative correlation with air temperature (P

Ulaskom Republike Hrvatske u Europsku uniju u posljednjih nekoliko godina implementiraju se prilagodbe koje će osigurati usklađivanje konjogojstva s važećim europskim propisima. Unatoč globalnoj ekonomskoj krizi i u sektoru konjogojstva, ukupan broj konja se u Hrvatskoj kontinuirano povećava i nastavljaju se pozitivni trendovi u uzgoju. No, iako postoji uzlazni trend, posljedice recesije zasigurno će ostaviti traga i na brojnom stanju konja u Hrvatskoj. U posljednjem desetljeću broj konja pod selekcijskim obuhvatom porastao je za više od 72%. Središnji registar kopitara vodi centralnu bazu podataka o kopitarima i broji 49 registra pasmina konja i 28 registra uzgojnih tipova. Centralna baza podataka s prilagođenim programskim sustavom omogućava obvezno elektronsko pohranjivanje podataka koje propisuje Europska unija, a isto se odnosi i na sustav izdavanja Identifikacijskih dokumenata (putovnica). Hrvatska broji ukupno 22.874 registriranih kopitara, od kojih je 20.041 konja. Omjer broja konja pod selekcijskim obuhvatom prema skupinama iznosi za toplokrvnjake 39%, za hladnokrvnjake 56% i za ponije 5%. Državne potpore u uzgoju autohtonih pasmina konja (hrvatski posavac, hrvatski hladnokrvnjak i međimurski konj) te zaštićenih pasmina (lipicanac i magarci) i dalje su aktivne mjere države kroz nacionalni program ruralnog razvoja. Lipicanci, arapski i engleski punokrvnjaci, trakeneri, haflingeri i gidrani uzgojeni u Hrvatskoj su i međunarodno priznate pasmine. Snažnija uzgojna udruženja, kao i državne ergele samostalno provode uzgojne programe i u potpunosti nose uzgojno selekcijski rad pasmina za koje imaju ovlaštenje resornog ministarstva. Uzgoj autohtonih pasmina konja trebao bi davati prednosti ekološkim principima proizvodnje te je potrebno brendiranje, u cilju nacionalne karakterizacije autohtonosti i kvalitete. Konji se koriste u rekreacijske svrhe, ali su nezamjenjivi dio tradicijskih kulturnih manifestacija i kulturne baštine. Intenzivan je trend razvitka svih oblika konjičkog sporta, koji posljedično uvjetuje i povećanje broja grla i poboljšanje njihove kvalitete, kao i korištenje konja za terapijsko jahanje. Perspektiva uzgoja konja u Hrvatskoj temelji se s jedne strane na jačanju kvalitete sportskih konja kao konkurentnog proizvoda za europsko tržište, te s druge strane na brendiranju autohtonih ekoloških proizvoda., Owing to the accession of Croatia to the European Union, adjustments required for the harmonization of horse breeding regulations to the European ones, have been implemented in the last couple of years. Despite global economic crisis, also present in the sector of horse breeding, the total number of horses in Croatia is continuously increasing and positive trends are continuing. In spite of positive trends, consequences of the recession will definitely leave trace in the total number of horses in Croatia. In the last decade the number of horses under selection has increased more than 72%. The Central register of horses runs national horse breeding database and has 49 horse breed registers and 28 breeding type registers. The central database with its software allows saving obligatory data which are regulated by the European law. The program also supports issuing process of Identification documents for ungulates. Croatia has 22,874 registered ungulates with 20,041 horses. The proportion of horse groups under selection is 39% of warmblood horses, 56% of coldblood horses and 5% of ponies. National subsidies in the breeding of autochthonous horse breeds (Croatian Posavac, Croatian coldblood and Medjimurje horse) and protected breeds (Lipizza horses and donkeys) are active state measures in the national program of rural development. Lipizza horses, Pure Arab, Thoroughbred, Haflinger and Gidran horses bred in Croatia are internationally registered breeds. Strong breeding associations and state Stud Farms independently run breeding programs and are carrying out selection programs for breeds authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture. Breeding of autochthonous breeds of horses should prefer ecological production principles which are coming to the market as products where branding is necessary for the goal of national characterization of authenticity and quality. Horses are used for recreational purposes but are also irreplaceable part of traditional cultural manifestations and cultural legacy. Intensive trend of development in all kinds of horse sports is present. It requires the increase in the number of horses and improvement of quality. Using horses for horse therapy is also developing. Perspective in horse breeding in Croatia is based on the one hand in improving horse sport quality as competitive product for the European market, and on other hand on branding of autochthonous ecological products.

Današnja proizvodnja svinja zahtijeva držanje velikoga broja životinja maksimalne proizvodnosti na relativno malome prostoru. Njihova proizvodnost povezana je sa zdravljem i zdravstvenim statusom. Kako je sve veća težnja potrošača za smanjenjem upotrebe antibiotika u proizvodnji svinja, mjere koje se poduzimaju sve više idu u smjeru sprječavanja bolesti. To je moguće postići provedbom biosigurnosnih mjera, koje uključuju sprječavanje ulaska uzročnika na farmu i sprječavanje prijenosa patogena unutar farme između objekata. Kritične točke predstavljaju lokacija, ljudi, ulaz u farmu, rasplodni pomladak, sjeme, izlaz životinja – utovari, hrana, lešine, feces i otpadna voda, DDD, unutarnja biosigurnost. Da bi se biosigurnosne mjere ispravno provodile i na taj način osigurala visoka proizvodnja, potrebno je strogo pridržavanje pravila koja su određena standardima., Contemporary pig production requires high demand on breeding large number of animals/pigs in a relatively small space while attaining maximum productivity. Their productivity is related to their health and ever-growing concern about less use of antibiotics in pig production. Measures have been taken to prevent diseases rather than cure them. Biosecurity measures prevent entry of pathogens into farm and their transmission between buildings. There are many critical points that must be taken care of: location, workers, farm entrance, breeding progeny, semen, transport animals, food, dead animals, feces, waste water, DDD, biosecurity in buildings etc. Standardized rules of biosecurity on farms need to be strictly followed to maintain high production.

In the present study the association between sow parity, body length, frequency of posture changes and the rate of piglet crushing was investigated. The study was conducted at a pig farm farrowing unit and included 76 Seghers hybrid sows divided into three groups: parity 1 (n = 25), parity 3 (n = 27) and parity 5 (n = 24). Study sows were accommodated individually in farrowing crates of the same dimensions, in commercial conditions. The sow body length was measured upon accommodation in the farrowing crate. The frequency of sow posture change was observed within a 4 - hour period on lactation days 1, 10 and 20. Piglet death due to crushing was diagnosed by postmortem analysis. The sow body length increased with parity (P, U radu je istraživana povezanost između rednog broja prasenja, duljine tijela, učestalosti promjena položaja krmača i broja prignječene prasadi. Istraživanje je provedeno u prasilištu svinjogojske farme i uključilo je 76 krmača Seghers hibrida, podijeljenih u tri skupine, prvopraskinje (n = 25), trećepraskinje (n = 27) i petopraskinje (n = 24). Svaka od krmača bila je smještena u komercijalnim uvjetima, prasilišnom odjeljku istih dimenzija. Duljina tijela krmača određivana je nakon smještaja u prasilišni odjeljak. Učestalost promjena položaja krmača praćena je unutar 4-satnog razdoblja 1., 10. i 20. dana laktacije. Dijagnoza uginuća prasadi uslijed prignječenja postavljena je na osnovi postmortalne analize. Duljina tijela krmača povećavala se s rednim brojem prasenja (P

Between 2007 and 2009, a total of 181 individual wild boar were scored using nineteen morphological measurements from three geographical regions to describe morphological variety of the population throughout Croatia. In some regions we found phenotypical variability of the wild boar population based on hybridization The results of ANOVA show that some variables were significantly different (body weight, tail length, trunk length) but some of them were not homogenous for all age classes (circumference of shin, the most caudal point of scapula, circumference at chest) and were unable to highlight differences among the areas. The redundancy analysis (RDA) showed a connection of sampling sites with some morphological trait. Results of cluster analysis using TREE procedure indicate separation on the two subpopulations and suggesting the existence of morphological differences. Overall the results confirmed that different morphotypes of wild boar are detectable in some different areas of Croatia, and in some counties the wild boar population has been hybridized with domestic pigs, which result in phenotypical variability where the wild characteristics predominate. These results confirmed the need for population genetic studies to identify the different subpopulations of wild boar presently found in Croatia, Između 2007. i 2009. godine, ukupno 181 jedinki divljih svinja, koristeći devetnaest morfoloških mjera sa tri geografske regije, korišteno je za opis morfološke raznolikosti populacije diljem Hrvatske. U nekim regijama pronašli smo fenotipsku varijabilnost populacije divljih svinja temeljenu na hibridizaciji. Rezultati ANOVA-e pokazuju da su neke varijable bile značajno različite (masa tijela, dužina repa, dužina rila), ali neke od njih nisu homo-gene za sve dobne skupine (opseg cjevanice, visina prednje noge od vrha plećke do tla, opseg prstiju). Multivarijatna statistička metoda (RDA) pokazala je povezanost lokaliteta s nekim morfološkim osobinama. Rezultati klaster analize pomoću TREE postupka ukazuje na razdvajanje dviju podpopulacija i sugerira postojanje morfoloških razlika. Ukupni rezultati potvrđuju da su različiti morfotipovi divljih svinja detektirani u različitim područjima Hrvatske, a u nekim regijama populacija divljih svinja je hibridizirala s domaćim svinjama, što ima za posljedicu fenotipsku varijabilnost gdje ipak karakteristike divljih svinja prevladavaju. Ovi rezultati potvrđuju potrebu za populacijsko genetskim istraživanja kako bi identificirali različite podpopulacije divlje svinje koje trenutno obitavaju u Hrvatskoj.

Farm breeding of cattle is organized so that the animals are kept in a controlled environment (an closed corner, feeding time, milking time, workers), where daily animal encounter with familiar sounds, smells, movements and equipment. Any positive or negative change of environment causes certain physiological reactions of cattle on it. Negative stimuli (relocation, new technological activities, unidentified sounds and people) disrupt the homeostasis of the animals and lead them into a state of stress. During stress in cattle appears central inhibition of milk ejection from the alveoli of the udder, causing its incomplete emptying which could lead to pathological changes. In stressful situation, there is a connection between nervous (SA system), endocrine (HPA-axis) and the immune system. Stimuli from the outside were obtained through sight, hearing, smell and touch, leading to nerve impulses which then activate the endocrine system (increased levels of cortisol, ?-endorphin, adrenaline, and reducing levels of oxytocin in the blood), whose actions over a long time lead to decline in immune response and susceptibility to disease. Many studies suggest an association between central inhibition of milk ejection and stressful situations (first milking of primiparious cattle, environment changes), but the very principle of inhibition is not fully understood. Some studies indicate an association between endogenous opioids (?-endorphin) and catecholamines (adrenalin) in the central inhibition of milk ejection, however, there is still no clear evidence and there is still plenty to do in this area.

Pojam „terorist“ označava osobu koja provodi nasilne radnje s ciljem zastrašivanja ili nanošenja štete, odnosno unošenja kaosa u sustav. Jedna od često potencijalnih meta terorista jest i hrana zbog mogućnosti usmjeravanja akcija na široku populaciju i lakog izazivanja panike. U novije vrijeme takvi incidenti više nisu rijetkost, scenariji o teoretskoj mogućnosti terorističkog napada na neki lanac proizvodnje hrane više ne djeluju samo kao teorija, a zabrinutost da bi se nešto takvo moglo uistinu i dogoditi poprima sve veće dimenzije. Namjerno onečišćenje hrane može imati velike ekonomske posljedice, čak i kada je incident relativno malih razmjera, jer upravo je rušenje ekonomske stabilnosti najčešće glavni motiv nekog namjernog napada koji može biti usmjeren na neki proizvod, pojedinog proizvođača, granu industrije ili cijelu državu. Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija (WHO) u Godišnjem izvješću o zdravlju iz 2007. godine proglasila je slučajna i namjerna onečišćenja hrane kao najveću prijetnju zdravlju u 21. stoljeću. Iz tog razloga, WHO apelira na vlade zemalja članica, a i na ostale, da pomognu prehrambenoj industriji jer ona snosi primarnu odgovornost za hranu koju proizvodi, dok je namjerno onečišćenje hrane opasnim agensima za njih često potpuno nova opcija o kojoj bi trebalo razmisliti. Mjere prevencije, zajedno s pojačanim nadzorom i sredstvima za adekvatan odgovor u slučaju namjernog ili slučajnog incidenta, bolje praćenje hrane i mogućnost njezina brzog povlačenja s tržišta, dvosmjerna komunikacija državnih službi i prehrambene industrije, unaprijed predviđeni scenariji koji će olakšati raspodjelu resursa i jednostavnije postavljanje prioriteta u slučaju incidenta, te koordinacija između industrije i vlade u komunikaciji s javnošću trebali bi biti najmanje što bi svaka vlada trebala učiniti. U tu svrhu posljednjih se godina počelo pridavati puno više pažnje sigurnosti proizvodnih pogona, povećanju higijenskih standarda i uvođenju preventivnog pristupa u vidu uvođenja HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) sustava, čime se razvijaju i implementiraju preventivne mjere kojima se želi spriječiti moguće nenamjerno onečišćenje hrane prilikom njezine proizvodnje, prerade i distribucije. Iako je HACCP najčešće učinkovit sustav, on često zahtijeva nadogradnju u smislu zaštite od namjernih onečišćenja hrane u vidu terorističkih napada. Sprječavanje takvih incidenata ne podrazumijeva obavezno visoku tehnologiju i velike troškove. Pogodna opcija je svima dostupan besplatni računalni program CARVER+Shock koji je razvila Vlada SAD-a a služi kao alat što pomaže pri postavljanju prioriteta i otkrivanju ranjivih točaka unutar nekog proizvodnog sustava ili druge infrastrukture. Program analizira šest karakteristika što se koriste za procjenu privlačnosti cilja za napad: kritičnost, pristupačnost, oporavak, ranjivost, učinak i prepoznatljivost, a provodi se u pet koraka: postavljanje parametara, okupljanje stručnjaka, opis lanca opskrbe hranom, dodjeljivanje ocjena, primjena naučenoga. Navedene mogućnosti čine ovaj program idealnim alatom za identifikaciju potencijalno slabih točaka u lancu proizvodnje hrane s obzirom na napadača i agense koje prepoznajemo kao potencijalne prijetnje., The term “terrorist” is related to a person that is performing violent acts with the aim of frightening or causing damage and producing chaos within the system. Because of the possibilities to direct such actions on wide population and easiness of producing panic, food is often one of the most potential targets for terrorist attacks. In recent years, such incidents are not rare any more, scenarios of theoretical possibilities of terrorist attacks on food chains are not only theoretical, while worry that such scenarios could become real is gaining higher dimension. Intentional spoilage of food can result in significant economic consequences, even when incidents are of relatively low range, because of the ruining of economic stability that is often the main motivation of an intentional attack targeted at a certain food product, producer, industry branch or even whole country. World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared unintentional and intentional food spoilages in its Annual Health Report published in 2007 as the biggest threat to health in 21st century. Because of that, WHO is appealing to the member countries’ governments, as well as the other countries, to help food industry as it carries on now primary responsibility for food safety, while the intentional food spoilage often presents completely new option for them that should be revised. Measures for prevention, together with increased surveillance and facilities for adequate response in cases of intentional or unintentional food spoilage, better tracing and possibilities for food withdrawal, interactive communication between governmental institutions and food producers, predicted scenarios that should rationalise usage of budget, simplification of defining of priorities in the cases of incidents, as well as coordination between the industry and governments in public communication should be considered as a minimum that each government should be doing. With this aim, more care has been directed at the safety of producing units, increase of hygiene standards and introduction of preventive approach through the implementation of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) principles, which is developing preventive measures aimed at prevention of unintentional food spoilage while producing, processing and distribution of food. Despite the fact that HACCP is most often an efficient system, it frequently demands upgrading in the meaning of protection from intentional food spoilages through the terrorist attacks. Prevention from such incidents does not necessarily require high technology and financial resources. Good opportunity could be found in CARVER+Shock computer program that is accessible and free to use and has been developed by the USA Government. It serves as a tool for determination of priorities and detection of vulnerable points within certain producing unit or other infrastructure. The program can analyse six characteristics that can be used for assessment of attractiveness of a target for attack: criticality, accessibility, recuperability, vulnerability, effect and recognisability, while it is being performed in five steps: establishing parameters, assembling experts, detailing food supply chain, assigning scores and applying what has been learned. The listed possibilities make this program an ideal tool for the identifi cation of potentially weak points in a food producing chain related to attackers and agents recognised as potential threats.

Hranidba konja mora biti optimalna, a obroci pravilno izbalansirani, s dovoljnom količinom hranjivih tvari i energije. Minerali su anorganske tvari, prijeko potrebne za sve biološke procese u organizmu pa je konjima nužno osigurati dovoljne količine makro i mikroelemenata u obroku, kao i njihov pravilan međusoban odnos. Potrebe konja za mineralima ovise o pasmini, neurohormonalnom statusu, tjelesnoj masi, kondiciji, dobi, klimatskim prilikama, zdravstvenom stanju, tjelesnoj temperaturi, parazitarnim invazijama, probavnim poremećajima, intenzitetu rada, športskim natjecanjima, forsiranom rastu ždrebadi te stanju organizma, kao što su ždrjebnost ili laktacija. Minerali su nužni aktivni sudionici biokemijskih reakcija koje se događaju u tijelu, a sudjeluju u građi lokomotornoga sustava. Sudjeluju u prijenosu energije, živčanih impulsa i kontrakcije mišića. Nijedan tip obroka ne pruža optimalan omjer mineralnih tvari potrebnih organizmu konja, tako da se svakodnevno u obrocima pojavljuje stanovit manjak ovih biološki aktivnih tvari koje se redovito kompenziraju dodavanjem mineralno-vitaminskih premiksa. Ukoliko dođe do deficita minerala, smanjit će se učinkovitost iskorištavanja energije iz obroka. Kada se pri nestašici minerala u organizmu potroše zalihe, narušeni tijek biokemijskih procesa uvjetuje kliničke i patomorfološke promjene. Hranom primljene prekomjerne količine minerala u organizmu stvaraju zalihe te može doći do pojave simptoma trovanja zbog toga što se nagomilavanjem minerala u pojedine organe narušava tok određenih biokemijskih reakcija. Odgovarajući način hranidbe, uz djelovanje nasljedne osnove te pravilan trening, omogućit će maksimalno iskorištavanje potencijala konja. Sastavljanje pravilnoga obroka, s obzirom na zahtjeve konja, predstavlja velik izazov., Horse feeding must be optimal, and meals properly balanced with the sufficient amount of nutritious substances and energy. Minerals are inorganic substances which are necessary for all biological processes in an organism. It should be ensured that horses get sufficient amounts of balanced macroelements and microelements in a meal. The horse’s need for minerals depends on the breed, neurohormone status, body weight, fitness, age, climate change, health, body temperature, parasites occurrence, digestive disorders, labour intensity, sports competitions, forced growth of foals and the state of organism, such as foaling condition or lactation. Minerals are essential active participants in biochemical reactions which occur in the body, and participate in the anatomy of locomotor system. They also participate in transmission of energy, nervous impulses and muscle contractions. There is not one kind of meal that offers an optimal range of mineral substances necessary for the horse’s organism, so there is a lack of these biologically active substances in every meal, which is regularly compensated by adding mineral-vitamin mixtures. In case of mineral deficits, the efficiency of obtaining energy from rations will be reduced. When mineral supplies are low due to the lack of minerals in an organism, the disturbed biochemical processes cause clinical and patomorphological changes. An excessive intake of minerals creates supplies in an organism, thus causing poisoning because of disruption of some biochemical reactions. Adequate feeding, inheritance base and proper training enable maximum use of horse’s potentials. Preparing a proper meal, regarding horse’s needs, presents a great challenge.

In order to analyse dairy production traits (milk yield in full lactation, milk fat content, daily milk yield and length of lactation) of Balkan goats raised under “low-input” production systems, data on 440 lactation records from 118 does raised on 9 farms in south-east part of Serbia were used. General linear model, used for analysing variability of lactation length, was consisting of following fixed effects: farm, year of birth, year of production and number of lactation. Model for milk yield in full lactation, milk fat content and daily milk yield was consisting of farms, year of birth, year of production and number of lactation as fixed effects and length of lactation as covariate. The highest milk yield (392 kg) and the highest milk fat content (3.89 %) were achieved in III lactation. Effects of farm, year of production and number of lactation were very significant sources of variation (P, U cilju istraživanja svojstava mliječnosti (proizvodnja mlijeka u punoj laktaciji, PM; udjel mliječne masti, MM; proizvodnja mlijeka po danu, DM; i dužina laktacije u danima, DL) balkanskih koza uzgajanih u “low-input” proizvodnim sustavima analizirano je 440 laktacijskih podataka 118 koza s devet farmi iz jugoistočnog dijela Srbije. U općem linearnom modelu za analizu varijabilnosti dužine laktacije, kao fiksni faktori, bili su uključeni utjecaji farme, godine rođenja, godine proizvodnje i rednog broja laktacije. U analizi proizvodnih svojstava, uz već spomenute fiksne faktore, kao nezavisno promjenjiva veličina bila je uključena i dužina laktacije. Maksimalna proizvodnja mlijeka (392 kg) i najveći udjel mliječne masti (3,89%) ostvaren je u trećoj laktaciji. Farma, godina proizvodnje i redni broj laktacije bili su vrlo značajni izvori varijabilnosti (P

The aim of this research was to define methods for early prediction (based on I. milk control record) of lactation flow in Holstein heifers as well as to choose optimal one in terms of prediction fit and application simplicity. Total of 304,569 daily yield records automatically recorded on a 1,136 first lactation Holstein cows, from March 2003 till August 2008., were included in analysis. According to the test date, calving date, the age at first calving, lactation stage when I. milk control occurred and to the average milk yield in first 25th, T1 (and 25th-45th, T2) lactation days, measuring monthcalving month-age-production-time-period subgroups were formed. The parameters of analysed nonlinear and linear methods were estimated for each defined subgroup. As models evaluation measures, adjusted coefficient of determination, and average and standard deviation of error were used. Considering obtained results, in terms of total variance explanation (R2 adj), the nonlinear Wood’s method showed superiority above the linear ones (Wilmink’s, Ali-Schaeffer’s and Guo-Swalve’s method) in both time-period subgroups (T1 - 97.5 % of explained variability; T2 - 98.1 % of explained variability). Regarding the evaluation measures based on prediction error amount (eavg±eSD), the lowest average error of daily milk yield prediction (less than 0.005 kg/day), as well as of lactation milk yield prediction (less than 50 kg/lactation (T1 time-period subgroup) and less than 30 kg/lactation (T2 time-period subgroup)); were determined when Wood’s nonlinear prediction method were applied. Obtained results indicate that estimated Wood’s regression parameters could be used in routine work for early prediction of Holstein heifer’s lactation flow., Ciljevi su provedenog istraživanja bili definirati metode za ranu procjenu (temeljem podatka utvrđenog pri I. kontroli mliječnosti) laktacijskog tijeka u prvotelki holstein pasmine te izabrati optimalnu s aspekta predikcijske točnosti te aplikacijske jednostavnosti. Analizom je obuhvaćeno ukupno 304.569 zapisa dnevne količine mlijeka izmjerenih na 1136prvotelki holstein pasmine u razdoblju od ožujka 2003. do kolovoza 2008. godine. U ovisnosti o datumu mjerenja, datumu teljenja, dobi pri prvom teljenju, stadiju laktacije pri I. provedenoj kontroli mliječnosti te prosječnoj dnevnoj proizvodnji u prvih 25, T1 (te 25-45, T2) dana laktacije, kreirane su podgrupe mjesec mjerenja - mjesec teljenja - dob - proizvodnost - vremenski period. Parametri analiziranih nelinearnih i linearnih metoda procijenjeni su za svaku definiranu podgrupu. Kao mjere evaluacije korišteni su korigirani koeficijent determinacije te prosjek i standardna devijacija pogreške. Utvrđeni rezultati, s aspekta udjela pojašnjene varijabilnosti (R2 adj), ukazuju na superiornost nelinearne Woodove metode u odnosu na linearne (Wilminkova, Ali-Schaefferova, te Guo-Swalvejeva metoda) u obje podgrupe vremenskog perioda (T1 - 97,5% pojašnjene varijabilnosti; T2 - 98,1% pojašnjene varijabilnosti). Obzirom na iznos predikcijske pogreške (eavg±eSD), najmanja pogreška procjene dnevne (manje od 0,005 kg/dan), te laktacijske količine mlijeka (manje od 50 kg/laktaciji (T1 vremenski - period podgrupa), te manje od 30 kg/laktaciji (T2 vremenski - period podgrupa)); utvrđena je pri aplikaciji Woodove nelinearne metode procjene. Rezultati utvrđeni provedenim istraživanjem ukazuju na mogućnost uporabe procijenjenih Woodovih regresijskih parametara za rutinsku ranu procjenu laktacijskog tijeka u prvotelki holstein pasmine.

Besides being well known for their use in classical dressage, Lipizzaner horses are today becoming more and more popular for use in driving sport, with Croatia as the largest breeder in the world. To estimate their phenotypic predisposition for driving sport, this research analyzes the correlation between body measurements and traits of length and speed of walk and hand-led trot in 18 stallions (LS) and 53 mares (LM) by using a digital camera. Statistical analysis of the data concerning phenotypic correlations among the indicated traits has revealed the potential of documenting a large number of structural exterior body characteristics and quantitative measurements in Lipizzaner horses, and technical equipment has been found to be useful in research of stride traits. Higher withers height (WH) achieved through breeding was found to be negatively correlated with the number of strides per second during walk and trot, but positively correlated with walk stride length, especially in LS. Higher values for chest girth (CG) and cannon bone circumference (CBC) were found to be positively correlated with speed, as well as with stride length in LS, and negatively correlated with the number of strides per second during walk and trot in both LS and LM. Because for many years the goal of breeding Lipizzaners in Croatia has been to obtain a bigger body format and longer stride, leading to better results in a driving sport, these findings confirm breeding goals in selection work guided toward better stride length and extended stride as the most desirable traits for driving sport.

Three quarters of Croatian pigs are produced in small production units (1-5 sows) and on family farms with mixed farming activities. Only few farms have specialized production units with up-to-date technologies and comply with EU standards. The future competitiveness of Croatian pig production is therefore questionable unless production systems are changing. Modernisation will most probably result in the expansion and intensification of larger farms and the termination of a great number of small farms. The aim of this study was to investigate how the welfare of pigs on Croatian farms would be affected by modernisation. Seventeen Croatian pig farmers were interviewed to describe the different pig production systems, while the welfare of pigs was assessed using resource-based and animal- based welfare indicators. Three production systems were distinguished: part-time family farms (PFF), full-time family farms (FFF) and farm enterprises (FE). Resources-based welfare indicators were investigated in 17 pens located on seven PFF, 25 pens distributed across six FFF and seven pens were visited at two FE. Animal-based welfare indicators were assessed on 21 pigs at PFF, 90 pigs at FFF and 18 pigs at FE. The study demonstrated that different production systems have different welfare problems. Based on resource- based indicators pig welfare was better ensured on FE, but based on animal-based indicators there was no clear difference in welfare between the three production systems. Based on these findings is it unlikely that the modernisation of current production systems in Croatia will significantly improve pig welfare. From a welfare point of view, neither the enlargement nor the termination of pig farms can be supported. However, the number of farms involved in this study was too small to allow for generalisation. The case-study does, however, point at the importance of further studies into the specific welfare problems of each of the production-systems and their different solutions. These studies should be of larger scale in order to get a representative picture of pig welfare in Croatia, and its assurance within the process of modernisation.

Poznati su i kemijski sastav i hranidbena svojstva kobiljeg mlijeka u ljudskoj prehrani te mogućnosti njegove prerade u kozmetičkoj i farmaceutskoj industriji. Najznačajnijim svojstvom kobiljeg mlijeka smatra se nizak udio mliječne masti, te izuzetno visok udio višestruko nezasićenih masnih kiselina (čak 28%) od kojih se sintetiziraju omega-6 i omega-3 masne kiseline čija je vrijednost nezamjenjiva za ljudski organizam. Mlijeko kobila ima pozitivan učinak u ljudskoj prehrani jer zbog visoke razine sirutkinih proteina povećava opskrbu organizma esencijalnim aminokiselinama. Blagotvorno djelovanje kobiljeg mlijeka najučinkovitije je kada je mlijeko u svježem, prirodnom stanju bez prethodne obrade. Udio kazeina je puno manji od udjela albumina i globulina, što ga čini lako probavljivim i lako se resorbira u krv. Cisterna vimena kobile volumena je samo 60 ml. Ipak, kobila je sposobna dati u prosjeku od 15 do 20 l mlijeka dnevno u 358 dana laktacije, a rekorderke su dale i po 28 l mlijeka dnevno. Dnevna količina proizvedenog mlijeka izražena prema tjelesnoj masi kobile iznosi od 2 do 3,5 kg/100 kg žive vage. Sušeno mlijeko u prahu se miješa s toplom vodom i može se odmah konzumirati. Kumis se proizvodi od svježeg mlijeka specifičnom metodom vrenja što se temelji na kombinaciji alkoholne i mliječne kiseline. Mogućnosti primjene kobiljeg mlijeka su mnogobrojne, ali se u Hrvatskoj za sada gotovo i ne koriste. Razlog je nedovoljna informiranost i educiranost o kobiljem mlijeku, ograničenja uzrokovana standardom društva, te što kobilje mlijeko nije dovoljno poznato, iako se može primijetiti blagi porast zanimanja za njega., Chemical composition and nutritive value of mare's milk are well known in human diet as well as its possibilities for use in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. The most important quality of mare's milk is the low lactic fat content of and extremely high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (even 28%) from which omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are synthesized, whose value is irreplaceable for humans. Mare's milk has a positive effect on human diet because the high level of whey proteins provide the body with essential amino acids. Mare’s milk is best effective when used fresh without previous processing. It contains less casein than albumin and globulin which makes it easily digestible and can be reabsorbed into the blood. The capacity of mare’s udder is only 60 ml. Yet, a mare produces on average from 15 to 20 l of milk daily during 358 days of lactation, and champion mares produced 28 l of milk daily. The daily milk yield according to the mare’s body weight amounts to 2-3.5 kg per 100 kg of live weight. Milk powder is mixed with hot water and can be immediately consumed. Koumiss is produced from fresh milk by fermentation which is based on the combination of alcohol and lactic acid. The possibilities for using mare’s milk are numerous, but they are hardly used in Croatia now. The reasons are that people are not informed and educated about mare’s milk, lower standards of living and mare’s milk is not widely known, although a certain increase in interest can be noticed.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the influence of housing systems on stillbirth and mortality rate in preweaning pigs farrowed by different gilt breeds. The investigation included first farrowings of 225 Large White (LW) gilts, 297 Swedish Landrace (SL) gilts and 260 crossbreed gilts (LWxSL) in the period of five years. Despite of positive influence of straw through decreased number of stillborn pigs, especially in LW gilts, in further process of production until weaning, less appropriate microclimatic conditions developed in farrowing houses with straw, especially if accompanied with poor ventilation, can result with higher number of perished pigs and lower number of weaned pigs. Most sensible to unsuitable microclimatic conditions in straw bedded farrowing houses, according to the number of perished pigs before weaning, were the pigs from SL gilts, while the pigs from crossbreed gilts LWxSL were the most resistant. These results suggest that adding straw requires special attention on influence of such production on microclimate conditions in pigs’ biozone in order to maintain its initial benefits in the time of farrowing through the whole preweaning period, especially in pure breeds of gilts.

Preparing an effective Food Safety Strategy is considered to be a precondition for the improvement of food safety systems, especially in countries that are integrating within the EU single market that requires the same approach to food safety and the same level of consumer protection. Croatia has been challenged in recent years in enforcing its institutional and legislative food safety framework, especially through EU pre-accession activities and various international projects. This paper discusses the procedures that Croatian authorities have been carrying out to prepare the national Food Safety Strategy based on the modern FAO/WHO food safety approach that incorporates a risk analysis framework. The Croatian model for the preparation of the Strategy presented in this paper could serve as a help to other developing countries on their way to carrying out this complex and multi-institutional task.

I male greške u komunikaciji o rizicima u hrani mogu narušiti ugled i povjerenje u institucije ukljucene u sustav sigurnosti hrane ili proizvoace hrane i srušiti trud koji je potrebno godinama ulagati u izgradnju povjerenja kod potrošaca. U kriznim situacijama tvrtke koje proizvode hranu mogu se preko noci naci u situaciji u kojoj se od njih ocekuje isprika, objašnjenje, tumacenje razine opasnosti za potrošace i sl. Pri tome je i za državne institucije i za proizvoace hrane bitno razumijevanje razlicitosti u percepciji javnosti na pojedine opasnosti u hrani, kao i predvidivost mogucih reakcija javnosti. Ukljucivanje svih zainteresiranih strana u dijalog olakšava upraviteljima rizika proces evaluacije rizika, identificiranje i balansiranje izmeu mogucih opcija upravljanja rizikom, kao i implementaciju i evaluaciju donesenih mjera, a u proizvo- aca hrane reducira gubitak povjerenja potrošaca. Ovaj dvosmjerni sustav naziva se interaktivna komunikacija o rizicima u hrani., Even small mistakes in communication on the risks in food can tarnish reputation and confidence in institutions included into the system of food safety or food producers, and inflicts damage to the effort which takes years to invest to earn consumers’ confidence. In crisis situations, companies that produce food can find themselves overnight in a situation where they are expected to apologize, justify, explain the level of danger for consumers, etc. In that process, it is important even for the public institutions and food producers to understand the differences in perception of the public of certain risks in food, as well as to predict any possible reactions of the public. Including all the interested parties to a dialogue makes it easier for risk managers to evaluate the risk, to identify and balance between the possible options in risk management, as well as to implement and evaluate measures to be taken up, and it also reduces the loss of consumers’ confidence to a food producer. This two- way system is called interactive communication on risks in food.