Frequently feed plants are faced with claims, either justified or spurious, from customers relating to alleged toxicity, contamination or substandard quality of feed. At best, if genuine, the complaint results in loss of goodwill. Unfortunately, in many cases, a claim, which may result from inadvertent contamination, will precipitate legal action for direct and indirect losses sustained as a result of degraded performance of flocks and herds, loss of product, reduced sales and goodwill and decontamination. 

A recent study conducted by scientists at North Carolina State University has demonstrated the presence of drug resistant Enterococcus spp. in flies and roaches gathered from hog farms in North Carolina and Kansas. This is not unexpected since the use of some antibiotics for either therapeutic purposes but more frequently growth promotion, especially over prolonged periods, will result in the emergence of drug-resistant strains of both Gram-positive and negative bacteria.