Invited review: A review of dairy quality assurance programs-What do we know and where are we headed?

In response to growing public concern, many dairy organizations, from farmer-led organizations to processors and retailer based groups, have developed quality assurance (QA) programs focused on food safety, product quality, animal welfare, biosecurity, and environmental sustainability. Among these, dairy cattle welfare has emerged as a key priority and is now a central pillar of many QA programs. An international review of QA programs for dairy cattle welfare was conducted to understand (1) the current QA landscape and compare prominent programs, (2) how QA programs are addressing priority welfare issues, and (3) the challenges and opportunities facing dairy QA programs today. An environmental scan was used to identify prominent dairy QA programs in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. An evaluation framework was developed to systematically review each program's structure, standards, evaluation process, enforcement, and adoption. Thirty-one programs, policies, and frameworks were identified and informal personal communication with program representatives from 11 programs added further context to the evaluation. Although many programs shared similar goals, their auditing approaches (e.g., second party vs. third party) and program structures (e.g., voluntary vs. mandatory, audit frequency) varied considerably. Quality assurance programs for dairy cattle focus primarily on high-priority welfare issues identified by the industry and dairy scientists, such as animal-based observations (e.g., body condition, locomotion), fitness to transport, and calf care. However, it is noteworthy that these programs are designed to assure the public that their concerns are being addressed. For consumers, concerns align more with areas representing "naturalness" for dairy cattle, such as freedom of movement, outdoor access, and cow-calf contact. The extent to which QA programs succeed at addressing both program and consumer priority areas varies. As the QA landscape continues to evolve, programs will need to adjust to meet changing industry and public expectations. Five key areas were identified as both challenges and opportunities for QA programs in the future: impact, measurement and technology, transparency, standards and scope, and producer engagement.