Animal and consumer health go hand-in-hand

Producers of food for human consumption are obliged to deliver produce that do not endanger the health of the consumer. It is the responsibility of the legislature to lay down the legal framework within which the symbiotic relationship between producer and consumer is regulated to the mutual benefit of both. In recent years, our own legislature has generated a battery of regulations that seek to enforce progressively stricter standards of food safety; frequently these provisions have been dictated by the need to remain in line with stringent European policy. This has led to some disquiet within the broad food-producing industry. Many active participants complain that the continued absolute use of the precautionary principle in risk assessments related to food safety is in over-kill.

While consumer safety must be of paramount importance, it is claimed in some quarters that regulation at present levels is having a detrimental effect upon consumer and animal health. The food industry plans to sustain the increase in production of ‘stable-to-table’ foods, utilising increasingly intensive methods to produce convenient, affordable edibles. In the circumstances, it is no surprise that new threats to public health have emerged; new strains of microbial agents have evolved and old strains have become more virulent or more resistant to traditional antimicrobial therapy. At the same time, the more stringent standards demanded of the pharmaceutical industry have put a brake on the arrival of new antimicrobial products on the market.

Since 1994, the time taken to develop new animal medicines has increased by over two-and-a-half years; it now takes nine years, and an estimated £60 million, to bring some new product onto the market. The cost to develop a new medicine has risen by 50 per cent since 1994 and, since the primary motivator for research and development companies is financial, no company will embark on developing a new medicine unless there is good evidence that it will be of such benefit to the health and welfare of animals and humans that it can be expected to repay the enourmous outlay with substantial interest. The inevitable consequence of such caution is the decline in the arrival of new therapeutic agents at a time when the need for them is increasing.

All of these trends place the veterinarians in a delicate and difficult position in their role as custodians of the health of food-animals and, therefore, of consumers. It is a situation which presents both challenges and opportunities for the veterinary profession.

During a recent seminar held by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, its chief risk analysist specialist stated there is no such thing as a zero risk. He said professionals involved in ensuring food safety must search for an acceptable level when assessing the risk: the higher the risk the more stringent the control.

The work performed by veterinary inspectors continues to be both diligent and responsible. At a recent meeting of the Midland Regional Clinical Veterinary Association, the veterinary meat inspectors were described as professionals who ‘lead by example’ and ‘provide the industry with a safety-net against the horror of fatalities from food poisoning.’

To retain this professional reputation, there is an imperative need for continuing education, for veterinarians to keep abreast of the most recent developments. To facilitate this, the profession must continue to instigate and support training courses and education programmes on a regular basis. The Regional Food Safety Awareness Programme - which was held over the autumn, illustrated perfectly the approach needed.

The veterinarian, whether acting as a practitioner in the field or as an officer implementing food safety regulations, has to hold the delicate balance between the demands of the body politic driven by consumer concerns and pressure groups and the demands of the meat and dairy producers whose livelihoods are at stake.

The veterinarians in the field and in the food processing plants must, therefore, respect and retain their independence while working closely with colleagues in other professions, thus preserving their integrity - a most powerful attribute that will enable them to serve effectively as custodians of the health of food producing animals and of the public that consumes those foodstuffs n