Food safety- Animal health Flashcards
what happens to animals to cause extreme public concern over the safety of their food?
-during outbreaks of any disease in food producing animals
what is the effect of outbreaks of animal diseases in relation to the food chain? what are the two ways that the risk of foodborne transmission from diseased animals can be minimised?
-some may cause no implications to the chain whereas others can carry a risk of foodborne transmission
-through a combination of animal health control measures and food hygiene practices
what does the concept of animal health mean?
-this concept not only covers animal diseases but also the critical relationship between animal welfare, animal health and food safety
what are the three things that can be controlled/ monitored to prevent the risk of animal diseases?
-feeding
-housing
-husbandry
what does animal husbandry mean?
-refers to the day to day care, selective breeding and raising of livestock
what are intensive farming methods, why are they used? what animals are they most commonly used for?
-they restrict housing options for farmers
-chicken, pigs and cows are often housed in confined spaces to control their level of movement, encourage frequent feeding and allow for easier administration of medicines
why is their a higher risk of disease for animals that are intensely farmed?
-they are kept indoors in small confined spaces
what are some of the factors that influence the type of feed that farmers give to their animals? 5
-species and age of the animals
-type of food they produce
-price
-availability
-nutrient value
and geographical factors e.g. soil and climate
what is an example of the link between animal feed and the food we eat? (incident that happened in 2001)
-some of the feed for cows contained bone meal which is not banned in the EU
-it was linked to the spread of BSE in cattle
-the infected meat was then consumed and was associated with the variant vCJD
what are feed additives and why are they used?
-used in animal nutrition to improve the characteristics of feed e.g.
-enhance flavour
-make feed more digestible
what must producers do before using feed additives?
-gain prior authority
-EFSA evaluates the safety of the additive and checks for adverse effects when consumed by both animals and humans
what are the three reasons why pesticides are used?
-protect crops from pests
-protecting harvested crops while they are stored
-safeguarding human health by stop plants from being contaminated
what are the three things by law that everyone who uses a pesticide must follow?
-take all precautions to protect human health and environment
-confine the application of the pesticide to the specific crop
-the amount of pesticide used and the frequency is as low as possible
what are 4 things that pesticides do?
-prevent disease in crops
-kill pests
-control weeds
-prevent mould
what 2 things are affected if pesticides are not used?
-price and availability
what does pesticide residues mean? how can these be removed?
-the small traces of pesticides that can be left on food
-there are strict limits on this
-through washing and peeling fruit and veg
what is the name of the company that monitors pesticide residues?
-Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC)
-fruit and veg, meat, fish, dairy products and baby food
what is the names of 3 companies that monitor how pesticides are used?
-Pesticides Safety Directorate
-Food Standards Agency
-Health and Safety Executive
what are the 5 ways that animal feed can be used in a way that ensures food safety?
-regulations and standards
-monitoring and enforcement
-record keeping and traceability
-surveillance programmes
-the idea that its a shared responsibility
how are regulations and standards used to ensure animal feed is safe?
-legislation includes; Animal Feed Regulations (2018) ensures basic safety standards, Animal Feed Regulations (2016) ensures feed is safe for consumption and is free from harmful substances
-these laws by NI and UK government provide guidance on the use of animal feeds
how is monitoring and enforcement used to promote animal feed saftey?
-DAERA conducts regular inspections on farms to ensure it and its feed is safe
-test feed samples for contaminants e.g. pathogens or parasite
-any detection of unsafe feed is removed immediately from the market
how does traceability used to ensure animal feed safety?
-farmers and feed producers must keep detailed records of information concerning the feed used
-records include; source, composition, batch number and usage of the feed
-if an issue arises then this allows for rapid identification and removal from the market
how do surveillance programmes ensure animal feed safety?
-regular testing of feed products ensures compliance with feed safety regulations
-National Pesticide Control Plan is used to check for contaminants such as residues of pathogens or veterinary medicines in the feed
-unsafe feed is then removed from the market
how is animal feed safety a shared responsibility?
-farmers, feed producers, vets and regulatory authorities all play a role in feed safety
-farmers must used reputable suppliers
-feed producers must adhere to regulations to ensure feed safety
-regulatory authorities provide guidance and oversee the whole production of the feed to ensure its safety
what are the 5 potential risks to food safety which are present in animal feeds?
-mycotoxins
-prions
-dioxins
-microbiological contamination
-controls
how is the risk of mycotoxins in animal feed minimised?
-the EFSA carry out risk assessments on the presence of mycotoxins in feed
-these can pose a risk to human health
-human exposure of these toxins is increased when humans consume food of an animal origin
how is the risk of prions reduced in animal feed?
-strict controls in preventing prions diseases entering the food chain e.g. BSE since 1996
-the use of meat and bone mix is outlawed due to the increased risk of prions in this
how is the risk of dioxins reduced in harming human health?
-dioxin contamination is mostly introduced to human food through contaminated feed
-many countries monitor their food supply for dioxins which helps prevent larger scale contaminantion
how does microbiological contamination of animal feed pose a risk to food safety?
-feeds can be contaminated with salmonella, listeria, E. coli and campylobacter which can contaminate other farm animals
-these is legislation and guidance for feed business operators to establish good feed production
how does control of animal feed help to ensure food safety?
-businesses that use, manufacture or sell feed must be registered and comply with specific standards and legislation to ensure feed safety
-farmer who feed animals these products must also follow this legislation
-due to farmers being the initial producers of the food chain they have the primary responsibility at ensuring food safety through the safety of their feed
what are the 7 measures in place to ensure that veterinary medicines do not harm food safety?
-assessment and approval
-setting limits
-monitoring and regulations
-record keeping
-surveillance programmes
-understanding it is a shared responsibility
-withdrawal period
how does assessment of veterinary medicines help to ensure food safety?
-before any medicine is given it goes through rigorous testing
-this is overseen by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
-the VMD evaluates safety, efficiency and quality of the medicine
-after this assessment then the medicine can be administered
-DAERA cooperates with the VMD to ensure medicines are monitored closely in NI
-this partnership ensures high standards of food safety in NI
how does setting limits for veterinary medicines ensure food safety?
-Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) must be established to show the maximum concentration of the medicine which can be given without compromising the food source
-to get this value the No Observed Adverse Effect Level must be calculated first
-the ADI Acceptable Daily Intake is then calculated which shows the amount of residue present in food that humans are allowed to consume daily
how does monitoring and regulations for veterinary medicines ensure food safety?
-after they medicines are able for purchase they are still highly regulated
-this ensures they are administered safely and correctly
-regular monitoring ensures compliance with established limits
how does record keeping/ traceability for veterinary medicines ensure food safety?
-legal requirement for all veterinary medicines used
-must have a record book to document all medicines administered
-records must be stored for a minimum of 5 years
-allows for traceability and accountability
-issues concerned with medicine residues can then be traced
how does surveillance programmes for veterinary medicines ensure food safety?
-National Residues Control Plan regularly check food for medicine residues
-tested to see if levels are below safe levels
-if they exceed these levels the food products are not allowed to be sold
-if already distributed records allow the product to be quickly withdrew
how is reducing veterinary medicine residues a shared responsibility to help with food safety?
-ensuring the residues remain below the statutory levels is a shared responsibility in the animal medicine sector
-vets, farmers and primary producers are responsible
how does a withdrawal period for veterinary medicines help to ensure food safety?
-legal defined withdrawal period for these medicines is necessary in e.g. cows and poultry
-allows for medicine levels to diminish
-withdrawal adds extra safety ensures animals which are treated do not enter the food chain too early to avoid high amounts of these residues
