Legislation: FVE expresses concern at proposal to delegate preslaughter inspections
- Localización: Veterinary Record, ISSN-e 2042-7670, Vol. 177, Nº. 12, 2015, págs. 298-298
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
A EUROPEAN proposal to delegate preslaughter inspection of animals to ‘official auxiliaries’ could seriously jeopardise the protection of consumers and the health and welfare of food animals across Europe, according to the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE).
Plans to allow delegation have been put forward as part of proposed changes to European official controls legislation, which governs the controls that aim to prevent, eliminate or reduce health risks to people, animals and plants arising from the agrifood chain. They form part of a package of legislation on plant and animal health introduced by the European Commission in 2013 (VR, May 18, 2013, vol 172, pp 512, 513), and aim to establish a more robust, transparent and sustainable system of official controls.
The proposed changes are now being discussed by the European Council. While welcoming what it describes as ‘positive steps’ being made in the debates, the FVE says it remains concerned by provisions laid down in Article 15 of the proposal, which state that the health and welfare of an animal before slaughter could be verified ‘by or under the responsibility of an official veterinarian’.
In a statement on September 14, the FVE argues that antemortem inspection of all classes of animals should not be delegated to auxiliaries and that all animals presented at slaughter should be inspected by Official Veterinarians (OVs). OVs, it says, ‘hold the appropriate education, skills, knowledge and competences, recognised internationally, in order to protect European consumers and ensuring food business operators comply with all relevant EU law’.
Noting that animal welfare is closely linked to animal health and therefore public health, the FVE says that ‘only an holistic approach can guarantee safe food and therefore provide consumer protective assurances’. It points out that clinical inspection of animals is a key task for veterinarians, and is crucial to accurately assess welfare and identify animals needing special care and handling, as well as to identify animals suspected of having a reportable or exotic disease. The abattoir, it adds, represents a key point for epidemiological surveillance for zoonoses as well as a point at which checks on provenance and identification, as well as fraud prevention, can take place. Moreover, it says, effective animal health and welfare controls, and examinations of all classes of animals are essential to prevent them from overuse, inappropriate use, or abuse of medicines.
The FVE also highlights the importance of food chain information and the link between the veterinary practitioner on the farm and the OV in the slaughterhouse.
‘Consumers expect an independent body and independent OVs performing antemortem inspection in order to provide consumer protective assurances regarding food safety and animal welfare,’ it says.
