Animal health and food safety

Foods of animal origin have an important role in a balanced diet and must be safe for human consumption. Equally important is the need for the food to be perceived as safe by the consumer. Safe food of animal origin must be free from animal pathogens that infect man and from contamination by residues. While intensive farming practices have been linked with the rise in foodborne illness in humans, it is interesting to note that the rise has continued even when there has been a shift to less intensive farm production systems. While the production of meat, milk and eggs, regardless of new technology or changes in production methods, cannot be expected to achieve zero bacterial risk, there is the need to reduce the risk and, where possible, eliminate it at the 'on the farm stage'. The current use of the terms 'farm-to-table', 'stable-to-table' and 'plough-to-plate' clearly identifies the farm as one part of the production chain which must be considered in terms of food safety.