Animal feed
 Food production is a complex process, with the ultimate objective of the food
industry and food safety regulators being to ensure that food reaching the
consumer is safe and wholesome. Food generally expected to be safe may become
unsafe due to the introduction of hazards during production, processing, storage,
transport, or final preparation for consumption. For food derived from animals,
the hazard may originate from a number of these and other sources including
the consumption by food production animals of contaminated food.
New!
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Animal Feed Impact on Food Safety, 8-12 October 2007, Rome, Italy
'Call for Experts and Call for Data'
FAO and WHO will implement an Expert Meeting to review the current knowledge on animal feed and its impact on food safety, and provide some orientation advice on this matter to Member Countries and to international organizations. Within the overall aim of securing food safety and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade, the objectives of the meeting are:
- To review the current state of knowledge on animal feed, its impact on public health and on international trade
- To analyze the current situation of international standards addressing animal feed
- To identify relevant areas for the development of specific standards for animal feed, on the basis of scientific evidence relevant to ensure the safety of foods of animal origin and fair practices in international trade, and
- To provide guidance on further action required at international level to address them in the most appropriate way and recommend specific activities needed
The deadline for the submission of CV's of experts and presentation of data is 30th July 2007.
Download ‘Call for Experts and Call for Data’ [ 67kb] |
In recent years public concern about the safety of foods of animal origin
has heightened due to problems arising from bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), dioxin contamination, outbreaks of food-borne bacterial infections,
as well as growing concern about veterinary drug residues and antimicrobial
resistance in micro-organisms.
These problems have drawn attention to feeding practices within the livestock
industry and have prompted a close scrutiny of food safety and quality problems
that can arise in foods of animal origin as a result of animal feed, forage
and associated feeding systems.
Animal feed or forage may be the source of a number of infections for farm
animals that can lead to human illness. These include Salmonella enterica, Toxoplasma
gondii and Trichinella spiralis. Mycotoxin contamination of
animal feed can result in foods of animal origin containing these chemical
compounds. Pesticides, agricultural and industrial chemicals, heavy metals
and radionuclides can all pollute animal feed and forage and may also result
in contaminated food of animal origin.
Through the use of appropriate technology, the application of Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMP) and the careful handling of feedstuffs the means exist to minimise
the contamination of animal feed and associated food safety and quality risks.
See also
Chemicals in food > Mycotoxins
Micro-organisms in food > Antimicrobial resistance in micro-organisms |
