Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health

Food Control Consultants Ltd (FCC) provides specialist expertise in animal health, veterinary public health and the development and strengthening of veterinary services and control systems.

FCC works with governments, competent authorities, international organisations and the private sector to assess and develop systems for the prevention and control of animal diseases, protection of public health, safe production of food of animal origin and compliance with national and international requirements.

Our expertise covers both terrestrial and aquatic animals, recognising the increasingly important role of aquaculture in animal health, food production, international trade and public health.

Animal Health Systems

Effective animal-health systems require a combination of surveillance, disease prevention and control, reliable information, laboratory capacity, traceability, legislation and competent veterinary services.

FCC can assist with the assessment, development and implementation of:

• national and sectoral animal-health strategies;
• animal-disease surveillance systems;
• disease prevention, control and eradication programmes;
• contingency planning and emergency preparedness;
• notification and reporting systems;
• epidemiological surveillance;
• animal identification and traceability;
• control of animal movements;
• veterinary certification;
• biosecurity measures;
• laboratory and diagnostic capacity;
• import and export controls; and
• legislation, procedures and institutional arrangements.

The emphasis is on developing systems that are risk-based, practical and capable of effective implementation.

Disease Surveillance, Prevention and Control

Early detection and effective control of animal diseases are fundamental to animal health, food security, public health and international trade.

FCC supports competent authorities in the development and assessment of surveillance and disease-control programmes, including the organisation of surveillance, collection and management of information, investigation of suspected disease, laboratory confirmation, reporting, movement controls and implementation of control measures.

This can include both endemic and emerging diseases as well as preparedness for major transboundary animal diseases.

Particular attention can be given to the links between surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory diagnostics and decision-making, ensuring that information collected through the system is used effectively for disease prevention and control.

Veterinary Services and Competent Authorities

Strong veterinary services provide the institutional foundation for effective animal-health and veterinary public-health systems.

FCC assists competent authorities in assessing and strengthening:

• institutional structures and responsibilities;
• veterinary legislation;
• organisation of official veterinary controls;
• central, regional and local veterinary services;
• staffing and competence;
• procedures and operational guidelines;
• supervision and internal controls;
• information management;
• coordination between authorities;
• laboratory support;
• emergency response capacity; and
• monitoring and evaluation.

Where responsibilities are shared between veterinary, food-safety, public-health, environmental or other authorities, FCC can support the development of effective coordination and information-sharing arrangements.

Veterinary Public Health

Veterinary public health addresses the interface between animal health, human health and food production.

FCC’s work in this area includes the prevention and control of hazards that may be transmitted from animals to people, directly or through food.

Areas of expertise include:

• zoonotic diseases;
• foodborne hazards;
• meat inspection and slaughter hygiene;
• hygiene in the production of food of animal origin;
• monitoring and surveillance programmes;
• residues and contaminants;
• antimicrobial resistance;
• traceability and recall;
• veterinary certification; and
• official controls throughout the food production chain.

This work is closely connected with FCC’s wider expertise in food safety and official controls.

Zoonoses and One Health

Many significant risks to human health originate at the interface between animals, people, food and the environment.

The prevention and control of zoonotic diseases therefore requires cooperation between veterinary, public-health, food-safety and environmental authorities.

FCC applies a One Health approach where appropriate, particularly in relation to zoonotic disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, foodborne disease, laboratory systems and the coordination of competent authorities.

The objective is to ensure that information and control measures are connected across sectors rather than being developed in isolation.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important animal-health and public-health challenge requiring coordinated action across the human, animal, food and environmental sectors.

Within the veterinary and food-production sectors, FCC can support work relating to:

• surveillance and monitoring;
• antimicrobial use;
• veterinary medicinal products;
• food-producing animals;
• laboratory capacity;
• data collection and analysis;
• legislation and regulatory controls; and
• coordination between veterinary and public-health authorities.

AMR activities can therefore form part of broader One Health, animal-health or food-safety programmes.

Aquatic Animal Health and Aquaculture

Aquaculture is an increasingly important component of global food production and international trade and requires effective systems for aquatic animal health, biosecurity, food safety and official controls.

FCC’s veterinary and food-safety expertise extends to aquaculture and aquatic products, including the interface between primary production, animal health and the safety of food placed on the market.

Relevant areas may include:

• aquatic animal-health systems;
• disease surveillance and reporting;
• biosecurity;
• movement controls;
• registration and approval of aquaculture establishments;
• veterinary and health certification;
• competent-authority systems;
• diagnostic and laboratory capacity;
• residues and veterinary medicinal products;
• hygiene and food-safety controls;
• traceability from production through processing;
• fish and fishery-product controls; and
• requirements for international trade.

This integrated approach is particularly important in aquaculture, where animal health, environmental conditions, production practices, food safety and market access are closely interconnected.

Animal Identification, Movement Control and Traceability

Reliable identification and traceability are essential components of modern animal-health systems.

FCC has experience with the development and assessment of systems for:

• animal and holding identification;
• registration of establishments and holdings;
• recording animal movements;
• movement documentation and certification;
• livestock databases;
• traceability through the production chain; and
• use of information for surveillance and disease control.

Traceability should not be viewed simply as a database function. Effective systems connect identification and movement information with disease surveillance, official controls, certification, emergency response and food-chain traceability.

We are moreover in a position to supply and implement animal identification and movement control systems, including databases and manuals.  For more information please visit our animal identification page

Laboratories and Diagnostic Systems

Veterinary laboratories are essential for surveillance, early disease detection, confirmation of outbreaks, monitoring programmes and international certification.

FCC can assist in assessing laboratory capacity and its integration into wider animal-health and veterinary public-health systems.

This may include diagnostic capability, sampling systems, laboratory networks, quality management, reporting arrangements, information exchange and the relationship between laboratory results and regulatory decision-making.

International Trade and Veterinary Certification

Animal health and veterinary public health are fundamental components of international trade in animals and products of animal origin.

FCC assists competent authorities and businesses in understanding and implementing veterinary and sanitary requirements for international trade, including:

• animal-health requirements;
• veterinary certification;
• traceability;
• disease-status requirements;
• surveillance and monitoring;
• import and export controls;
• establishment approval;
• border controls; and
• compliance with importing-country requirements.

FCC has particular experience with systems required for trade with the European Union, while also working within broader international SPS frameworks.

Legislation and Regulatory Frameworks

Effective veterinary services require a clear and enforceable legal framework.

FCC can assess, develop and support implementation of legislation covering animal health, veterinary public health, disease notification and control, animal identification and movement, veterinary certification, veterinary medicinal products, animal welfare and related official controls.

Particular attention is given to ensuring that legal requirements are supported by realistic institutional responsibilities, procedures and implementation capacity.

Training and Capacity Building

FCC develops and delivers training for veterinarians, inspectors, competent-authority personnel, laboratory staff, producers and other stakeholders.

Training may address animal-health controls, surveillance, traceability, veterinary public health, biosecurity, inspection, certification, legislation, contingency planning and related subjects.

Training of Trainers can be used where appropriate to establish sustainable national or institutional training capacity.

An Integrated Approach

Animal health, veterinary public health and food safety cannot be considered independently.

Animal disease may affect public health, food production, livelihoods and international trade. Information collected through animal identification and surveillance systems may be essential for disease control. Laboratory systems support both animal and public health. Controls at primary production influence the safety of food further along the chain.

FCC therefore approaches veterinary systems as interconnected components:

Prevention → Surveillance → Detection → Response → Traceability → Public Health → Food Safety → Trade

This approach allows individual technical interventions to contribute to a stronger and more sustainable overall veterinary control system.

International Experience

FCC specialists have worked with veterinary services, competent authorities, international organisations and development programmes in countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, Central Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Latin America.

Assignments have ranged from specific technical assessments and training activities to broader programmes involving legislation, institutional development, disease control, traceability, food safety and international market access.

Contact FCC

Contact Food Control Consultants Ltd to discuss assistance with animal-health systems, veterinary public health, aquatic animal health and aquaculture, veterinary services, disease surveillance and control, traceability, One Health or veterinary requirements for international trade.