Tracking Animal Disease Through Veterinary Oversight
As we have previously noted, Federal Veterinarians play a broad role in the inspections of food and health of animals in the United States — and, of course, form the foundation for the National Association of Federal Veterinarians (NAFV). The work they do ensures economic stability within the agricultural industry, but it also goes beyond the agricultural sphere.
As part of the natural environment, there are organisms in and around food animals’ environment that could make people sick. Federal Veterinarians are an integral part of the process that ensures that diseased animals are not processed into meat that is consumed. While veterinarians involved in Food Safety Inspection System (FSIS) are an obvious part of the food safety matrix, there are also veterinarians in other agencies who may not be as obvious, but whose roles are no less important in that process.
In order to illustrate this dynamic, it might be helpful to look at the veterinary oversight during the trajectory of tracking a disease in food animal production. Take for example, Food and Mouth Disease (FMD), a highly contagious disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact worldwide. FMD can affect cattle, swine, sheep, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. On any given day, veterinarians could be tasked with confirming, tracking, and properly reporting animal diseases such as FMD that could be found in the food production chain.
During the antemortem phase of the food animal inspection process, a food inspector would notify the veterinarian on duty to examine the animal for lesions or vesicles and other signs of disease. If confirmed, such an animal would be pulled from “the line” and the veterinarian in charge may also call for further inspection of other animals in the suspected herd. Subsequently, the veterinarian in charge would have to file the proper reports and collect samples as needed.
However, veterinary oversight would not end at the processing plant. Once the FSIS veterinarian has conducted the examination and collected the necessary samples, they would also typically inform their veterinary counterparts at the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Veterinary epidemiologists at APHIS would then follow their own reporting and data collection protocols. Further, the sample collected on site would also typically be submitted to a lab, where microbiologists including veterinarians would conduct their own analysis and confirmations. If for example there are signs of antibiotic residue in those lab results, there might also be involvement from veterinarians at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their own analysis.
In this hypothetical example, it becomes clear that veterinary oversight and discretion are critical in protecting consumer safety and consumer confidence as it relates to food animal production. It is important to note, too, that this oversight does not end at the livestock production stage nor the processing plant. Indeed, veterinary involvement in the food safety matrix extends far beyond livestock production and food animal processing. And while veterinary expertise is not the only element employed in this process, veterinarians’ medical training coupled with special board certifications and other specialties undoubtedly make our food safety systems stronger.
When American sit down at their kitchen table, they rarely consider how the don’t have to worry about the safety of their food, since for over 100 years, there have been federal and public veterinarians who have been inspecting the US food supply and helping farmers through extension services. These dedicated professionals work daily to ensure the food that all Americans purchase is as safe as possible and free of disease organisms, chemical and antibiotic residues, and that meat continues to be gluten free.
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