Food safety and public health

Responsible use of medicines has a positive impact on food safety and availability and on people’s health. They support the provision of safe animal products – milk, meat and eggs – and protect public health from harmful food-borne pathogens – e.g. salmonella – and also from diseases that are transmissible from animals to people (called ‘zoonoses’) such as rabies.

Safety is crucial when it comes to food. Veterinarians and farmers work together to ensure that food-producing animals are and remain healthy, which enables farmers to produce safe food. this means ensure good husbandry practices (e.g. hygiene, feed and environment) and animals’ health and welfare.