Memorandum Submitted by the Royal College
of Agriculture (W14)
The Royal Agricultural College thanks the Environment,
Food and Rural affairs committee for the invitation to comment
on the Vets and Veterinary services.
Since the foundation of the Royal Agricultural
College we have fully recognised the important role played in
Agriculture by the Veterinary profession.
We equally recognise the increasing importance
of this professional contribution to the Total Food Chain from
the Farm to the Consumer for both local and global sources of
food supplies.
The evolution of Food Safety through traceability,
HACCP and Risk Management is becoming highly professional and
through the veterinary skills applied both on farm and in forward
planning, the Food Safety regulations are being more consistently
honoured.
May we highlight the importance that all livestock
production be it large animals, poultry, pigs or fish, come under
the regular surveillance of the professional veterinarian and
that the available veterinary service is fully staffed and trained
to meet the day to day requirements of the future as it is only
by such application of professional veterinary skills that the
requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990 can be met.
25 April 2003
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