Role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in providing scientific advice on the welfare of food producing animals

• Published in: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Main Authors: Jordi Serratosa, Oriol Ribó, Denise Candiani
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2010
• Subjects: Animal culture; SF1-1100; Turbot
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2009.s1.9; https://doaj.org/article/935a7ecf016a4ca1b9ea107d00c6937b

The survey describes the work of the Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the provision of scientific advice on the welfare of food producing animals including animal health and food safety aspects, where relevant, and on the impact of these scientific assessments on the EU regulatory framework. EFSA was created in 2002 with the mission to provide advice and scientific and technical support for the Community legislation and policies in all fields which have a direct or indirect impact on food and feed safety, plant health, environment and animal health and animal welfare. When providing objective and independent science-based advice, the risk assessment approach should be followed, whenever possible. The AHAW Panel of EFSA provides specific advices on risk factors related to animal diseases and welfare, mainly of food producing animals, including fish. According to EFSA’s remit, ethical, socio-economic, cultural and religious aspects are outside the scope of the EFSA’s assessments. Since 2004, the Animal Health and Welfare Panel of EFSA adopted a total of 21 scientific opinions on animal welfare. Animal diseases and food safety aspects have also been taken into account, where relevant. Animal welfare aspects have been considered in some scientific opinions on animal diseases (e.g. AI, FMD). The AHAW Panel is currently working on five scientific opinions on the welfare of dairy cows and on the welfare aspects of the stunning and killing of farmed fish for eight fish species (salmon, trout, carp, eel, tuna, sea bass, sea bream and turbot). The possible interactions and implications for food safety and animal disease have been considered, when relevant, in most of the AW scientific opinions, involving other areas of expertise in EFSA, like Biohazards, Contaminants and Plant Health. The final aim of EFSA’s scientific assessments on animal welfare is to support animal welfare EU legislation on the basis of the available scientific evidence. Many examples illustrate ...