Food Toxicology and Chemical Surveillance Flashcards Preview

Y3 Public health > Food Toxicology and Chemical Surveillance > Flashcards

Flashcards in Food Toxicology and Chemical Surveillance Deck (7)
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1
Q

What are the key roles of a farm vet?

A
  • Animal health
  • Animal welfare
  • Public health: food safety and zoonosis
2
Q

All chemicals are potential poisons, so what differentiates a poison from a remedy?

A

Dose

3
Q

Describe the risk assessment for chemicals as hazards

A

Source-pathway-receptor

  • Source = chemical of concern (hazard identification & characterisation)
  • Pathway = the way the chemical comes into contact with the animal, population, air, land, water, food (exposure assessment)
  • Receptor = the animal, person or population (necessary for risk characterisation)
4
Q

What are the roles of vets in chemical surveillance?

A
  • Farm animal vets
  • FSA/Official veterinarians (abattoirs)
  • Government vets (CVOs, Defra, APHA)
  • Small animal vets (pet food)
5
Q

What are the main chemicals/toxins found in:

  • Agricultural products
  • Veterinary products
A
  • Pesticides and fungicides

- Antibiotics, hormones

6
Q

How are chemical hazards identified?

A
Screening programmes:
- Routine (compliance)
- Following events requiring an emergency response
- Targeted surveillance
- For known hazards
Animal (and human) disease outbreaks:
- Acute and chronic
- Scanning surveillance
- Used to detect ‘unexpected’ & ‘previously unknown’ hazards
7
Q

What is scanning surveillance?

A

The ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and the dissemination of information to those who need to know in order to take action
Data -> information -> decision making