NOAH conference to emphasise link between healthy animals and safe food

A seminar to be held by NOAH (National Office for Animal Health) on 3 December at The Royal Smithfield Show in London will emphasise the important role that animal medicines play in delivering safe food to the consumer.

Entitled “Healthy animals – safe food”, the conference will be chaired by Baroness Byford, Shadow Minister for Food, Farming and Rural Affairs, and will be addressed by eminent speakers in the field.

“The use of preventive medicine for animals is one of the cornerstones of the country’s animal health and welfare strategy. It means our animals can be reared in excellent health and that the food they produce reaches the highest standards of safety and quality,” comments Phil Sketchley, Chief Executive of NOAH. “I hope that visitors to this seminar will go away with full confidence in the control and use of animal medicines and a better understanding of how the future for animal medicines is developing. We believe the event will be of particular interest to members of the food processing industries, food retailers and their respective associations”.

The conference will tackle the key issues relating to the use of animal medicines in the food chain including licensing and distribution, research and development and a discussion on the challenges facing the industry in the future. Speakers will include John FitzGerald, director of policy at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Professor Quentin McKellar the principal and dean of the Royal Veterinary College and David Biland EU director of food animals for Merial Animal Health.

In addition, a speaker for the Food Standards Agency will address the issue of how animal medicines support food safety, and Peter Allen, chairman of the RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Animals) Alliance, will explain how advice on best practice on animal medicine use is communicated to farmers. DEFRA will be represented by Dr Marion Rawlins who will outline the government’s plans to promote wider use of farm health planning as part of its Animal Health and Welfare Strategy.

Phil Sketchley is certain that the seminar will help to increase knowledge and inform debate on the whole issue of animal medicines. “In this field there are no half measures,” he says firmly. “The principle of providing safe food is an absolute prerequisite and animal medicines play a fundamental role in delivering safe food to the consumer. Our conference will help to re-emphasise this message and to explore the issues important to anyone interested in the food chain”.

For tickets or further details please contact NOAH at 3 Crossfield Chambers, Gladbeck Way, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 7HF; telephone 020 8367 3131; or e-mail noah@noah.co.uk.

21 September 2004

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact Phil Sketchley or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website.

2. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 32 corporate members and 14 associate members. In 2003 NOAH's members accounted for well over 90% of the £398 million UK animal health market