Research reveals rise in consumer awareness of animal
medicines
Consumer awareness of animal medicines has increased
significantly over the last two years, a survey carried out by the Institute
of Grocery Distribution (IGD) on behalf of the National Office of Animal
Health (NOAH) has revealed. Encouragingly for those who use medicines for
the health and welfare of Britain’s farm animals, the level of consumer
concern about medicine use has not increased correspondingly.
Now 80% of consumers are aware that animals are given
medicines to treat them when they are sick, and 74% know that they are
vaccinated to prevent disease, compared with only 58% for both only 2 years
ago. Yet the proportions having treatment or vaccination as their major
concern remain extremely low, at only 1% and 3% respectively.
The threats of bluetongue, avian influenza and foot and
mouth disease may have driven awareness, along with a greater media focus on
animal health, welfare and vaccinations.
IGD has found that shoppers are becoming increasingly
engaged in learning how their food is produced following television coverage
such as the Channel 4 programmes presented by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley
Whittingstall early in 2008.
Areas where consumer concern has grown the most are
animal welfare and living conditions, hygiene standards on farm and at the
factory, and what farm animals are fed.
There was also some misunderstanding about vaccination.
Although 40% of consumers believed vaccination should be used to help
prevent disease, one third were worried that vaccines can be transferred
into the food we eat. Less than one in ten believed that animals should not
be vaccinated, but culled.
In line with a previous IGD survey in 2006, the overall
conclusion was that consumers have confidence that those working in the food
chain use animal medicines appropriately and produce safe food.
“This research confirms a good level of consumer trust in
the food chain,” says Phil Sketchley, chief executive of NOAH. “But the
concerns over vaccines – and in particular the fears about residues in food
– show that we need to work with the organisations closest to shoppers to
provide assurances on this issue. Vaccines do not leave residues in food.
They only work to stimulate the animal’s own immune system, to protect it
against a specific disease.
“NOAH is looking forward to working with other food chain
stakeholders, including the Food Standards Agency and retailers, to make
sure clear information is available whenever people want to find out more
about the safety and quality of their food,” he continues.
“We will be sharing all the survey information with
industry stakeholders and intend to discuss the findings at the
NOAH
conference ‘The role of vaccination in animal health - future technology and
societal acceptance’ in London on 25th February 2009,” he adds.
28 November 2008
Notes for Editors
For further information contact Phil Sketchley or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131,
or visit the NOAH website.
The National Office of Animal
Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent UK companies which
research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health
products. The association has 28 corporate members and 7 associate
members. In 2007 the NOAH sales survey showed a total market of £405.9m,
around 90% of the total UK market.
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