Ukrainian officials visit AHDB
A group of Ukrainian government officials arrived at Stoneleigh Park as part of a five-day fact-finding mission to learn about meat hygiene controls and food traceability in the UK.
Organised by the International Finance Corporation, the visit also included meetings with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) and Red Tractor.
AHDB international market development director Dr Phil Hadley said: “The opportunity to exchange with overseas Government bodies on food safety and animal health gives us the opportunity to showcase the UK position as a world leader in the field, highlighting our standards and growing the reputation of UK products.”
During their visit to the AHDB offices, the delegation heard from senior veterinary manager Mandy Nevel about AHDB’s ongoing work in the red meat sector, which included an update on the UK pig sector’s antibiotic usage.
The latest data from the electronic Medicine Book (eMB) showed that antibiotic usage in the country reduced by 28% in 2017, with a 50% reduction over the past two years.
“The visit from the delegation of food safety specialists gave us an opportunity to highlight the important work being done by AHDB to reduce the use of antibiotics in the pig industry as part of the UK’s ‘One Health’ approach to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance,” said Nevel. “Discussion was also had around other emerging diseases, including the spread of African Swine Fever.”
