Training in Food Hygiene:

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• Training in Food Hygiene
• the Experience From the Faculty of Veterinary
  Medicine of Milano (Italy)
• EAEVE 22nd General Assembly, Hanover, 28 and 29
  May 2009

Eugenio Scanziani
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Food hygiene in the undergraduate curriculum
Disciplines Credits
Basic sciences 74
Clinical sciences 126
Animal production 35
Food hygiene 17
English language and optional subjects 11
Practical training and thesis 37
Total 300
Food Hygiene Part 1) Food hygiene and technology
(third year, II semester, 9 credits) Part 2)
Inspection and control of foodstuffs of animal
origin and practical works (fourth year, I
semester, 8 credits) Additional credits
practical training and optional courses
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• Part 1) Food hygiene and technology
• Theoretical training
• Food borne diseases.
• Animal food microbiology.
• Animal food technology.
• Milk and dairy products inspection and
  technology.
• Eggs and egg products.
• Concepts and methods of HACCP
• National and EU legislation on food hygiene.

• Practical training
• Food microbiology.

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Part 2a) Inspection and control foodstuffs of
animal origin and practical works - Meat
Theoretical training - Meat inspection
procedures- Meat technology (slaughtering and
processing)- Inspective pathology- Legislation

• Practical training
• - Examination of inspective cases in the autopsy
  room by the use of organs collected at local
  slaugtherhouses
• - Practical training (meat inspection procedures)
  at local slaughterhouses

Practical training at slaughterhouse
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• Questions
• Organ, animal species
• Morphological diagnosis
• Ethiology and pathogenesis
• Further evaluations, laboratory tests
• Decisions concerning meat

Organ with lesion from a slaughtered animal
scheme emplojed by the students during the
practical training at Faculty
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• Organ, animal species
• Kidney, adult cattle.
• Morphological diagnosis
• Multiple acute renal infarcts.
• Ethiology and pathogenesis
• Thrombosis of pulmunary veins in case of
  fibrinous pleuropneumonia (bacterial infection),
  or left valvular endocarditis (bacterial
  infection) gt detachmenti of thrombotic fragments
  gt embolism gt occlusion of a terminal artery in
  the kidneys gt ischemia gt necrosis.
• Further evaluations, laboratory tests
• Examination of the lungs.
• Examination for left valvular endocarditis.
• 3. Bacteriological examination.
• 4. Examination for antibiotic residues.
• Decisions concerning meat
• Meat is unfit for human consumption in case of
  septic lesions in the lungs or mitral valve
  and/or positive results of laboratory test.

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2b) Inspection and control of foodstuffs of
animal origin and practical works - Seafood

• Theoretical training
• Seafood inspection and safety.
• Seafood technology.
• Seafood legislation.
• Practical training
• In the autopsy room
• Morphological identification of 120 aquatic
  species (from the fish market of Milano).
• Zoonotic parasites identification.

Red shrimp (Aristeomorpha foliacea)
European see bass Anisakis spp. infection
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Items from Regulation 854/2004 and degree of
knowledge for a newly graduated veterinarian (-
unsatisfactory low medium high
excellent) (I)
Item Degree of knowledge
Legislation
Prevention and control of food borne diseases of humans
Animal welfare
TSEs
Food processing and technology
Good hygiene practices
HACCP
Modern diagnostic testing
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Items from Regulation 854/2004 and degree o
knowledge for a newly graduated veterinarian (-
unsatisfactory low medium high
excellent) (II)
Item Degree of knowledge
Dynamics of infection and intoxication
Good manufactoring practice/quality management
Diagnostic epidemiology
Monitoring and surveillance
Auditing and regulatory assesment of food safety management system
Data handling and biostatistic
Investigations of outbreaks
Environmental issues
Training of personnel
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Items from Regulation 854/2004 and degree o
knowledge for a newly graduated veterinarian (-
unsatisfactory low medium high
excellent) (III)
Item Degree of knowledge
Precautionary principles and consumers concerns -
Information and communication technology related to public health -
Risk-analysis -
Agricultural policy -
Pre harvest quality management -
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Postgraduate education Specialization schools (3
year) - Animal husbandry, hygiene and pathology
of aquatic species and fish product inspection
(27 Diplomates in 2004 and 30 Diplomates in
2007) - Inspection of animal foodstuff (25
Diplomates in 2006 and 25 Diplomates in
2009) Doctorate (PhD) programs - Student enrolled
during academic year 2007/2008 - Animal husbandry
and animal food production - 6 students - Food
security and inspection - 3 students Continuing
education - Short courses - Congress
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ConclusionThe demand of veterinarians qualified
in food inspection and processing will probably
increase in the future due to the need of safe
and high quality food for human consumption.
Food hygiene and inspection teaching need a
multidisciplinary approach with traditional,
still important disciplines and new ones that
should be introduced in the undergraduated
curriculum and fully expanded in ad hoc
postgraduate programs/courses to fulfill the
requirement indicated in Directive 854/2004.
Veterinarians should be prepared in the
management of frequent food emergencies (BSE,
avian and swine influenza, dioxin in pork meat,
melamine in milk and dairy products) with a good
knowledge of topics such as information and
communication technology as related to veterinary
public health.