Animal Welfare and Food Safety

To achieve the objectives of the curricular unit, the teaching methodologies are based on:
1. In the presentation by the teacher of contents related to the theoretical aspects of this curricular unit.
2. Visit to ESAC’s livestock farm in order to assess the welfare conditions of the animals and propose improvement measures.
3. Study visits to livestock farms in the region, both intensive and extensive, in order to ascertain the welfare conditions of the different animals.
4. Visit to slaughterhouses to learn about the implemented methodologies that ensure animal welfare conditions.
5. During the visit to the slaughterhouse, it will be possible to learn about the implemented measures that ensure the Food Safety of meat products during the slaughter and dispatch process.
6. Study visits to a center for the collection, treatment and distribution of milk of bovine origin, for human consumption.

This curricular unit (UC) will allow the student to acquire an overview of the most relevant aspects of the ideal conditions for the welfare of the animal on a farm, during transport and at slaughter. Food safety, being a multidisciplinary topic, requires in-depth knowledge on the part of all those involved in the production chain of food of animal origin.
The objectives of this UC are:
1. Know and understand the concepts of Animal Welfare and Food Safety.
2. Identify signs of animal stress in different livestock species.
3. Plan the best practices of a livestock farm considering animal welfare.
4. Know the main risks involved in Food Safety.
5. Know the main sources of contamination of the different foods used in human and animal nutrition.
6. To be able to define measures that minimize the contamination of products of animal origin.
7. Plan livestock production ensuring a safe product is obtained

Module 1 (60%)
1. Animal Welfare on the Farm – Ruminants and Monogastric: Behavior of Cattle, Pigs and Poultry – Normal and Abnormal, Impact of housing, food and environment on animal welfare and the quality of meat and eggs. Welfare evaluation.
2. Animal welfare of aquatic animals – Welfare of farmed/aquaculture fish
3. Animal Welfare in transport and slaughter – Cattle, Pigs and Poultry – Legislation – Meat Quality – Influencing Factors
Module 2 (40%)
4. The concept and importance of Food Safety in consumer health.
5. The slaughter process and its importance in Food Security.
6. Necessary conditions for bacterial growth and ways to avoid it in food.
7. Pathologies of bacterial, viral, parasitic and prion origin transmitted by food.
8. Fish and Food Safety.
9. Dairy Products and Food Safety.

NAO