TERCEIRA | Regional Veterinary Laboratory carried out nearly 1.2 million tests in 2022
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development stressed in Angra do Heroísmo that “the agrifoods produced, processed and marketed in the Azores are food safe, reliable and are recommended.”
António Ventura spoke on the sidelines of a visit to the Regional Veterinary Laboratory, where he revealed that it carried out last year “1.2 million tests deriving from the compliance with 45 livestock surveillance plans that are mandatory at national, European and international level.”
“It complies with all the regulations on food quality and nutritional content, namely in the research of contaminants and zoonoses, since these are diseases that may be transmissible to humans,” he explained. The government official also pointed out that we are ” reassuring the Azoreans that the Regional Veterinary Laboratory is an entity and a tool that guarantees food safety.”
In turn, António Ventura also highlighted the public service provided by the Regional Veterinary Laboratory in carrying out all the tests requested by private parties.
“At this moment, any private entity can request the testing of agrifoods for a fee. On the one hand, the Regional Laboratory enforces compliance with official livestock plans for food safety but, on the other hand, it also provides a public service to all entities and individuals who want to conduct research on agrifoods.
Regarding the nearly 1.2 million analyses carried out by the Regional Veterinary Laboratory, special emphasis is given to those included in food safety plans, particularly the Official Animal Feed Control Programme (POCAA), where Raptopamine, Clembuterol, Chloramphenicol and Aflotoxin are screened in animal feed. They also include the testing of animal constituents and the microbiological analysis of animal feed.
GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU
