WHAT’S THE BEEF WITH MY PATTY?
The vet’s role behind the beef patty
THE QUINTESSENTIAL Jamaican pastry with its delicate, flaky and golden crust, its ground beef elevated with kicks of Scotch bonnet, black pepper, onion and garlic that we’ve come to know fondly as the “Jamaican” patty. But, how many of us actually know about the beef in our patty? The many corners, from the hard-working hands of our farmers to the delicious delicacy in your hand?
Have you ever thought about how the food you eat, meat, milk and eggs stay safe and healthy to eat? Well, veterinarians, “vets”, play a big role in making sure that happens! Even though we often think of vets as simply animal doctors who take care of pets, they also do a lot of work with our farmers and farm animals to keep our food safe.
Supporting our local farmers. At the farm, veterinarians help farmers maintain a healthy herd with scheduled preventative medical practices (herd health) and provide medical and surgical treatments as needed.
VETERINARIANS ARE LEADERS IN FOOD SAFETY, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Veterinarians are trained for and direct how we handle our food safety and supply, manage disease outbreaks, herd health, and disease prevention. Veterinary Services Division performs tests for antibiotic and microbial residues, to ensure food is safe for public consumption.
We have a broad knowledge base in many species and are often familiar with many diseases before they even emerge as a pandemic. We have a seat at the table regarding these aspects of human health due to our unique training and expertise. By imparting this knowledge, vets help farmers keep their animals healthy, which is good for the animals and for us. This overlap between animal and human health is recognised as a concept we call “One Health”.
Veterinarians are critical to the development of new treatments, vaccines and understanding disease. Before medical advances can be available for human use, we must first ensure that we fully understand the safety, benefits and risk. Animal models for disease are essential to understanding all of this. In order to design these studies, accurately interpret the results, and ensure the health and welfare of every animal involved, veterinarians must be leaders in this research.
Veterinarians are also first responders to human disease outbreaks. Emerging infectious diseases in people can originate from animals and vice versa. Known as “zoonotic diseases”, our current COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. At this very moment, veterinarians are working all over the globe to diagnose diseases in animals, conduct surveillance and recognise foreign animal diseases. They serve as a primary sentinel for these emerging infections in people.
VETERINARIANS ARE ESSENTIAL IN TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF VETERINARIANS
Did you know that many areas are struggling with an alarming shortage of veterinarians, especially in rural practice? As professionals, veterinarians fulfil the mission of teaching, diagnostic or clinical service, and research to develop new veterinary graduates needed to maintain our agricultural development, preserve our food supply chains, and ensure animal health. Veterinary medicine is truly one of the greatest professions. The road to becoming a veterinarian may not be easy, but the extensive impact and influence on our communities are crucial to health and well-being.
Next time you visit your veterinarian, salute their vital contribution to our health and herd health.