policy
Food safety
The AVMA supports appropriate educational, legislative, and regulatory measures to assure that foods of animal origin are safe and wholesome. AVMA…
Food Safety Advisory Committee
The Food Safety Advisory Committee advises the Board of Directors on food protection (food safety, food defense, and food security) issues.
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The importance of veterinarians in food safety
The AVMA recommends that the USDA's Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service take three actions to enhance the recruiting and retention of…
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Safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered (GE) food
The AVMA believes mandatory labeling of GMOs and GE foods or food products is not necessary.
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Education and training in food safety, security and defense for veterinary medical professional and paraprofessional students
The AVMA recommends that state and federal entities develop and expand training programs for veterinary students in the area of food safety,…
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Technologies for pathogen mitigation in food processing
The AVMA supports the use of pathogen reduction processes, such as pasteurization, irradiation, high pressure processing, and other science-based…
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Organic foods
Food producers should be encouraged to provide medically necessary therapy, including antimicrobials, under a veterinarian’s direction, regardless of…
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Truthful and nonmisleading human food labeling
The AVMA supports truthful and non-misleading labeling of animal-derived human food products that meets specific criteria.
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Marketing claims regarding agricultural animal food products
Understand when the AVMA believes a veterinarian should be involved in processes and practices that underlie marketing claims for animal-derived food…
Salmonella: Dry pet foods and pet treats (FAQ)
Questions/answers about Salmonella and pet food: How can pet food become contaminated? How can humans and pets become infected? How can you minimize…
Veterinarians and One Health
Whether as clinical practitioners, epidemiologists, or ecological experts, veterinarians are essential to protecting the health and safety of animals,…
Veterinary feed directive (VFD) basics
The FDA's Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) requires a veterinarian’s involvement when any medically important antibiotic is fed to a food animal…
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Raw milk
The AVMA supports laws requiring pasteurization of fluid nonhuman mammalian milk intended for direct sale or distribution to consumers and opposes…
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Livestock identification and animal traceability
Permanent, unique identification of animals and premises is essential for tracing origin and destination of livestock to protect the nation’s…
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Joint AVMA-FVE-CVMA statement on the role of veterinarians in advancing One Health—A global public good
This statement has been adopted jointly by the AVMA, Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
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Raw diets for dogs and cats
The AVMA discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens…
Resource Links: Amphibians, Reptiles and Salmonella
Links to information about the transmission of Salmonella from handling reptiles and amphibians.
Outdoor enthusiasts and their companion animals
The AVMA has the following advice to help keep outdoor enthusiasts and their animal companions safe while enjoying outdoor activities.
Antimicrobial use and resistance: FAQs for pet owners
AVMA's antimicrobial FAQs provide science-based information to help you make educated decisions about the use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial…
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment may be needed by veterinarians when working with patients, certain medications, laboratory specimens and substances.
Salmonella: Amphibians and Reptiles (FAQ)
Questions and answers for pet owners concerned about Salmonella associated with amphibians and reptiles.
Disease precautions for outdoor enthusiasts and their companion animals
Disease precautions for outdoor enthusiasts and their companion animals
Avian influenza
Avian influenza appears periodically all over the world, including in the United States.