Evaluation of a Harmonized Undergraduate Catalogue for Veterinary Public Health and Food Hygiene Pedagogy in Europe

Current and emerging veterinary public health (VPH) challenges raised by globalization, climate change and industrialization of food production, require the veterinarian’s role to evolve in parallel, and veterinary education to adapt to reflect these changes. The European Food Hygiene catalogue was developed to provide a list of topics relevant to Day One Competencies in VPH. A study was undertaken to ensure that the catalogue and teaching practices were relevant to the work of public health veterinarians. A consultation process was undertaken with relevant stakeholders using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A long questionnaire was distributed to 49 academics teaching VPH in European veterinary schools to review topics listed in the catalogue. Eighteen responses were received (36.7%), representing 12 European countries. There was general agreement that most topics were appropriate for the undergraduate VPH curriculum. A short questionnaire was distributed to 348 European veterinarians working in the industry. Twenty-four questionnaires (6.7%) were received, representing eight European countries. Despite the low participation rate, topics needing greater emphasis in the undergraduate curriculum included Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), food microbiology and audits. Seven semi-structured interviews with public health veterinarians working in the UK identified the need for curricular changes including greater practical experience and a shift from a focus on meat inspection to risk management. This may be partly achieved by replacing traditional lectures with authentic case-based scenarios. The study findings can be used to inform the future direction to VPH education for veterinary students across Europe.