A survey for the assessment of demographics and training needs of official veterinarians in Europe

Veterinarians are experts in animal health and welfare and public health, playing an essential role in controlling and defending the safety and quality of food of animal origin. Official veterinarians (OVs) are a vital part of food safety assurance as they perform the official controls for the national authorities. The way official controls will be carried out in Europe in the future is currently under revision. The ongoing implementation of modernised meat safety assurance systems, from traditional inspection to risk-based meat safety assurance, requires OVs to adapt their control processes. They need to act as risk managers who consider harmonised epidemiological indicators and food chain information. However, to date, the demography, training opportunities and training needs of OVs remain to be assessed and likely vary widely across Europe. An online anonymous questionnaire was developed, tested in a pilot study and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Porto, Portugal. The objective of this survey tool, encompassing eight groups of questions, was to characterise OVs in terms of demography and employment, and to identify continuous education and training needs. To reach as many OVs working in Europe as possible, the questionnaire was translated into 17 different languages and was available to recipients from 1st December 2021 to 31st March 2022. This survey tool was disseminated through RIBMINS national contact points, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, the European College of Veterinary Public Health as well as professional and personal networks in the countries participating in the RIBMINS project. Over 1, 700 OVs from 30 countries have completed the questionnaire. The data obtained will enable the characterisation of this professional group and help to identify training needs and develop effective future training tools.