Sanitary and health inspections

Sanitary and health inspections are really important for protecting public health and making sure animal welfare standards are being met. Regular, systematic checks and inspections can stop health risks from happening at every stage of the agri-food chain.


At European level, EU Regulation 2017/625 is the principal legal reference for official controls and inspections in the supply chain and covers livestock farming, feed, food, animal safety and welfare. The EU and national regulatory framework forms the basis for sanitary and health inspections in the Puglia, carried out, on the basis of a comprehensive system, by the competent authorities through laboratory tests and audits.

Roles and responsibilities

This regional system for protecting public health, animal welfare and food safety is regulated by Regional Law No. 32/1982, which gives local councils the responsibility for administrative functions, while the vet services of the local health authorities (ASL) have been assigned operational functions and direct responsibility for hygiene, veterinary health, policing and veterinary prophylaxis.

 

The local health authorities are involved in the internal audit system, which looks at animal welfare, breeding techniques, environmental hygiene, certification, procedures and the use of veterinary medicines. The idea is to check how well official controls are working and if they're following European and national rules. You can find all the results in the Multi-year Regional Control Plan's (PCRP) yearly report.