Safety in the Game Meat Chain

09/2023-09/2027

Funding programme / funding institution: Europäische Union

Grant number: CA22166

Project description:

The SafeGameMeat Action aims to determine differences and similarities between European countries in terms of hunting practices, game meat processing and inspection, legislation, game meat commodity flows, trade and game meat consumption, investigating all stages of the supply chain from the wild animal to the consumer, “from forest to fork”. By building and utilizing a complex pan-European network of different stakeholders, information can be collected, and thus strengths and weaknesses of the national systems can be identified. Moreover, a specific focus of this Action is the identification and assessment of chemical and biological risks that may be associated with the consumption of game meat. So far, studies showing a comprehensive overview of the complex GMC and highlighting hazards associated with the consumption of game meat have been lacking. Thus, the proposed Action is the first of its kind to collect detailed information on the GMC in the context of food safety in Europe and to identify and evaluate chemical and biological consumer hazards in various meat-producing game species. The knowledge gained will form the basis for identifying best practice examples, harmonizing methodologies, establishing specific guidelines and recommended courses of action for safe game meat production to strengthen consumer protection. With its multidisciplinary and transnational ‘One Health’ approach, the network will make a crucial contribution to addressing the identified gaps and challenges, by strengthening research in the field and enhancing dissemination capacities as well as the transfer of know-how.

Projekt partners

• Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien [Österreich]
• PANNATURA GmbH [Österreich]
• Association des Fabricants Européens de Munitions de Sport [Belgien]
• Croatian Food Agency [Kroatien]
• Statens Serum Institut [Dänemark]
• European Wildlife Disease Association
• European Poultry, Egg and Game Association [Deutschland / Berlin]
• Studio Associato AlpVet [Italien]
• Institut für Tierseuchenbekämpfung der Venetien [Italien]
• University of Milan [Italien]
• Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment [Lettland]
• National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute Lithuania [Litauen]
• Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology [Neuseeland / Christchurch // Neuseeland / Nelson]
• Universität „St. Kyrill und Method“ - Skopje [Nordmazedonien]
• National Veterinary Research Institute [Polen / Pu?awy]
• University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro [Portugal // Portugal / Vila Real]
• Public Enterprise Vojvodinašume [Serbien / Novi Sad // Serbien / Petrovaradin]
• Scientific Veterinary Institute "Novi Sad" [Serbien / Novi Sad]
• Veterinärmedizinische Universität Košice [Slowakei]
• Universität Ljubljana [Slowenien]
• University of Castilla-La Mancha [Spanien]
• Schwedische Universität für Agrarwissenschaften) [Schweden / Alnarp]
• rupicapra GmbH [Schweiz]
• University of the Highlands and Islands [Vereinigtes Königreich // Vereinigtes Königreich / Inverness]
• (Universität Queensland) School of Agriculture and Food Sciences
• Czech University of Life Sciences Prague [Tschechien / Prag]
• Ernährungs- und Landwirtschaftsorganisation der Vereinten Nationen [Italien / Rom]
• (University of Florida) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation [Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika / Gainesville]