EFSA Biological Hazards, Animal Health & Welfare

Thanks again to all stakeholders! www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/in... Info session | Advancing Scientific Knowledge on the Welfare of Turkeys on farm: Insights from the EFSA Scientific Opinion | EFSA

🙏 🙏Thank you to everyone across the network for today’s meeting.

Today #EFSA Scientific network on risk assessment in #AnimalWelfare and Scientific network of National contact points Regulation 1099/2009. Great ideas, shared challenges, and strong collaboration. 💪💪

#EFSA just published Scientific opinion on #AnimalWelfare at #slaughter: latest assessment of new stunning method finds that at current parameters, it does not meet the welfare standards of currently approved methods.
👉 👉 efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Please register on time !

Join our free info session on EFSA scientific opinion on turkey welfare? 🦃
📅 25 Feb 2026
⏰ 14:00–16:05 CET

Register by 20 Feb 👉www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/in...

Behind every EFSA scientist was once a girl curious about the world.

Today, on #WomenInScience Day, we celebrate their paths, from early wonder to leading research that protects Europe’s food and environment.

Here’s to the women advancing science every day. ✨

#IDWGIS #STEM

Register now !! www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/in... Info session | Advancing Scientific Knowledge on the Welfare of Turkeys on farm: Insights from the EFSA Scientific Opinion | EFSA

turkey close-up

🦃 Just published | #AnimalWelfare

To improve the welfare of #turkeys, our scientists recommend a number of measures such as increasing space, providing enrichment, phasing out mutilations, avoiding the practice of flock thinning.

More: 🔗 www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/to...

@efsa-biohaw.bsky.social

Read Read! Just published by @efsa.europa.eu. Most common housing systems and practices of keeping turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) in the EU EFSA www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supportin...

🦃 Just published! EFSA’s Scientific Opinion & technical report on the #Welfare of turkeys on farm

🧬Read our recommendations on space, litter, enrichment, air quality, light, breeding & avoiding mutilations

📄 Read 👉 www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajourn...

Meat intended for freezing: EFSA assesses bacterial growth in meat before it reaches consumers EFSA assessed how bacteria grow in meat from cattle, sheep and pigs during chilling, storage and defrosting.

Our experts assessed bacterial growth in #meat intended for freezing 🥩

The way meat is stored by food business operators can affect both safety and the way meat smells and appears.

Find out how long meat can be safely stored and what this means for EU rules → link.europa.eu/PtKw9f

#EUFoodSafety

A close-up of a brown horse peering through a wooden stable opening, with warm lighting highlighting its face and eyes. The background consists of blurred wooden stable walls.

Welfare of horses: Plain Language Summary

In case you missed it, our review of horse slaughter processes and their welfare impact is available in clear, simple terms.

Our experts have made recommendations to enhance animal welfare & reduce possible hazards.

doi.org/10.2903/j.ef...

#AnimalWelfare

📢 Just published!
How wild bird abundance data can support early warning for #AvianInfluenza in the EU? 🌍

This report explores how #WildBirds abundance data may improve movement estimates when ring-recovery or tracking data are limited🐦
👉 Read the full report: doi.org/10.2903/sp.e...

Monthly report December 2025 SENTINEL Wild Birds SENTINEL Wild Birds aims to enhance the understanding of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus dynamics in wild bird populations at key locations in and near Europe. This monthly summary provides an update on sampled wild birds as part of an early warning system to support wildlife management and disease prevention efforts.

New SENTINEL #WildBirds report NOW available:zenodo.org/records/1803...
🦆 Over 2,000 wild birds from 30+ species were sampled in 11 countries. During autumn and early winter, #HPAI A(H5N1) and #InfluenzaA viruses were detected, with mallards and Eurasian teals among the most sampled species

Kind reminder for your contributions 🙏 🙏 !

📣 Call for Data #EFSA: Head-Only Electrical Stunning of Heavy pigs

👉 Deadline: 15 January 2026, 23:59 CET

👉 www.efsa.europa.eu/en/call/call...

Behind every EFSA opinion is teamwork, trust and shared responsibility - even around the fridge.

This festive season, we celebrate collaboration that keeps food safe across Europe.

🎄 From our fridge to yours, happy holidays with safe food.

@efsa.europa.eu finds no evidence of true vertical transmission of VHSV, IHNV & HPR-deleted ISAV via fertilised eggs/gametes. Surface contamination risk remains, so vigilance in movements from non-free areas is key. 
efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/...

#Aquaculture #AnimalHealth

EU Monitoring Report on #avianflu (Sept-Nov 2025) now online: www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajourn...
🦊More mammal cases, mainly foxes and some cats in Germany and Netherlands
🐮North America saw more cases in poultry, cattle, cats and wildlife
🌏H5N1 was detected in elephant seals, a first case in Oceania

🐟 Just published #EFSA Technical Report on Fish Husbandry Systems 🐠 

Huge thanks to all Member States in the #EFSA AHAW Network 🙏
👉 Read the full report: efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2...
#FoodSafety #AnimalWelfare #Aquaculture

EU Monitoring Report on #avianflu (Sept-Nov 2025) now online: www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajourn...
🦃Turkeys were most affected, and France reported 30+ outbreaks in vaccinated ducks
🐦Most poultry outbreaks came from wild birds, with reduced farm-to-farm spread compared to past epidemics

EU Monitoring Report on #avianflu (Sept-Nov 2025) now online:  www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajourn...
🌍Europe saw unusually high HPAI in wild birds, found in both dead and healthy-looking animals
🕊️Along the West European migration route, several countries reported large crane die-offs

#AfricanSwineFever bites! Carcass removal works to contain the spread, thus @enetwild.com has released a review of methods to find and date wild boar carcasses zenodo.org/records/1759... as well as recommendations for carcass detection and dating in different environments zenodo.org/records/1759...

Scenarios for pre-pandemic zoonotic influenza preparedness and response The aim of this framework is to guide a scalable public health response to influenza of zoonotic origin in EU/EEA countries and provide options for preparing and responding to different possible pre-pandemic scenarios.

ECDC defines scenarios for pre-pandemic zoonotic influenza preparedness and response, to guide a scalable public health response and provide options for responding to possible pre-pandemic scenarios. @ecdc.europa.eu Check and download the tool at www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publicati...

ECDC defines strategies to fight avian and swine flu in humans Unprecedented outbreaks in birds highlight the need for early detection and preparedness.

 ECDC defines strategies to fight avian and swine flu in humans: a guide has been released to help MSs to detect and respond to possible animal-related influenza threats, including pandemics. Check at  www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-even... @ecdc.europa.eu 

A nice presentation by the one and only Temple Grandin. A nice quote …. @efsa.europa.eu at #EuFarmWelfare2050

Today @efsa.europa.eu at #EuFarmWelfare2050. Minister Jacob Jensen opens “Animal welfare is a shared responsibility across stakeholders”

The European Union summary report on surveillance for the presence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) in 2024 This report presents results of surveillance on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in bovines, sheep, goats, cervids and other species, and genotyping in sheep and goats, carried out in 2024 by...

last report on TSE surveillance here: www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajourn...

💻 New IT Opportunity! #EFSA is seeking partners to help develop the Animal Welfare Data Hub 🐄🐖
🧠 Collaboration with #EUPAHW.
🕒 Deadline: 16 Jan 2026
💶 Value: €500,000
🔗 Learn more & apply: https://ow.ly/Ax8q50Xo138

#DataHub #DigitalInnovation #AnimalHealthAndWelfare #EUProjects #Research

No BIRD FLU campaign https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/no-bird-flu presented at 97th Advisory Forum of European Food Safety Authority. Great feedback from MSs and lots of downloads of communication material to raise awareness on farm biosecurity to prevent the introduction and spread of avian influenza.

💬 Thanks to everyone who joined @efsa.europa.eu webinars on #AnimalWelfare last week!
📚 Missed them? The presentations are now online:
👉 Fur animals: www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/we...
👉 Beef cattle:
www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/we...

#EFSA #AnimalHealth #StakeholderEngagement

🦢 EFSA-@ecdc.europa.eu-EU Ref Lab bird flu update | Cases in Europe rose mildly June–Sept, but risk to the public stays low.

See 👇 key findings on birds, mammals & global trends.

Check out the full report at link.europa.eu/CYjVQN

#BirdFlu #AvianInfluenza #EFSA | @efsa-biohaw.bsky.social