CA22166 - Safety in the Game Meat Chain (SafeGameMeat)

With 7 million hunters in the EU alone, hunting is a commonly performed activity in most European countries. However, scientific knowledge on the food safety of game meat and the game meat production chain in Europe is limited. Although the game meat market is small compared to that of livestock meat, almost monthly a notification in the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed arises.

Applying a transnational and multidisciplinary One-Health approach, the COST Action “Safety in the Game Meat Chain” will enable the exchange of experiences and concepts through networking, thereby promoting the strengthening and harmonization of food safety standards in a growing European game meat market. The network will consist of all relevant stakeholders along the game meat chain and aims to determine differences and similarities between European countries in hunting practice and education, game meat processing and inspection, trading, legislation, and game meat consumption investigating all stages of the supply chain: from the wild animal to the consumer, “from forest to fork”. A particular focus is on the identification and assessment of known and emerging chemical and biological risks that are of regional, national or global importance and pose a hazard to human health associated with the consumption of game meat.

Overall, the network aims to support informed decisions in regional, national and international risk assessment, management and communication on game meat safety by creating a comprehensive knowledge base and providing concrete recommendations for action, which will contribute to strengthening food safety and consumer protection across Europe.