WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS

An adequate, high-quality animal health service is indispensable to an imal production in the Netherlands. Modern intensive animal husbandry, with its high density of animals, needs a considerable input of knowl edge, vaccines and drugs. The consumer expects healthy and especially safe products. These two goals are in seeming contradiction. Moreover, veterinary help, the necessary use of drugs, the supervision and cont rol of AID (Agricultural Inspection Services) and RVV (Inspection Serv ice for Meat and Meat Products) add to the already substantial costs o f modern animal husbandry. From the point of view of integral quality control, the question is what changes are necessary to achieve a more effective health service. Goals for the future include: - reducing the structural dependence on drugs and additives; - substantially reducin g the number of active substances used; - increasing consumer confiden ce in animal products.