Considering the common scientific activities of the universities, the common theme identified among them was the “Animal food chain production – the impacts of animal production characteristics in the human health”. Briefly, the researchers develop scientific activities aiming the characterization of health and nutritional concerns in producing animals, the impacts of these factors in the produced foods related to quantity, quality and safety, and the impacts of these food characteristics in the human health and nutrition. The main research topics were grouped in the following themes:

1) Animal health and nutrition of producing animals

This theme includes scientific activities that aim the characterization of how animal feeding and animal diseases (infectious, metabolic…) can interfere the productivity and health of producing animals. Specific research in this area covers: metabolic animal diseases, infectious animals diseases, animal nutrition, animal diseases epidemiology, virulence mechanisms of pathogenic agents, molecular and phenotypical characteristics of autochthonous microbiota of animals, control of animal diseases, vaccines development, treatment of animal diseases, environmental impacts of animal health, environmental control of pathogenic agents, development of diagnosis kits of animal diseases, georeferencing data of pathogenic agents…

2) Safety and Quality of Animal products

This theme includes scientific activities that aim the characterization of the inference of the animal nutrition and health, and hygienic procedures of food production on the quality and safety of animal origin foods. Specific research in this area covers: hygienic procedures of food production, application of quality control tools to assure food quality and safety (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points, Good Manufacturing Practices…), foodborne pathogens, chemical and antimicrobial residues, microbiological and chemical characteristics, molecular and phenotypical characteristics of autochthonous microbiota, development of diagnostic kits for assessing food quality and safety, risk analysis

3) Zoonotic diseases of producing animals

This theme includes scientific activities that aim the characterization of zoonotic agents, usually identified in animal origin foods. Specific research in this area covers: molecular and phenotypical characteristics of zoonotic viruses, bacteria and parasites, diagnosis protocols for detection and identification of zoonotic agents in producing animals and produced foods, epidemiologic studies of zoonotic agents, prevention and control procedures of zoonotic agents, government policies for zoonosis control and monitoring, georeferencing data of zoonotic agents

4) Human health and nutrition

This theme includes scientific activities that aim the characterization of how animal origin foods can determine beneficial and deleterious effect on human health and nutrition. Specific research in this area covers: human nutrition, food composition, food as vehicle of pathogenic agents (microorganisms, chemical residues…), consumption habits of animal origin foods, georeferencing data of consumers feeding habits, beneficial properties of animal origin foods (active components, autochthonous probiotic microorganisms), metabolic and infectious diseases related to food consumption (foodborne diseases, diabetes, obesity…).