An Irish diagnostics company has joined forces with Marks & Spencer in developing a new test to detect diseased animals before they fall ill.
The chain store said farmers will be able to test their animals for signs of illness without being prompted by visible symptoms. The scheme could be used to help guard against the spread of a whole range of diseases, including foot-and-mouth, mastitis and pneumonia.
Managing director of Wexford-based Tridelta which developed the test, Mr Brian Hett, said: "At a time of increasing public concerns with regard to the health and welfare of farm animals in general, these simple tests mark the first steps in a programme of bioassurance that will ensure that animals entering the food chain will be completely healthy."
Although the test, which detects a rise in disease-fighting proteins in saliva or milk, will not tell farmers what is wrong with their animals, Marks & Spencer insisted it will prompt them to call on a vet to carry out further examinations.
It could even have implications for animal welfare as the proteins detected - called acute phase proteins - are only detectable when an animal is either falling ill or stressed due to poor living or transport conditions.
Trials are now continuing to develop on-farm kits which the chain said could be used by all its suppliers, which include more than 2,000 beef and dairy farmers and 100 pig producers.
The cost of the kits would be "minimal", while regular testing would allow a health profile to be kept on both individual animals and herds.
M&S agriculture specialist, Dr Chris Brown, said: "This is a revolutionary approach that will provide our farms with a quantifiable method of evaluating the health of their animals and therefore we will be able to guarantee the quality of the product to our customers."