Every Official Veterinarian or Export OV must have a veterinary degree, which is registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). If you’re working in the UK as a Meat Hygiene Inspector, you should already be RCVS registered; if not, Eville & Jones can help with the process, among other things – including giving you a company mobile phone and car. Around 95% of our OVs start their careers with us as MHIs.

It is possible to become an Eville & Jones OV without having been one of our MHIs, but you will need to have experience and your English must be of a high standard.

Official Veterinarian courses

Official Veterinarians undergo specialist training before going into a meat plant, to ensure they are fully prepared to work there. The course is relatively short, with learning split into two weeks practical and theory, followed by six months of practica

l work experience.

The two-week online courses, from the University of Bristol or the University of Glasgow, include topics such as animal welfare, epidemiology, enforcement of legislation, notifiable diseases and antemortem inspection. All fees and accommodation are paid by Eville & Jones.

“The OV course provides a broad experience of work within the food industry, in terms of veterinary public health. It gives you a skill base you can then apply elsewhere and is a great grounding in understanding how the industry works in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.” – Steve Wotton, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science at the University of Bristol.

The OV course includes interactive tutorials, group discussions, personal study time, practical sessions and presentations. In order to complete the course successfully, delegates need to demonstrate acceptable performance and understanding in all key areas, detailed on the programme and pass the assessment.

Upon successful completion at Bristol or Glasgow, you will be a novice Official Veterinarian. You will then complete practical training, whilst earning a wage, for a probationary period of at least 200 hours under the supervision of an existing OV.

Official Veterinarians are in high demand within the meat hygiene field—at least one must be present in each plant during operation. Eville & Jones is always hiring. Strive for career success—apply now to become a Meat Hygiene Inspector in the UK, then progress to become a guardian of animal welfare and public health as an OV.