One Health is intended to express the concept that Health is the same and concerns humans, animals, and the environment in which they coexist. Our well-being is linked to that of animals and the planet. We live in close contact with our dogs or cats, which can contract and transfer certain diseases.
To ensure the well-being of everyone, a clean environment, proper parasite prevention, and pet hygiene are necessary. Lyme disease, for example, is a severe disease transmitted to humans by biting an infected tick.
Companies producing pet food or food for humans that follow the One Health concept start by respecting the environment where the DFP (Destined for Food Production) animal lives. They then devote attention to caring for the DFP animal itself and, finally, through research, develop products that ensure the welfare of the end consumer.
According to the One Health approach, the balance between humans, animals, and the environment is paramount. But how can this balance be ensured?
One Health, environmentally friendly
A plastic bag abandoned in the street can reach the sea faster than we think, and it takes 10 to 30 years to degrade here. Not to mention all those animals, of the sea but also terrestrial, who, because of our waste, find a horrible death through suffocation or intoxication.
First and foremost, we must take care of our environment. We must respect and preserve our planet as we care for our home. The Earth is only one; unfortunately, here we live, in contact with nature and living beings.
Many awareness-raising campaigns now emphasise the importance of recycling, e.g., using renewable energy and plastic-free materials. Every action corresponds to a reaction. After an extended period, it can be ingested by marine life and thus return to our tables as food.
One Health and the commitment of companies

Following the One Health concept. Several companies have changed the way they work and produce. In addition to preferring environmentally friendly materials for their packaging, they choose to run on renewable energy and use high-quality materials.
Among the breeding of animals for human consumption are those that guarantee the DFP animal a healthy lifestyle, respect for its ethological needs and appropriate care and feeding. Numerous studies and research have helped formulate medicines that ensure animal welfare while reducing environmental contamination in veterinary care.
In recent years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has carried out several awareness campaigns and implemented strategies to combat this phenomenon, precisely through the One Health concept.
The need to use antibiotics properly has been recognised in veterinary medicine (as well as human medicine). However, administering this type of drug, when extreme or incorrect, fuels antibiotic resistance, that is, the ability of bacteria to resist the action of the antibiotic drug and thus live and multiply.
Antibiotics are necessary for humans, pets, and DFP animals because an infected animal's” super bacteria” can be transmitted to the end consumer. Pets need foods that help them live better, respect nature, and ensure their mental and physical Health.
One Health Respect for pets and other animals
Dogs and cats are now integral to our family, and their needs are similar to ours. British and international institutions have also considered the One Health concept.
The British government intends to regulate and guarantee the protection of the environment and animals, thus recognising their importance, especially for future generations. The European Union considers all animals (pets, but also farmed and wild animals) as sentient beings who must always be guaranteed the five fundamental freedoms:
- Freedom from hunger and silk.
- Freedom from environmental discomfort.
- Freedom from pain, injury and disease.
- Freedom to manifest the characteristic behaviour of the species.
- Freedom from fear and stress.
One Health of the well-being of pets

Pets need food that helps them live better, respects their nature and ensures their psycho-physical Health. Therefore, their diet, like ours, must be correct, balanced, and high-quality.
Complementary foodstuffs (supplements) that perform specific functions and help improve their general well-being are also available. But that is not all. Recently, products that can alleviate discomforts such as stress or anxiety have been studied. Again, this underlines how important it is, according to the One Health concept, to ensure the well-being of all.
One Health for Pets
Here are some tips to ensure all-round well-being for our four-legged friends, following the One Health philosophy:
- Therefore, we respect the environment by ensuring clean air, pure water, and quality products for our pets.
- We care for the environment in which they live so that it respects their needs.
- We ensure our presence. Like us, pets are social animals and want to live in company. Even the most independent cat must interact with its human companion, perhaps deciding when and how.
- We choose quality, certified and controlled products.
- Remember, veterinary checks are performed to prevent diseases that may also be transmissible to humans.
We no longer have to think in ‘watertight compartments’ to be well. There is only one Health: to be better off, we must strive to make the planet and its inhabitants well.
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