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AFSSA offers solutions to increase the effectiveness of State decisions and to ensure satisfactory safety levels in its areas of expertise. It is charged with a number of clearly-identified operational assignments, including the assessment of health and nutritional benefits and risks, recommendations for health protection measures, the promotion and management of national research initiatives, laboratory reference missions as well as alert, monitoring and surveillance tasks and the application of training and communication initiatives. Created in April 1999 in response to various health crises, AFSSA is answerable to the French ministries for health, agriculture and consumer affairs.
AFSSA represents France within the European Food Safety Authority.
Through the combined efforts of its various entities and field units and its resolutely integrative approach, AFSSA manages a wide range of health issues on a daily basis, including bluetongue, avian influenza, rabies, Q fever, foot-and-mouth disease, Rift Valley fever, bee and oyster mortality, equine viral arteritis, dioxins, chlordecone, PCB, heavy metals, E. coli, Listeria, etc.

AFSSA is an independent public institution which, through its monitoring, alert, research and research promotion activities, contributes to the protection and improvement of public health, animal health and welfare, and plant and environmental health.

AFSSA evaluates the risks and benefits of crop treatment products before a decision regarding marketing authorisation approval is taken by the authorities. It conducts studies to quantify consumer exposure to environmental contaminants (pesticide residues, etc.).

AFSSA helps prevent and control diseases of livestock and wildlife, both specific to animals and transmissible to humans. It is in charge of veterinary medicinal product control and monitors and assesses the quality and efficacy of these products.