Food chain information becomes legal requirement
"As of 1 January 2010 Food Chain Information will become a legal requirement for cattle, sheep and goats if producers are supplying directly or indirectly to slaughterhouses," NFU Cymru’s Less Favoured Area Board members were warned recently by John Owen, the newly re-elected Chairman.
Food Chain Information (FCI) will become a legal requirement on 1 January and this will mean that all abattoir operators, across GB, will be required to request, receive, check and act upon FCI for all cattle, sheep and goats received at slaughterhouses.
Mr Owen said, "NFU Cymru has been working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to explore practical ways of implementing the new legislation in a way that minimises the administrative burden on both farmers and abattoir operators. We have consistently argued that farmers should only be required to report by exception and that the current legislation and on-farm controls already provide the necessary assurance that animals are free from disease or injury and medicine withdrawal periods have been met. However, this legislation comes into force on 1 January and farmers need to be aware of what is required of them."
Denzil Jenkins, a sheep farmer from North Pembrokeshire and the newly elected Vice-Chairman of NFU Cymru LFA Board added, "Food Chain Information is only a legal requirement for sheep or lambs that are going for slaughter and isn’t necessary if you are moving breeding sheep or store lambs.
"I’m pleased that provision has been made to include FCI on the new animal movement licence (AML1) for sheep. For sheep and lambs going to slaughter that meet the FCI requirements it is in most cases a simple task of completing the tick box on the front of the AML1 form. If the sheep or lambs don’t satisfy the minimum FCI requirements then you will need to complete the declaration on the reverse of the pink copy of the AML1."
Mr Jenkins added, "I’d like to remind sheep producers, particularly those that sell their lambs direct to slaughter or through slaughter markets, that they can obtain copies of the new AML1 forms from their local authority."
John Owen said, "Discussions to develop a practical solution for FCI in cattle is still ongoing and in the interim the FSA has developed a model document that farmers can complete before moving cattle directly to slaughter or to slaughter markets. These model FCI documents are only to be used for cattle that satisfy the FCI minimum requirements and where the minimum requirements cannot be met farmers must complete an additional information proforma. The Welsh Assembly Government has assured us that the FCI model document and the Additional Information proforma will be available from all Divisional Offices from January 2010 and these will also be available at livestock markets, Animal Health offices and abattoirs.
Mr Owen concluded, "Some slaughterhouse operators already have systems in place for receiving information from their livestock suppliers. Therefore, I strongly urge all cattle keepers that present cattle for slaughter to contact their slaughterhouse operators and livestock markets before they consign their animals to slaughter to check the format in which they would prefer to receive the FCI information."
