Animal Welfare hazard analysis

Hi All

 

As per the new regulation of CFIA, poultry slaughter plants are supposed to develop Animal Welfare Quality Control Program.

 

The requirement states " Slaughter plant operators must develop,implement and maintain a written animal welfare program specific for the species, sex, temperament and size and age of food animals they process.

 

Steps to developing a welfare program similar to hazard analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)

Identify the hazards: Assess where and under what circumstances animals may experience avoidable distress or pain during transport, receiving, handling, lairage , stunning and bleed out.

 

Control the hazards: Design and implement procedures that will prevent or minimize excitement, discomfort, injury, distress and pain."

 

Can someone give me examples of what different types of hazards can be identified in this entire process. During our discussions some people are identifying bird stress, suffocation, injury, bone damage as the hazards while some consider, improper catching procedures, extreme temperatures, improper ventilation, broken crates, longer than anticipated travel times as some of the hazards.

 

Can someone please provide a clarification on this. Also, will the hazards need to be classified as physical and biological (don't think any chemical hazards would exist in this case)?

 

Please advise.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Hi DivyaM,

 

I performed 3rd party audits for a Company that provided animal welfare audit services.  I did not ever conduct one of these but received some training on the subject and can give you the gist of what one entails. The elimination or mitigation of death, suffering, stress, sickness/disease, cruelty, pain, accidents, injury, etc. that animals may experience during the course of production and slaughter is the ultimate  aim of such an audit. Therefore, the examination of the audit criteria/standard will reveal the kinds of hazards one might analyze.

The criteria directs the auditor to investigate a facility/ranch through observations of the activities, practices, condition and cleanliness of an operation. For the purposes of communicating, let me convert the criteria into examples of categories and questions. These should provide you a keen sense of the many hazards. As with any scheme of categorizations there exist overlaps and redundancies.

 

Standards - Is there X quantity of space per animal? Is sunlight available for X hours per day? Is there adequate feed and water available at X linear feet of device per animal? How many animals did you observe showing signs of sickness or injury did you during the audit? Are animals properly stunned by method X before slaughter

Condition - Are fences, walls etc., free of snags and protrusions that may cause injury. Are the paths (to slaughter) smooth, level and conducive to injury-free and  orderly conduct of animals from point x to point y?

Cleanliness - Is excrement frequently removed to disposal? Is feed and water observed to be clean? Do you observe dead or dying animals not removed from the area?

Cruelty - Do you observe violence directed at animals? Do you observe suspicious injuries. Are injuries properly treated.? Do you observe signs and indications of stress a, b, c, d from animals? Are injured animals removed and sequestered to prevent molestation by other animals? Is there a dedicated sequestration area? Is there a contingency for cooling /heating of animals (species X) when the temperature exceeds or drops below (X) F. Is there contingency for animals to shelter from inclement weather?

 

Kind Regards

In chapter 12 of the MOP there are all the Pre Reqs you need to hit for humane handling.When I right my new programs I simply use the same (copy and paste) language as the MOP and the FSEP manual. Also use the MIR as your guide when it comes to the bullets to hit. 

You will need to use a form 10. If you don't have the blank template, as your VIC to send it to you. Form 10 is a long and drawn out process, but it allows you to cut and paste regulations so you can easily identify if there is a hazard NOT covered by a piece of legislation as a pre req.

 

Hope that helps

Thanks Xylough and scampi!! This is great help!

Is violence directed towards the chickens during slaughtering?!?!?

 

Also, consider the fourth pillar of food safety, intrinsic hazards. There was an issue in the UK a number of years ago where a spokesman for the RSPB came out and claimed that the conditions in Thailand were better than in the UK for poultry as chickens in Thailand had more space that birds in the UK. This ignored the fundamental fact that it is warmer in Thailand than in, for example, Durham. Perhaps something to consider depending on which part of Canada you are in?

Can someone give me examples of what different types of hazards can be identified in this entire process.

 

This is only a personal opinion but I find it difficult to give an objective answer to the above question since based on occasional newspaper photographs of typical "Production" procedures, even  the Prerequisites seem to be allocatable into an emotional category such as "Inhuman".

 

And yet I am not a vegetarian. Mea Culpa.

There is an objective point of view Charles. The animals NEED to be slaughtered in order for humans to consume the meat they love so much. HOWEVER, we can do so while causing the least amount of suffering and stress as possible until the point of death. 

This is a topic most people do not want to talk about NOR do they really want to know. Those of us in the meat packing industry having a very daunting task.....on top of all the usual food safety regulations, we also have to be aware of how truck drivers handle the vehicle, did they tarp it, if its a long drive, did they stop to check the load,,,,,,are there people coming to your facility just to take hidden camera footage, i could go on and on.

 

Regulations regarding how animals are handled are getting more strict by the day.

I'm guessing that better animal welfare (birth to death) also comes at a cost that nobody is really prepared to pay for.

That said we can always do our best within available resources...like putting a tarp on. 

 

Not easy to control through the entire supply chain, it's difficult enough with inert products.

The whole idea is to cause least amount of stress and suffering to the birds in the whole process. We have to run a parallel animal welfare program which has equally tough regulations as of food safety and requires an extreme level of commitment to achieve compliance.