Approaches to Meat Safety

Food Chain Information for Pigs in Europe—Sufficient in its Current Form?

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Abstract

Food chain information (FCI) according to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 provides a bidirectional flow of information from farm to abattoir. It is collected along the food chain for slaughter animals and exchanged between the actors at the different stages of production. As part of the risk-based meat inspection, FCI could determine the intensity and procedure of ante- and post-mortem inspections depending on the risk of the incoming herds or individual animals. The exchange of FCI does not only allow for risk categorization and analysis of farms but also provide feedback of findings to the farms as part of a continuous improvement process. In Annex II, Section III of Regulation (EC) No 835/2004 the relevant data to be covered within FCI are defined including information on “the animals' health status”, the “veterinary medicinal products […] administered to the animals within a relevant period and with a withdrawal period greater than zero [days]”, and “relevant reports about previous ante- and post-mortem inspections of animals from the same holding”. However, EU regulation does not specify which data should be collected. As a result, the information content in Europe differs from country to country. For instance, data on the mortality rate could or could not be included in the FCI and the relevant period for administered veterinary medicinal products prior to slaughter varies from 0 days to the entire fattening period. Within the framework of RIBMINS (Risk-based meat inspection and integrated meat safety assurance) as part of the COST Action (CA18105), an online survey was conducted to evaluate the current situation of FCI for pigs in Europe.

How to Cite:

Li, T., Isbrandt, R., Langforth, S., Langkabel, N., Sotiraki, S., Anastasiadou, S., Nesbakken, T. & Meemken, D., (2023) “Food Chain Information for Pigs in Europe—Sufficient in its Current Form?”, SafePork 14(1).