Download Trader Notice MH19/2016 Amendment to Food Chain Information

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Trader Notice MH 19/2016
To: Food Business Operators at Poultry Slaughtering Establishments Approved by the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Amendment to Food Chain Information (FCI) for Poultry
Background
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 introduced the concept of
food chain information, which must accompany each consignment of animals being sent for
slaughter. Under the transition rules for the Hygiene Regulations, the Food Chain
Information (FCI) document for poultry was introduced in 2006.
Amendment to the Food Chain Information Document
Amendments to the FCI document have been made in an effort to capture additional
information at the farm of origin, including:
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Time of withdrawal of feed
Production Type
Flock Evenness
Fumigation, cleaning, drying of poultry houses
Floor temperature at placement of day old chicks
Litter type and quality
A list of prescription medications administered
Cumulative Daily Mortality Rate (CDMR)
Copy of veterinary findings and/or post mortem reports to be attached to FCI
This additional data will help build an overall picture of the national flock and will assist in
establishing the factors that may contribute to varying Campylobacter counts in poultry
meat. The recording of CDMR is required under the broiler welfare directive (Council
Directive 2007/43/EC).
A haulier declaration regarding the hygiene of the vehicle, and the welfare of the birds
during transport, has been added to the FCI document.
Role of the Food Business Operator in the Slaughterhouse:
The format of the FCI document is designed to assist the FBO to comply with both Section II
(Objectives of HACCP-based Procedures) and Section III (Food Chain Information) of Annex II
of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. Section III requires the FBO not to accept consignments of
animals onto its premises unless they are accompanied by FCI. However, if the FBO decides
to do so, the Veterinary Inspector (VI) must be informed. The VI will make the final decision
as to whether or not the birds can be slaughtered.
The FBO must check the FCI that has been received, complete the section “Bird Intake-To be
completed at slaughterhouse by operator” on the FCI Form and give the fully completed
form to the VI. The FBO must detail their protocol with regard to FCI in their Bird intake
SOP.
The revised FCI form should be printed on a single sheet (double sided print) and
distributed to farmer suppliers by each slaughterhouse from today’s date. A transition
phase up to and including the 31/12/16 will be allowed to introduce the revised Poultry
FCI form. During the transition phase, both the original FCI document and the revised
document will be accepted with consignments of birds. From 1/1/17, only the revised FCI
poultry document will be accepted with consignments of birds.
The FCI documents for the day’s kill may be kept on file either by the veterinary office or by
the FBO (once the OV is satisfied that Department personnel have ready access to these
data).
Audrey Lyons
Meat Hygiene Division
18th October 2016
Revised FCI Poultry
17 10 2016