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SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO CHICKEN STANDARDS Consultation : October 2016 Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing times At Red Tractor we know that our standards must be kept up to date. With or without Brexit there will always be legal regulations and we cannot afford to fall behind and new issues emerge in the minds of shoppers who buy our products. So, we review our farm standards every three years and are just launching proposals for the next update to come into effect next year. The changes will provide positive re-assurance on some key issues. For the next few weeks we invite comments on the changes and we will consider all the responses before finalising the standards early next year. Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing times Rodenticides and Environment Protection Regulations came into force to seriously restrict the use of rodenticides because of concerns that their use was damaging wild bird populations. Under the regulations users must take further training or they will only be able to buy rodenticides intended for amateur and domestic use. However, government has accepted that Red Tractor members are responsible users and should not face these restrictions. We are adding some details to the standards to secure these benefits. Our Crops standards have worked successfully with the Voluntary Initiative for many years to avoid pesticide residues on crops and pollution of the environment. We now propose to add simple environment protection measures to some livestock standards. Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing times Biosecurity We all know that outbreaks of disease can be devastating so we are proposing some changes to make current policies on biosecurity even clearer, for example, when using disinfectants. In the more intensive livestock sectors the focus will be on access to the unit by people and visitors and their impact on biosecurity. A key issue in recent press headlines has been the question of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Since Penicillin first came into use in the 1930s we have relied on antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine to treat a range of serious infectious disease. Now there is a major worry that the pathogens are rapidly getting resistant to them. Wild press reports that blame the entire problem on the use of antimicrobials in farming are clearly misguided, however, we all have a part to play to ensure responsible use. RUMA the alliance for Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture co-ordinates the food supply chain on this topic and Red Tractor is a long standing supporter of RUMA. UK practice is already good but we will introduce some additions, in line with the latest RUMA guidance. Red Tractor Standards : Keeping pace with changing times Fresh Produce Many crops such as salads and fruit can go from the field to table with no cooking or processing. If the crop is contaminated in the field or during harvest there will be nothing to prevent it causing illness when it’s eaten and fresh produce has been the cause of a number of big outbreaks of illness in North America and on mainland Europe. The track record of UK-grown produce has actually been very good but we have still taken the opportunity to propose some improvements in this area. We have drawn on information from the International ‘Codex’ fresh produce guidance. Closer to home, the European Commission is just finalising its own guidance on microbiological risks in fresh produce and it is gratifying that they have used Red Tractor standards as the basis of some of their document. At the same time we have drawn some points from their draft which we believe will add further reassurance to the safety of Red Tractor salads. David Clarke CEO, Assured Food Standards DOCUMENTS & PROCEDURES Strengthened DP.d To consider more issues when looking at new production sites (e.g. distance from other poultry sites) in order to minimise the risk of contracting disease/spread of disease with particular reference to Avian Influenza TRACEABILITY AND ASSURANCE STATUS Strengthened TI.a To require more information on the origin of chicks in order to ensure accurate origin labelling of the final product TI.b To require RT hatcheries only handle RT eggs thus reducing the risk of possible pathogen transfer and ensuring the RT assurance chain is maintained VERMIN CONTROL Strengthened VC.a Requiring vermin entry points are minimised VC.b By detailing what we mean by “ bait” must be used responsibly Additional VC.b.1 Requiring that permanent baiting is evidence led and setting out how this can be achieved All ensure RT maintains its recognition by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) as meeting its Code of Best Practice which promotes responsible rodenticide use and reduces risks to non-target species FEED AND WATER Strengthened FW.k Additional requirements have been added to ensure feeding equipment used on and off farm is kept clean and therefore reduces the risk of contamination Additional FW.k.1 A standard setting out how home grown wheat must be treated before feeding to chicken in order to limit the introduction of Salmonella BIOSECURITY AND DISEASE CONTROL Strengthened • BI.a By detailing the control measures that need to be in place to minimise disease entry and spread. Control measure are based on HACCP principles • BI.k By introducing an additional requirement for C&D of vehicles exiting farms and specifying the disinfectants that can be used Additional • BI.a.1 To control unauthorised people entry and breaches of farm biosecurity • BI.a.2 Recommendation to define farm boundaries and control entry and exit to farm • BI.c.1 Ensures that new sites are designed so no personal vehicles enter the biosecure area on farm • BI.e.1 Prohibits the entry of personal objects such as wallets, cameras (which are difficult to disinfect) into bird areas The aim of all is to minimise the risks of disease spread and the risk of an AI outbreak ANIMAL MEDICINES AND HUSBANDRY PROCEDURES Strengthened • AM.a Added a requirement to keep records of prescriptions and for them to be available at RT assessments strengthens this standard • AM.f.1 Changing the recording of antibiotics from Mg/kg LWt as the metric to Mg/pcu. The VMD are going to require the figure as Mg/pcu when they have to report usage to ESVAC so changing how farmers do it now will help embed this reporting format Additional • AM.f.3 Prohibits the prophylactic use of antibiotics. RUMA define prophylactic use is defined as ‘treatment of an animal or a group of animals, before clinical signs of infectious disease, in order to prevent the occurrence of disease or infection’. continued….. ANIMAL MEDICINES AND HUSBANDRY PROCEDURES • AM.f.4: Requires there is a documented vet’s justification available to demonstrate antibiotics are only used when absolutely necessary to safeguard the welfare of the animal • AM.f.5: Prohibits the use of antibiotic groups that are critically important to human health • AM.f.6: Limits the use of fluoroquinolones and macrolides to treat disease as they are critically important to human health The aim of all is to help minimise the risk of antibiotic resistance to humans and animals ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CONTAMINATION CONTROL Strengthened • EC.a To require that injurious weeds are controlled in order to reduce the risk of free range birds consuming them and getting sick. This is a legal requirement • EC.c Requires more robust controls around all wastes, but in particular chemical wastes e.g. empty PPP containers. All changes represent good practice for environmental protection • EC.d – Includes nematicides as a PPP and prohibits storing unapproved PPPs • EC.f To include legislative requirements and good practice around the application of PPPs • EC.i.1 To require the calibration of PPP application equipment at least annually thus ensuring accurate applications to protect the wider environment • EC.m To not allow fertilisers or soil improvement product to be applied at high risk times (e.g. water logged ground ) in order to minimise the risks of run off /pollution Continued ….... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CONTAMINATION CONTROL Additional • EC.d.1 Reflects legislative and Cross Compliance requirements for the use of PPPs e.g. PPPs must be appropriate for the use required, maximum permitted dose rates, etc • EC.g.2 Requires any spraying contractors used to be suitably qualified and registered with a professional body for sprayers, the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) to ensure continuous professional development • EC.g.3 Requires advisers on pesticides usage to have a BASIS Professional Registration number. Where farmers are taking advice from external advisers it is good practice that those advisers are suitably qualified • EC.i.4 Is a legal requirement and requires that surplus spray mix is dealt with responsibly The aim of all is to reduce the risk of environmental contamination DEPOPULATION Strengthened • DE.x.1 By the addition of “Controls must be” in order to ensure there is rigor around the cleaning and disinfection of catching equipment and transport • DE.y Ensures if catchers use their own company vehicle for breaks, that the farmer has to ensure the vehicle is clean & disinfected on entry to the biosecure area Both aim to reduce the risks of disease entry onto farm and spread