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Food Chain Information: Questions and Answers
Uploaded
January 2008
This new piece of legislation was covered in the
Christmas BPA newsletter.
This legislation is a Food Standards Agency requirement
imposed on the slaughterhouses. It is not a piece of DEFRA legislation
imposed on farmers. The FSA website opens with this statement
“Legislation comes into force on 1 January 2008
requiring slaughterhouse operators to 'request, receive, check and act
upon' food chain information (FCI) for all pigs sent to the
slaughterhouse.”
Clearly it is the responsibility of the abattoirs to
provide the means to collect this information but this does not seem to
be happening in all cases.
What can BPA members do?
The first and best option is to use the BPEX on-line
system to register your farm and subsequent shipments. Details of this
system were published in the December newsletter. It does require that
your abattoir is also signed up to the system. The big advantage of
using this on-line method is that your vet will be able to see your
abattoir reports from his office. These reports can form an important
part of a Farm Health Plan.
http://www.bpex-fci.org.uk/fci/
If the on-line system is not an option then you will
have to use paper. You can write to your abattoir and ask them to supply
you with the forms.
A final option is to do the abattoirs job for them and
download the forms from the FSA website and fill them in.
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/meatregsguid/fcipigslaughter
A copy of the draft guidance is available below with
some questions and answers. Clearly it is intended that each abattoir
should modify this to suit their own requirements
1. What is Food Chain Information (FCI)?
The new EU Hygiene Regulations which came into force in 2006
recognised all primary producers - including pig farms - as food
producers, and formalised the 'farm-to-fork' concept. From 1 January
2008 producers will be required to provide information - Food Chain
Information - to the slaughterhouse about pigs sent for slaughter. There
is no additional record-keeping requirement for producers - all the
required information should be readily available.
2. Who is responsible for introducing FCI
The Food Standards Agency is the authority in the UK which has
responsibility for ensuring that the legislation relating to FCI is
applied in the UK, through the Meat Hygiene Service. The abattoir is
legally responsible for ensuring that it collects all necessary
information to comply with the FCI elements of the EU legislation.
3. Why is it being introduced?
To ensure that abattoirs have all the information they need about
the pigs they receive to apply HACCP-based food safety systems. FCI will
also be used by FSA and MHS in introducing simplified inspection
systems.
4. When does it start?
The submission of FCI for pigs starts on 1 January 2008.
5. What do I have to do as a pig producer?
As a producer you are required to give the abattoir one-off
information about your site (see page 1 of Draft Guidance) and then to
send FCI for every consignment of pigs you send for slaughter (see page
2 of Draft Guidance). The abattoir operator will tell you exactly what
information he requires, and how he wishes to receive it.
6. What do I have to do as a pig abattoir?
As an abattoir operator you need to decide what FCI that you require
for your own needs and to comply with the legislation. You should obtain
the production site details (see page 1 of Draft Guidance) for each
supplier - these are needed only once, and up-dated as necessary. You
then need to ensure that you receive FCI for every batch of pigs sent to
you for slaughter (see page 2 of Draft Guidance). Many abattoirs will
already be asking for much of this information for their own and their
customers' needs.
7. Do I need to send FCI with every load of pigs or
just once for all deliveries I send to an abattoir that day?
You need to complete and send Fel for every consignment/load of pigs
you send to an abattoir.
8. Does the FCI have to be sent to the abattoir
before the pigs are delivered or can I send the FCI with the actual
consignment of pigs?
No. FCI information can be submitted either prior to the pigs being
sent or with the consignment itself. It is for the abattoir receiving
the pigs to decide when they wish to receive FCI information. Abattoirs
may wish to receive the FCI in advance to help them plan their slaughter
schedule for the day.
9. Do I still need to send an AML2 form?
Yes the AML2 form is a legal requirement for animal disease control
purposes.
10. Do I still need to send a 'casualty' pig form as
well as an FCI form?
No - the FCI document contains all the information previously
contained in the 'casualty' pig form.
11. Do I have to add an identity mark to all pigs
that have received treatment in the past 28 days?
No - you only have to identify any 'casualty' animals in the load.
12. Why can't I just send in an AML2 form and any
medicine records for pigs treated in the past 28 days?
The abattoir has to be satisfied that the information you send prior
to or with the consignment of pigs fulfils the FCI requirements and
satisfies their own information needs. The draft guidance on FCI sent to
abattoirs or available from BPEX and NPA websites by FSA can be used by
abattoirs as the basis for their own electronic or paper documents.
13. Do I need to send any previous FCI forms with
consignments of pigs?
No, the Food Standards Agency has listened to the industry's
concerns and has recognised the practical difficulties of providing
inspection reports for previous consignments in some circumstances - it
has decided not to apply this requirement for now. It will reconsider
this matter later when the new MHS system for collecting and reporting
inspection results has been running for a while. FSA will shortly be
issuing revised draft guidance on FC!.
14. What is a herdmark?
The herdmark is the same as the slapmark for most businesses unless
you have registered more than one slapmark with a unit. If you
have more than one slapmark registered with your unit then you should
enter only the original slapmark as the herdmark.
15. I sell my pigs via a market or collection centre,
how can I provide FCI if I don't know how many pigs are being sent to
which abattoirs once they have been sold?
The practical advice is for markets and abattoirs to co-operate so
that the FCI required by regular buyers is known. For producers selling
pigs via a market where the destination abattoir is unknown or where the
pigs are split into different groups and moved to separate abattoirs,
the advice is to send a single FCI form with the pigs to market but to
leave the consignment and destination abattoir blank. The market can
then complete the detail regarding destination abattoir and number of
pigs and, if the consignment is split, photocopy and complete the form
as necessary.
16. Where can I obtain a blank FCI form from?
There are three options for sending FCI:
Obtain a form from your abattoir - paper or electronic
Design your own form subject to approval from your abattoir Use the BPEX
online service www.bpex-fci.org.uk
17. What is the BPEX online system?
The BPEX online system is an internet service which allows you to
send FCI information to abattoirs and receive back MHS condemnation
results. The system links to various databases so users just have to
point and click to submit FCI information rather than having to fill out
documents by hand.
If you use the BPEX system you have to complete and
submit your FCI information before 4.00am on the day of sending your
pigs as all FCI information is sent to the abattoir in a single email
at 5.30am.
18. What is the difference between completing the
paper form and using the BPEX online system?
If you register with the BPEX online service
www.bpex-fci.org.uk
you only have to enter information about your business e.g. name,
address, vet etc once and then it is stored. Therefore the amount of
information you have to enter for each load of pigs sent is greatly
reduced and the time taken to complete an FCI form should be a matter of
a few seconds not several minutes of additional form filling.
If you are an assured producer you only need to enter
your assurance number and post code and all your business details are
automatically updated.
The BPEX system also enables you to receive MHS
condemnation results back electronically within 48 hours.
The BPEX system contains a number of databases such as
lists of abattoirs, veterinary practices and medicines (including
withdrawal periods) so you only have to point and click rather than
writing out lots of answers.
By using the BPEX online system you can submit your FCI
form in advance of sending the pigs (the latest you can submit a form
online is 4.00am in the day of sending the pigs as the system sends all
FCI information to all abattoirs at 5.30am)
19. What happens if I use the BPEX system and enter
on the system that I am sending 200 pigs the day before sending them to
slaughter but only send 198 when I actually come to load them on the
actual day?
The FCI document is not like the AML2 traceability document therefore
the precise number of pigs in the consignment can vary from the numbers
provided with the FC!.
20. Why isn't the AML2 form and the FCI form combined
as a lot of the information is duplicated?
Defra requires movement information for disease control purposes on its
own, official AML2 form. There is a duplication of information on the
two forms and the pig industry is trying to encourage Defra to permit
movement information to be included in customised documents (paper or
electronic) also containing FC!. This has not been possible to date but
this remains a priority to reduce the burden of administration and
duplication for producers and abattoirs.
21. Why have I only just heard about this?
The introduction of FCI for the pig industry has been reported in
pig industry press, industry organisations and assurance scheme
newsletters, and letters have recently been sent to all abattoirs, pig
marketing groups and industry representative bodies. Since
responsibility for requesting and receiving FCI rests with abattoirs,
FSA has taken the view that abattoirs should decide what FCI they
require and how they want to receive it, and then contact their
suppliers to make arrangements.
22. Can the introduction of FCI be postponed?
No - the requirement for FCI will commence on 1 January 2008.
However FSA and MHS recognise that this is a new requirement and that
100% compliance may not occur immediately. We understand that the MHS
have advised their staff that initially abattoirs can still process pigs
that are received with no FC!. However after the first month, pigs
arriving at abattoirs without FCI will not be health marked until the
abattoir and MHS staff have received the FCI documentation. Please do
not leave it until the last moment to start sending FCI as this is
likely to cause unavoidable disruption to slaughterhouse operations.
23. Who decided on the information that is included
in the FCI form?
The EU legislation states what information the abattoir is
responsible for collecting. The abattoir is responsible for collecting
the information. The Food Standards Agency has worked with industry to
develop draft guidance that it believes fulfils the requirements of the
FCI legislation in a simple and practical manner. The aim of the draft
guidance is to assist abattoirs in drawing up their own systems for
receiving FCI.
Industry organisations have discussed the FCI forms with
FSA to try and minimise the additional burden FCI will place on
individual pig businesses and abattoirs.
24. What will happen if I don't send a completed FCI
form with my pigs?
It is the responsibility of the abattoir to collect FCI information.
If FCI is not provided the legislation from 01 Jan 2008 requires that
carcasses are not health marked and therefore cannot enter the food
chain. We understand that the MHS have advised their staff that
initially abattoirs can still process pigs that are received with no
FC!. However after the first month, pigs arriving at abattoirs without
FCI will not be health marked until the abattoir and MHS staff have
received the FCI documentation. Please do not leave it until the last
moment to start sending FCI as this is likely to cause unavoidable
disruption to slaughterhouse operations.
25. Why does FCI have to be provided for pigs from
January 2008 when cattle and sheep don't?
The EU legislation sets out the timetable for the introduction for
FC!. The poultry industry was required to start FCI from January 2006,
the pig industry from January 2008 and the cattle and sheep industries
will need to complete FCI in the coming years.
26. Who do I contact for more information on FCI or
to sign up to the BPEX online service?
For more information on FCI contact:
BPEX Andrew Knowles 01908 844708
Food Standards Agency Simon Tudor 020 7276 8339
BPEX Online FCI Veronica Wright or Vicky Martin 01908 844331
DOWNLOAD THIS GUIDE HERE
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDANCE AND FORM HERE
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