This new piece of legislation was covered in the Christmas newsletter. (Click here for a copy) Unfortunately the implementation by the Food Standards Agency and some Abattoirs has led to confusion.

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

it is intended that each abattoir should modify this to suit their own requirements.
 

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The British Pig Association