FS-517005

Project FS 517005

Improved Food Chain Information (FCI) and Collection and Communication of Inspection Results (CCIR)

Implemented by Food Control Consultants Ltd¹ (FCC)

 

Final report

The final report is now available on the FSA website, please go to Report on the Food chain information (FCI)

Project summary

The FSA has identified the need for a more effective, risk based and proportionate approach to meat controls. As well as protecting public health, new approaches should protect animal health and welfare.

This study investigates ways of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of meat controls by identifying key FCI and CCIR data, designing an improved FCI/CCIR model and carrying out a cost benefit analysis, where possible, for primary producers and for slaughterhouse operators.

The proposed model aims to identify which FCI/CCIR information is key for each species to:

• help Food Business Operators (FBOs) and Official Veterinarians (OVs) through more effective interventions during slaughter and dressing (e.g. categorisation or intensity of inspection);
• assist producers and their veterinarians to improve production systems, resulting in better public and animal health and animal welfare standards.

There are marked differences between the species and it is necessary to research and develop practical models for each species, taking account of production methods, food safety hazards and their control, industry structure and animal marketing arrangements.

Both the provision of FCI and CCIR and the subsequent action taken on the information provided involves costs for producers, slaughterhouse operators and competent authorities. In some circumstances the costs incurred may not result in any direct tangible benefit to the livestock producer or slaughterhouse operator. This can act as a disincentive for these food business operators to participate enthusiastically in the system.

It is therefore important to analyse the costs and benefits of any improvements and demonstrate the economic returns, thereby identifying incentives for legislative compliance.

An essential outcome of the project is to engage all food business operators and stakeholders in the meat production chain and demonstrate the benefits of the new approach. The analysis will focus on financial benefits but will highlight other forms of benefit where these are identified, with a particular emphasis on public health issues.

There are a number of pre-requisites for an improved risk-based approach. These include the need for more precise risk analysis targeted at individual farms; the critical importance of readily available, useful, accurate and reliable data; the need for practical IT systems that enable information to flow efficiently in both directions along the production chain, and the need to incentivise food business operators and farmers to participate actively in the system.

At the request of the FSA, a series of workshops are being arranged with different interest groups to disseminate the project’s results and the proposed FCI/CCIR models for each species and to give stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the proposals. Findings from the workshops will be incorporated into the final study report

FCC¹ is an independent consultancy, the Managing Director and Project Leader is Dr Ólafur Oddgeirsson.

The presentations presented at the workshops are available at the link below. Please note the presentations are still subject to change:

1. For the poultry industry on the 26th of January: Poultry.
2. For the pig industry on the 29th of January: Pigs.
3. For the cattle and sheep industry on the 30th of January: Cattle and sheep.
Please note that the presentations from the Edinburgh workshop (21st of January) were adapted and are presented here as a final version.

Please find HERE a separate files for each workshop of list of companies and individual invited.

Participant are encouraged to send in their comments before the 13th of February. Please use email address: FS-517005@food-control.com