“From farm to fork” policy keeps EU meat safe
South Africans can find comfort in the knowledge that the imported meat they receive and consume from Europe undergoes stringent and traceable process to guarantee its safety and high quality standard.
EUROPEAN Union (EU) meat industry producers are taking their shared responsibility for food safety seriously amid global concerns around the quality of imported meat and the processes involved for quality assurance. South Africans can find comfort in the knowledge that the imported meat they receive and consume from Europe undergoes a stringent and traceable process to guarantee its safety and high quality standard. The EU’s “farm to fork” concept drives this process.
The “From farm to fork” concept involves many elements that have a positive impact on the safety of food at each stage of the food production chain, from farms to consumers’ tables. Since the EU hygiene package was implemented, the concept has been considered as the basic rule in the food policy of the EU and it is diligently executed in each country where their pork, beef and their retrospective products are imported. In accordance with this concept, but also with provisions of the EU law, European meat industry producers are obliged to ensure the flow of information in the food production chain.
In practice, the “farm to fork” concept is carried out through an effective system of identification of suppliers of raw materials, feeds and farm animals. One of the most important elements of this concept is the identification of sources of risk through the system of tracking and tracing of the origin of food.
A crucial part of the “from farm to fork” concept is communication throughout the stages of the food production chain. This communication must go in two directions, ensuring the fluidity of data from all parties: e.g. from farms that undergo inspections carried out by veterinary physicians, and in the opposite direction. This is known as ‘one-step-backward, one-step-forward’ and allows for full traceability of pork, beef and their allied products. It also enables tracking and tracing of the origin of pork and beef and to obtain information that traces the shipment history of a given raw material.
Monitoring and traceability of animal feeds:
The obligation to track and trace the origin of food and animal feeds (traceability) in the European Union stems directly from the regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Introduction and application of traceability systems in the EU is a legal requirement. General principles and basic requirements concerning creation and implementation of the traceability system are given in the PN-EN ISO 22005:2007 norm. The system guarantees the flow of information in the whole food production chain. Its scope covers the origin of raw materials, history of processing and distribution of the analysed food. In practice, it means that each batch of animal feed on the territory of the EU is fully traceable, and the documentation from the transport of feed, from the place of its production to the farm where animals are bred, is kept. Use of attested animal feeds together with prohibited use of antibiotics, growth hormones and other growth stimulants, guarantees that consumers are provided with completely safe pork, beef and related products manufactured in the EU.
Traceability of animal breeding:
In order to ensure the link between individual processing stages within the supply chain, animals are given unique identification numbers from birth. Identification ear tags, computer databases, animal passports and individual registers at every farm form part of the cattle and swine registration and identification system. These methods allow tracking and tracing of the origin of pork and beef within the supply chain.
Traceability of production of animal origin food:
Among many rules present in the “from farm to fork” concept, special attention is paid to veterinary control over the slaughter process. Each head of cattle or swine is examined, guaranteeing that meat comes from a healthy animal and allowing for effective monitoring of the production process. The policy also covers distribution and labelling of pork, beef and similar products. Lack of interruption of the cold chain must be confirmed with a note in the report concerning the given batch of products. Product labelling enables its full traceability and includes details on the type of meat, producer, batch number and the use-by date.
EU producers of pork and beef have implemented specific rules at all stages of the food production chain, starting at the primary production stage and finishing at the final consumer stage. By working in line with this concept, they are able to guarantee the full safety of the products they make.
Sourced:
Meat from Europe – www.meatfromeurope.eu
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