The Food Hygiene Regulation requires completion of a Food Chain Information form when pigs are sent to slaughter. It also requires a compliance statement to be lodged with Trading Standards, instructs the NPA.

To aid NPA members, Independent consultant Peter Crichton has prepared a simplified form (available from www.npa news page) which may help to reduce paperwork and fasttrack the Food Chain Information requirements. At the same time it provides abattoirs and their Official Veterinary Surgeons with the necessary level of information required with each batch of pigs.

Peter's advice is that:

• Producers need to establish that their receiving abattoir(s) and their Official Veterinary Surgeons are satisfied that the combined use of the simplified Food Chain Information form and the AML2 provides them with all the information that the Food Standards Agency requires them to have available.
• Producers are advised to submit the simplified form to the receiving abattoir(s) on a one-off basis and then to send updated copies of the simplified form with each consignment of pigs attached to the AML2 pig movement licence.
• Sections of the simplified Food Chain Information form can be pre-populated to save time including keeper’s name, veterinary surgeon contact details and the type of production system.
• In the case of casualty pigs, producers should ensure that these are separately identified on the simplified Food Chain Information form and the other appropriate details added to cover these.

It also remains for abattoirs to confirm with their individual Meat Hygiene Service Official Veterinary Surgeon that they have all of the information required. But Peter hopes that during the January “trial period” any further alternations and amendments can be incorporated.

Livestock market/collection centre operators will also need to confirm to producers that the simplified form meets their needs and to liaise with their receiving abattoir(s) accordingly.

Further Reading

- For more information read our article: Chain Reactions.