Deadline looms for new EU livestock requirement

Food Chain Information (FCI) is provided for all cattle, sheep and goats sent for slaughter as food safety control before human consumption.

This new requirement under EU legislation comes into force on January 1, 2010, and will apply to all slaughter animals, whether sent directly to a slaughterhouse or sold through a livestock market.

FCI is information about the health of the animals being sent for slaughter, and other information relevant to the safety of meat derived from them, including medicines the animals have been given. The rules already apply to pigs and calves.

The new rules are an important part of 'farm-to-fork' food safety controls and highlight the food safety responsibilities of livestock keepers in the meat production chain. The information about slaughter animals that is passed from the farm to the slaughterhouse can be used by operators and official veterinarians to make decisions about processing and inspection procedures.

Since this is information that livestock keepers should already have, FSA believes that this change in the law will not be burdensome. Each slaughterhouse operator will decide how he wishes to receive FCI.

Once the new rules come into force, meat from cattle, sheep or goats without FCI information will not be passed for human consumption.