February 28, 2014

Canada strengthens pig traceability system

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is further strengthening its livestock sector by enhancing its capacity to track animals from farm to slaughter through a mandatory national pig traceability system effective July 1st.

The regulations become active on July 1 for all domestic pigs that are farmed for food production, including those that die on farm and cannot enter the food chain. The regulations will be extended to include farmed wild boars effective July 1, 2015.

The Canadian government has amended the Health of Animals Regulations to require pig farmers and other pig-industry custodians to keep records and report all movements of pigs, from birth or import to slaughter or export. The regulations also detail how farmed pigs and farmed wild boars are to be identified. These changes are based on a series of consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, including swine industry associations, provinces and territories, and other federal departments.

Mandatory identification systems are already in place in Canada's cattle, bison and sheep sectors.

"A national pig traceability system will help protect the safety of our food supply and the health of the sector. It will also help reduce economic impacts associated with any future disease outbreaks and contribute to the reopening of export markets should an event occur," said Gerry Ritz, Canada's Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister.