Some factories’ use of the clean sheep policy is contrary to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine policy, the IFA National Sheep Chairman John Lynskey said.
The current approach of some meat plants applying an across the board clipping charge on sheep is wrong and contrary to Department policy, he said.
The Clean Livestock Policy (CLP) from the Department on sheep needs to be finalised and adopted in a fair and practical manner at the meat plants, he added.
Lynskey expects that the majority of sheep will fall into Category A of the CLP, while the Department has confirmed to the IFA that it is not a requirement to clip and apply charges on these animals.
A plant killing 3,000 sheep/day is charging farmer suppliers €2,400-3,000/week in clipping fees, the IFA National Sheep Chairman said.
It is essential that the Department, together with Teagasc, immediately finalises the CLP arrangements and provides agreed photographic material on the three categories to all meat plants.
“Both farmers and factories need to be clear on the requirements and that they are applied in a fair and consistent way across all meat plants,” he said.
Requirements under the CPL are set out under the three categories and all additional material is advice and recommendations only, he added.
Sheep farmers are conscious of the requirements under the Clean Livestock Policy and will take practical steps to ensure that sheep are fit for slaughter, when presented.
“Factories and hauliers also have a major role to play on the clean sheep policy,” he said.
Everything you need to know about the CLP for sheep
Sheep CLP categories
The Department will verify a three-category system, requiring food business operators at slaughtering establishments to categorise sheep as follows:
Category (A)
Satisfactory: Sheep that can be slaughtered, without an unacceptable risk of contaminating the meat during the slaughter process, by using the standard hygienic dressing procedures routinely employed by the plant.
Category (B)
Acceptable: Sheep that can only be slaughtered, without an unacceptable risk of contamination of the meat during the slaughter process, by putting in place additional interventions including extra defined dressing controls.
Category (C)
Unacceptable: Sheep unfit for slaughter because of fleece condition.
These sheep must not be presented for ‘ante-mortem’ in this condition and it is the responsibility of the Food Business Operator (FBO) to take the required remedial action.
Recommendations
Farmer/Keeper
- Dock lamb tails before seven days of age, if necessary, taking account of husbandry practices and market outlets.
- Crutch/dag dirty sheep prior to transport to a slaughter plant.
- House on straw bedding or clean slats and withdraw feed from sheep for a minimum of eight hours pre-slaughter. Water should be available to animals at all times.
- Whether using your own or contracted transportation you should only use clean, dry, well-ventilated transport vehicles. The transport vehicle should have a waterproof roof, where possible, taking account of journey times and weather conditions. You should also ensure that you use absorbent materials on the floor of the transport vehicles.
- Producers are food business operators and should only send clean sheep to the slaughter
plant.
Haulier
- Hauliers have a major role to play and must ensure that the transport vehicle is clean and dry prior to loading.
- Only use well-ventilated transport vehicles. The transport vehicle should have a waterproof roof, where possible, taking account of journey times and weather conditions.
- Where tiered transport vehicles are used, the haulier should ensure that faeces/urine from sheep on higher tiers/levels do not soil sheep on lower tiers/levels.
- Use absorbent materials on the floor of transport vehicles during transport.
- Only load clean sheep.
- Follow-up engagement and actions will be taken, where it is clearly evident that soiling is attributable to repeated failure on the part of a haulier.
Processors
It is recommended that processors should provide standard photographic examples of all three categories at the entrance to the lairage of the slaughter plant.
Processors are also advised to categorise and record the number of sheep accepted into the slaughter plant in the categories listed.