JUNE 2003 REPORT FMI-NCCR Animal Welfare Program

Transcription

1 JUNE 2003 REPORT FMI-NCCR Animal Welfare Program This is the fourth in a report series outlining progress to-date of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR) animal welfare program begun in 2001 on behalf of their member companies food retailers, food wholesalers and chain restaurants. Earlier progress reports and other information about FMI s and NCCR s program are available on both organizations Web sites at and Animal Welfare Guidelines Attached is an updated chart detailing the status of animal welfare guidelines developed by the producer and production organizations and endorsed by the FMI-NCCR Expert Advisors. The FMI-NCCR Advisors will meet next in August We hope to conclude the guideline process for turkeys, swine and beef cattle at that meeting. National Chicken Council The FMI-NCCR Animal Welfare Advisors reviewed the final draft of the National Chicken Council s (NCC) Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist at their February 2003 meeting. FMI and NCCR have been working with NCC on their guidelines since 2001 and during these discussions, NCC has adopted a number of the suggestions and recommendations made by FMI and NCCR. In June of 2002, the FMI-NCCR Advisors endorsed NCC s slaughter guidelines. In February 2003, the FMI-NCCR Advisors reviewed the final draft of NCC s animal welfare guidelines for general conditions and practices applicable to hatchery, farm and breeder operations, including catching, transportation and special agricultural practices. Following the February review, the FMI-NCCR Advisors agreed to endorse the Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist of the National Chicken Council with the following comments: 1. NCC states that its guideline document and its checklist are intended to be used together. The FMI and NCCR believe that guidelines should include specific performance measures; therefore, we endorse the guideline document only in conjunction with the specific measures in the checklist. 2. The NCC refers to their checklist as an audit checklist. To avoid confusion, FMI and NCCR want to clarify that the only audit program they recognize is the third-party Animal Welfare Audit Program (AWAP), developed and managed by SES on NCCR s and FMI s behalf.

2 3. There are two NCC guidelines the NCCR and FMI accept pending the availability of data to confirm or determine a reasonable measure: -2- litter: in a random sample of birds, no more than 30% should have cracks or ulcers on [their] feet (current NCC performance measure). Our advisors thought this percentage seemed high, but will accept 30% until they can look at actual existing rates when data are available. stunning: stunning should be effective at [a] minimum of 98% of birds in [a] 500-bird sample (current NCC guidelines). Our advisors believe 99% minimum effectiveness is achievable but will accept 98% until they can review existing rates as obtained from data. There are three areas where the FMI-NCCR advisors recommend guidelines different than NCC. The FMI-NCCR third-party audit for broilers will include auditing points based on the FMI-NCCR guideline recommendations that follow: 1. FMI and NCCR recommend that stocking density not exceed 6.0 pounds live weight per square foot. 2. Lighting programs influence the prevalence of skeletal problems; therefore, FMI and NCCR recommend that birds be provided with at least four hours of darkness per day (except during the first and last week of growth). 3. FMI and NCCR recommend that when birds are caught and inverted, they be held by both legs. At the time the FMI-NCCR advisors reviewed and endorsed NCC s slaughter guidelines, the advisors did not include as a part of their review a document called the checklist. We now understand that the two documents are used together by the broiler industry when monitoring and assessing conformance with the NCC guidelines. After reviewing the checklist the FMI-NCCR advisors recommend a different performance measure for two of the items: 1. FMI and NCCR recommend a performance measure of less than or equal to 1% of birds with broken wings before entering the picker as being acceptable. 2. FMI and NCCR recommend that DOA s arriving at the plant should not exceed 0.6% average per day. Any incident above this level should trigger documentation, investigation and corrective action.

3 -3- FMI and NCCR commend the National Chicken Council and the broiler industry for the significant progress they have made addressing animal welfare issues. We are pleased to learn that NCC is committed to undertaking research on the questions of rapid growth and skeletal development, diet management for breeders, management of health problems in females caused by male aggressiveness, determining the incidence of hock burns, improving mechanical catching and reducing DOA s. These research efforts will advance animal welfare for poultry in food production agriculture. NCCR-FMI Audit Program As specific producer organization guidelines are approved, audit forms and documents are developed and auditor training sessions held to certify auditors for the NCCR-FMI Animal Welfare Audit Program (AWAP). To date, audit forms, documents and training sessions have been completed for livestock slaughter, dairy, chicken slaughter and egg production. There are more than 30 auditors certified. To schedule an audit, view the audit documents or sign up for auditor training, visit the AWAP Web site at In an effort to streamline the auditing process for egg producers, the United Egg Producers (UEP) has added the NCCR-FMI audit to the approved list of auditors for UEP s Animal Care Certified program. As a result, an NCCR-FMI AWAP audit can fulfill the auditing component of UEP s Animal Care Certified program. Next Steps The FMI-NCCR Advisors will meet in August 2003 FMI and NCCR will issue another progress report in the fall of Attachments Updated chart outlining the status of the FMI-NCCR guideline process. List of the NCCR-FMI Expert Advisors. List of producer and production organizations.

4 STATUS FMI-NCCR Animal Welfare Guidelines Updated June 2003 Producer Organization FMI-NCCR Endorsement Outstanding Issues American Meat Institute (AMI) Endorsed slaughter guidelines and None. training materials documents for cattle, swine, sheep and goats. United Egg Producers (UEP) Endorsed production, handling, ammonia levels (25 ppm max.; transportation, processing and 10 ppm goal) euthanasia guidelines for layers forced molting (phase out feed of shell and breaking eggs. withdrawal molting) Milk & Dairy Beef Quality Endorsed DQA s Animal Care None. Assurance Center (DQA);National Guidelines and training program Milk Producers Federation for milk and dairy beef. Note: UEP has undertaken research to address the above two issues. National Chicken Council Endorsed slaughter guidelines None. (NCC) for broiler chickens. Endorsed NCC s animal welfare stocking density (not to exceed 6.0 guidelines for handling, transporta- lbs. live weight, per sq. ft.) tion and euthanasia. lighting programs (four hours darkness per day; except first and last week of growth) catching (when birds are caught and inverted, hold by both legs) The Pork Board FMI and NCCR are reviewing Guideline review not completed. animal welfare guidelines of the swine industry. FMI and NCCR have issued a policy statement on housing for pregnant sows. National Cattlemen s FMI-NCCR Advisors reviewed Guideline review not completed. Beef Association (NCBA) NCBA s revised animal welfare guidelines in September 2002 and are waiting for a response regarding suggested modifications. National Turkey Federation (NTF) FMI-NCCR Advisors are reviewing Guideline review not completed animal welfare guidelines of the turkey industry.

5 FMI-NCCR ANIMAL WELFARE ADVISORS Adele Douglass Executive Director Humane Farm Animal Care David Fraser, PhD Professor Animal Welfare Program Faculty of Agricultural Sciences University of British Columbia Gail Golab, DVM Assistant Director Professional and Public Affairs American Veterinary Medical Association Temple Grandin, PhD. Associate Professor Department of Animal Sciences Colorado State University Joy Mench, PhD Professor Animal Science University of California-Davis Joe Mac Regenstein, PhD Professor of Food Science Department of Food Science Cornell University Janice Swanson, PhD Professor Animal Sciences and Industry Kansas State University

6 NOTE: To assist you in obtaining additional information about the various producer organizations and their guidelines the following contact information is provided: American Meat Institute National Chicken Council 1700 North Moore Street, Suite th Street, NW #930 Arlington, VA Washington, DC P: P: F: F: Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Center, Inc. National Cattlemen s Beef Assn. 801 Shakespeare, Box Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Stratford, Iowa Suite 300 P: Washington, DC F: P: F: United Egg Producers 1303 Hightower Trail, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA P: F: National Turkey Federation 1225 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC P: F: National Pork Board P.O. Box 9114 Des Moines, Iowa P: F: