AMS Programs with Animal Handling and Welfare Criteria Jeff Waite Chief, Audit Services Branch Quality Assessment Division Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
AMS Overview Mission: To facilitate the competitive and efficient marketing of agricultural products. AMS carries out this mission in a variety of ways.
Overview of Activities/Programs 1. AMS ISO/TS 34700 Animal Welfare Assessment Program 2. AMS Commodity Procurement Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare 3. United Egg Producers Certified Program for Animal Husbandry Audits of Caged and Cage Free Layers 4. National Turkey Federation Animal Care Audits
PAACO Certified Auditors AMS PACCO Certified Auditors Meat Plant Handling and Welfare 15 Poultry Welfare 10 Common Swine Welfare 7 The value of AMS audit-based services centers around: Skilled, highly trained workforce Responsiveness to market needs Objectivity Credibility Transparency AMS maintains employees stationed across the U.S.
AMS ISO/TS 34700 Animal Welfare Assessment Program ISO Technical Specification and AMS Program
Why is this new ISO Technical Specification is important? If widely implemented by the private sector, it could facilitate the adoption of the OIE animal welfare standards in developing countries and improve the living conditions of animals raised for food production around the world. Establishes a strong framework for ensuring that industry animal welfare standards and programs are rooted in science and enjoy international acceptance. Potentially minimizes the cost to small and large livestock producers and other market participants by not having to undergo multiple audits to ensure they are raising, transporting and harvesting their livestock humanely.
ISO = the International Organization for Standardization Industry, government, academia, consumers > 100,000 experts Stakeh olders 163 memb ers A network of 163 national institutes (one per country) Geneva (Switzerland)
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Intergovernmental organization responsible for improving animal health worldwide Promotes animal welfare through a science-based approach and develops standards that member countries are to both follow and use in their trade in animals and their products 180 Member Countries.
OIE Animal Welfare Standards General Principles of Animal Welfare (7.1) Transport (Land, Sea and Air) (7.2 7.3 7.4) Slaughter (7.5) Beef Cattle (7.9) Broiler Chickens (7.10) Dairy Cattle (7.11) Swine and Egg layer Systems to follow
AMS, ISO, OIE and Animal Welfare
ISO TS 34700 Animal Welfare Management - General Requirements and Guidance for Organizations in the Food Supply Chain The TS is designed to guide users in conducting a gap analysis and developing an animal welfare plan that is aligned with the OIE TAHC It can also be used to facilitate the implementation of any public or private sector animal welfare standards that meet at least the OIE TAHC
TS Objectives Aid in the implementation of the OIE animal welfare standards for animals raised for food around the world Ensure that any program purported to be an animal welfare program is science-based and meets the requirements set by the OIE Maintain the OIE s role as the authority on issues related to animal welfare Minimize the number of audits that livestock producers and other market participants endure as many existing programs can be assessed as meeting the requirements of ISO TS 34700
TS Objectives Allow for the buyers of livestock and livestock products to require ISO TS 34700 compliance as meeting their animal welfare needs and not requiring them to establish their own programs or endure the cost associated with conducting their own audits Facilitates international trade as ISO TS 34700 compliance can be used to bring together different animal welfare systems in various markets and supply chains Accommodates animal welfare programs that exceed the requirements of the OIE standards
TS Objectives Establishes a framework that can be used by other countries for how to assess existing animal welfare programs against ISO TS 34700 Provides easy to use and understandable checklists that can be used in developing countries to determine if minimum animal welfare requirements are being met
AMS TS Implementation To facilitate TS 34700 implementation: 1. AMS developed a USDA ISO Technical Specification 34700 Animal Welfare Assessment Program with applicable OIE assessment checklists Purpose is to allow existing animal welfare programs to be assessed by AMS to determine if they conform to TS 34700 and, by extension, the OIE animal welfare standards Scope of the on-site assessment includes the key animal welfare management system activities noted in the organization s program 2. Announced December 27, 2016
AMS TS Implementation To facilitate TS 34700 implementation Cont d: 3. Met with numerous industry associations and companies to discuss how the program works 4. Working with applicable industries to review, fine tune and finalize the assessment checklists to ensure criteria is appropriate for the industry, area and country 5. Assess organizations as they submit their own programs 6. Organizations meeting the TS are posted on the USDA-AMS website for transparency
AMS Assessment Process 1. Application for Service Applicants submit applicable animal welfare program documentation 2. Desk review Review of the organization s animal welfare program(s) and standard(s) against the ISO TS 34700 Animal Welfare Management and applicable OIE TAHCs All gaps, if any, are documented and provided back to the organization followed by the resubmission of program materials by the organization Once the documentation meets the TS/OIE TAHCs, the onsite assessment follows 3. Onsite Assessment Includes an onsite review of the organization s documented animal welfare program and standards to better understand how the program meets the TS/OIE TAHC Visits are made to facilities where one or more key activities are performed that are covered by the scope of document program 4. Official Listing of Approved Animal Welfare Programs and Standards
AMS Commodity Procurement Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare Effective August 2017
AMS Commodity Procurement Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and ovine species for the production of finished products for purchase by AMS must meet AMS animal handling and welfare requirements, as described in Federal Purchase Program Specifications Animal Handling and Welfare. As part of its audits, AMS observes 100 animals (occasionally 50 animals in the case of low volume operations) to ensure animals immediately rendered insensible from stunning and that no animals regain consciousness following stunning.
AMS Commodity Procurement Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare cont d The program will be submitted as a supporting document to the organization s approved technical proposal and must address the requirements outlined in Section 200 PROGRAM COMPONENTS. MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TRAINING PROGRAM QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN REGULATORY OVERSIGHT
AMS Commodity Procurement Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare cont d Audits will be conducted utilizing the following format: 1. TRANSPORTATION SEGMENT (CHAPTER 3: NAMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare, dated June 2017) Audited organizations must pass Core Criteria 1 and 6 with a minimum scoring of excellent, Core Criteria 2 through 5 with a minimum scoring of acceptable and Core Criteria 7 must be adhered to with full compliance (zero tolerance) each time an audit is performed.
AMS Commodity Procurement Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare cont d Audits will be conducted utilizing the following format: 2. ANIMAL HANDLING AND STUNNING SEGMENT (CHAPTER 4: NAMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare, dated June 2017) Audited organizations must adhere to Core Criteria 1, 2, 6 and 7 with full compliance (zero tolerance) and to Core Criteria 3, 4 and 5 with a minimum scoring of Acceptable each time an audit is performed. The auditor shall inform FSIS and organization officials in writing of all audit findings.
United Egg Producers Certified Program for Animal Husbandry Audits of Caged and Cage Free Layers
United Egg Producers Certified Program for Animal Husbandry Audits of Caged and Cage Free Layers Audit Scope Housing and Space Allowance Beak Trimming and Treatment Molting Handling and Transportation Personnel and Training
National Turkey Federation Animal Care Audits
National Turkey Federation Animal Care Audits Production Animal Care Audit Scope Education and training Hatchery Nutrition and Feeding Comfort & Shelter Health Care Normal Behavior On-Farm Best Practices
National Turkey Federation Animal Care Audits Slaughter Animal Care Audit Scope Catching and Transport Driving (Herding) Cooping Cage Density Equipment Repair Seasonal Accommodation Catch Crew Training Processing Yard Holding Times DOAs Personnel Training Adequate Ventilation in holding area Broken wings antemortem Bird shackling Effectiveness of stun Effectiveness of kill
Jeff Waite, Chief, Audit Services Branch Quality Assessment Division Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program