Horse owners should have received more notice about mandatory identification regulations that came into effect July 31, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
A European Union requirement to document all health treatments for horses destined to be sold as meat came unexpectedly in April 2009 and Canada was told to have identification in place within a year, said Claude Boissonneault of the CFIA.
“This kind of major policy change should have taken place over a two to three year period,” he said.
Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and South America export horse meat to Europe and are expected to comply.
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Anyone selling horses at auction is advised to bring the documents in case the horse goes to a meat buyer.
The slaughter plants need declarations from the last owner and since there could be several owners, there may be paperwork coming from each. It is up to the plant to match the paperwork to the right horse.
If the documents are not completed, the horse will not be slaughtered. If a sample comes back positive for residue from medications or prohibited drugs, the horse carcass may be condemned and disposed of. The CFIA does not test horses that do not have paperwork.
A list of prohibited drugs and withdrawal times for approved medications are on the CFIA website at www.inspection.gc.ca.
There are no legal requirements to include withdrawal times on products approved for horses, although information may be provided on manufacturer websites.
When residues are found in any meat animal, the last owners are contacted but the owners are not prosecuted.
This new policy is likely to slow down the import of horses from the United States. until people get familiar with it, Boissonneault said.
European Union inspectors are expected to monitor Canadian plants later this fall to make sure they are in compliance.
