The certified audit program was designed by processing companies, scientists, veterinarians and the SPCA
A wide ranging animal-care assessment program is now available for the Canadian feedlot industry.
The Canadian Feedlot Animal Care Assessment tool earned certified audit status from the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) last year and has been approved by the National Farm Animal Care Council.
The program, spearheaded by the National Cattle Feeders Association, sets standards for feedlots in animal welfare, health, nutrition, transportation and other procedures.
It is the first certified audit de-signed for feedlots.
“It is an industry developed program with technical experts to make sure it is a highly credible program,” said project director Joyce Van Donkersgoed.
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Many meat packers and retailers have recently increased animal-care expectations and a program such as this should help meet those new requirements.
Cargill Meats, for example, has requested that feedlots become certified by 2018 in the United States and 2019 in Canada, company spokesperson Connie Tamoto said in an e-mail response.
Third party certification was seen as critical by many to help ensure animal welfare, livestock handling, health, nutrition, environmental care and transportation are properly done.
Van Donkersgoed, a southern Alberta feedlot veterinarian and manager for policy and research with the National Cattle Feeders Association, is working with other experts to test the program and train feedlot personnel.
The beef processing companies, Cargill, JBS, and Tyson, along with major food companies, veterinarians, animal scientists and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), helped develop the program.
A news release from the National Cattle Feeders Association said it hopes this animal care assessment program can be aligned with the United States for a North American feedlot animal care audit/assessment program, similar to the North American Meat Institute audit for processing plants that is widely adopted in U.S. and Canadian establishments.
Next, Canadian feedlot operators will be trained on the animal care assessment tool’s criteria.
Earlier this year, 22 Canadian feeding operations of different sizes tested the draft program, Van Donkersgoed said.
“When we did the pilot test we had over 80 percent of producers meeting requirements of the program. By and large producers are doing these things on the program but probably the weakest thing is documentation, especially in the smaller yards.”
Each audit under the program requires written procedures and records. A template for written records has been created that could be helpful for smaller operations.
In addition, two meetings with major restaurants and grocery stores were held in Calgary and Toronto.
Feedlot veterinarians can help clients with training and audits to prepare them for a processor audit.
Producers conduct a self-assessment at least once a year to show where improvements are needed with facilities, practices or staff training.
A full third-party audit occurs every three years.
If cattle arrive at packing plants with problems, such as down animals or lameness, a targeted audit may be triggered to see what went wrong.
