RED DEER – Tracking every hog in Canada for the sake of food safety is a responsible action among pork producers, says a farmer.
“If you chose to be a livestock producer, there is a major responsibility that goes with it,” said Clare Schlegel, a Canadian Pork Council representative and hog farmer from Ontario.
A single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy has also affected the pork industry. While traceback and animal identification have been discussed within the pork industry for the last two years, serious foreign animal diseases like BSE in Canada and foot-and-mouth disease in England forced the issue.
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“If a foreign animal disease comes here, we are in big trouble,” said Schlegel. “If foot-and-mouth disease happened, BSE would be minuscule compared to this disease.”
A Canadian Health of Animals Coalition study estimated a foot-and-mouth outbreak could cost the country’s total livestock industry $13-$45 billion.
Pilot studies are under way to find the easiest and most cost effective identification for swine. These could include tattoos, ear tags or DNA records.
All registered pork producers in Alberta own a tattoo that is placed on an animal’s shoulder before shipping for slaughter. This was originally done to ensure people were paid for their own hogs.
In addition, provinces including Ontario have already surveyed their area using global positioning to count all livestock premises and locations of hogs.
Producers may not like it, but it cannot be avoided, said Alberta Pork chair Bill Wildeboer.
“If you are not willing to participate in the program, you may be putting your colleagues at risk,” added Schlegel.
The system requires that the government put identification and traceback into its regulations but the pork industry has insisted it must own and control the information for confidentiality reasons. Information would only be released if there was a food safety or disease crisis.
The pork council is also working with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. Ultimately the agency may be responsible for covering all livestock identification programs.
Besides foreign animal disease control, traceback is necessary to verify that food safety protocols are being followed. Consumers are demanding proof that the food supply is safe and they want producers and processors to be accountable for the food they offer the public.
Adopting the hazard analysis critical control points approach in packing plants is one of the major industry changes in 50 years. Not only must processors be accountable, but the rules force producers to verify all their farm practices and guarantee their pork is safe to eat.
“There will be less focus on the meat inspector on the line and more focus on the process that happened to those pigs before they ever got to the slaughterhouse,” said Schlegel.
