In response to the European Commission (EC) requirements on the importation of equine meat products from Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) with assistance from the Veterinary Drug Directorate (VDD) of Health Canada and equine industry partners has submitted an action plan outlining how Canada intends to meet these requirements. Implementing programs to meet the EC standards will result in a major change for the Canadian equine industry.
Effective July 31, 2010, it will be mandatory for all CFIA inspected facilities in Canada engaged in the slaughter of equines for edible purposes to have complete records for all animals (domestic and imported) presented for slaughter. These records will include unique identification for each animal, as well as a record of medical treatments administered to the animal for the six-month period preceding slaughter. This will mean that starting January 31, 2010 animal owners will need to begin tracking medical conditions and treatment history for their horses if the horse may be presented for slaughter after July 31, 2010.
The required records will take the form of an Equine Information Document (EID) that must be presented for each equine processed for edible purposes in a CFIA inspected processing facility from July 31, 2010 forward. Included in the EID, will be a standardized description of the animal, as well as a record of the medical conditions and treatment for at least the preceding six months. The various options for identification, including visual and written descriptions, will be listed in the document. The document is intended to accompany the equine, at the time of ownership transfer, to the buyer of the animal. The EID will require a signed declaration by the owner of the equine as to the accuracy of the information recorded in the EID.
The launch of this new Equine Information Document (EID) program is the first step in the development of a comprehensive food safety and traceability program for the Canadian equine industry- for both Canadian consumers and export market customers.
There are a number of medications and substances that are prohibited from being given (administered or fed) to equines intended to be slaughtered for human consumption. A list of these medications and substances along with a copy of the EID are available under the document entitled Meat Hygiene Directive 2009-49 that is available at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/meavia/man/direct/directe.shtml
The requirement for all equines to have an owner-signed EID that includes a description of all medications known to have been administered in the six months preceding slaughter will have implications for Canadian equine veterinarians. Veterinary treatment records will need to be referenced by the equine owner to complete the EID, including information on drug withdrawals and EU prohibited drugs.
For the latest information about identifying and recording equine health information, please visit www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/newsrele.shtml or call 1-800-442-2342.
