The Catalan Federation of Industries of the Meat participates in a workshop on improvement of the animal welfare

The Catalan Federation of Industries of the Meat (FECIC) participated yesterday in a workshop organised/organized by the European Commission, with the report 'Welfare of the animals in the slaughterhouses: the perspective of the industry'. The day formed part of the plan of the federation on animal welfare, that includes voluntary certifications of the Catalan slaughterhouses in this matter. Given the importance of the animal welfare in the companies cárnicas, mainly by two appearances as they are the protection of the animals to sacrifice and the alimentary security, the FECIC has decided to work in the improvement of this matter of different forms. The first, in collaboration with the Institute of Investigation and Technology Agroalimentarias (IRTA) through a protocol that certifies to the Catalan slaughterhouses in animal welfare. The second, in the role of speakers in different days on this subject, like the 'Better Training for Safer Food' (Better training for a safer feeding), an initiative of the European Commission, based in the offer of courses of training on normative comunitaria in matter of foods and piensos, public health and health and animal welfare.

From the past month of May, 15 Catalan slaughterhouses of swine and vacuno have achieved the voluntary certifications in animal welfare. East fold of conditions, included inside the actions of improvement of the Sectorial Plan 2010-2014 of FECIC and elaborated jointly with the IRTA, is a certification in matter of animal welfare issued by an entity of certification and based in the European model of the Welfare Quality, that has like aim that the slaughterhouses fulfil/fulfill the valid legislation and that work by a continuous improvement in this matter until being able to certify this fulfillment. It tries prepare them like this to surpass the new rule in animal welfare, that will be in force from 1 January 2013 and that contributes some important changes on the current. Also it allows to improve the image of the company and have of a differential attribute in the exports.

The Catalan slaughterhouses certificates up to now have been able to obtain the accreditation with the advice of the FECIC and after surpassing the first inspection of the entity of certification that evaluates the different parameters fixed in the fold of conditions established, that includes from the evaluation of variables like the transport of the animal, the download, the accommodation, the aturdimiento, until the final evaluation of the channel and the vísceras or the training of the personnel. This certification renews each 6 months, to guarantee like this the levels of quality demanded in matter of animal welfare.

At present, the FECIC and the IRTA already are working in the fold of conditions of what will be the protocol for the species ovina and equina.