Abattoir operatorsWhat rules govern abattoirs? British Columbia’s provincial Meat Inspection Regulation (MIR) requires that all meat and meat products be processed at a licensed slaughter establishment. The new rules will also help ensure animals going to slaughter are treated humanely. All BC abattoir operators must comply with BC’s MIR. The BC Centre for Disease Control provides information on plant construction, equipment and operation guidelines as well as an abattoir’s code of good practice. Large commercial abattoirs that supply markets outside BC must meet federal requirements outlined in Canada’s Meat Inspection Act and Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990 and Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures. What is a transitional license? To aid with the transition to the new regulation, a transitional Class C license will enable meat producers who are in the process of upgrading their facilities to continue direct sales to the public. Meats sold under this license will not be eligible for resale – such as in restaurants – and must be marked as “Not Government-Inspected – Not for Resale.” Transitional licenses are valid for six months, and renewal is subject to continued progress towards a fully approved and licensed operation. What changes were made in June 2008? New changes to the Meat Inspection Regulation were made in June 2008 to provide additional flexibility for rural and isolated communities and support those who have already made significant efforts to become fully licensed. What new changes help isolated communities? Producers in remote and isolated communities face special challenges because they may not have access to a licensed slaughter establishment. Some of these communities may need time to carry out feasibility studies before developing construction plans for new or updated facilities. In these limited circumstances, a Class C transitional licence applicant can apply for an exemption from the requirement to have a construction plan. This will allow the applicant to continue operating and selling direct to the consumer until feasibility studies are done and construction plans can be completed. As with all Class C licences, the meat produced must be labelled as uninspected and not for resale. What new changes help fully licensed operators? Government has established a new 100 km or 15 nautical mile zone around each fully inspected and licensed Class A or B slaughter establishment. Within that zone, uninspected transitional Class C establishments will be restricted. This will help to support the viability of fully licensed and inspected establishments. Where a fully licensed establishment provides slaughter capacity for a particular species, (e.g., cattle), a new Class C licence for that species will not be granted within the zone, although a Class C licence for another species, such as poultry, could be granted. For more information and assistance regarding these new changes: Please contact the Help Desk operated through the BC Food Processors Association. How has the Province helped industry adapt to the MIR? To help livestock processors adapt to the new MIR requirements, the Province has provided funding under the BC Meat Transition Assistance Program. Abattoirs needing to upgrade their facilities are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Under the Meat Transition Assistance Program (MTAP), the provincial government provided $5 million in 2006 and over $3.8 million in 2008 to abattoirs and community groups wanting to upgrade their facilities to meet new MIR requirements. Of that $8.8 million, $7.8 million was set aside for capital projects. The goals of the MTAP, outlined in its strategic plan, are to:
What assistance is the federal government providing? Under the federal government’s $80 million Specified Risk Material Disposal Funding Program (SRMDFP), $7.5 million is available to B.C. processors to help accelerate the elimination of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) from B.C.’s cattle herds. The goal of the SRMDFP is to assist with the removal of all specified risk material - tissues that can harbour BSE - from all animal feeds, pet foods and fertilizers. The federal funding supplements the Province’s contribution of $5 million to the Livestock Waste Tissue Initiative (LWTI), which is designed to help B.C. livestock processors assess regular and emergency SRM disposal options and comply with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s enhanced feed ban, which took effect on July 12, 2007.
For additional program details phone the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands’ Resource Management Branch toll free at 1-888-221-7141 For more information and assistance: Individuals and community groups can get assistance developing business plans from the Help Desk operated through the BC Food Processors Association. The BCFPA has produced several aids for abattoir owners and prospective meat processors including:
Additional information about the MIR, MTAP and related topics can be obtained from the BCFPA at the coordinates below:
Community groups seeking funding are also encouraged to contact local trusts. How do provincial regulations protect the environment? The Ministry of Environment developed the Code of Practice for the Slaughter and Poultry Processing Industries (Code) in consultation with industry representatives. The Code is a Minister’s regulation which provides clear, consistent, performance-based standards governing disposal of wastes produced by the meat processing industry. The Code sets out what abattoir operators must do to comply with Environmental Management Act (EMA) and the Waste Discharge Regulation (WDR) to protect the environment. Broadly speaking, the Code stipulates that abattoirs may not dispose of wastes in a manner or quantity that would cause pollution. The code includes specific requirements regarding the management of solid wastes, the discharge of wastewater, and air quality management. In addition, the code addresses registration, monitoring, and record keeping. What rules govern waste disposal? Options for managing solid wastes include:
Options for dealing with wastewater include sub-surface discharge, irrigation and land spreading for small amounts. What rules govern Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)? To eliminate the risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, from Canada, the federal government introduced new animal health safeguards and regulations on July 12, 2007. Anyone slaughtering cattle and processing beef must handle, transport, and dispose of tissues capable of transmitting BSE, known as specified risk material (SRM), according to federal regulations. What tissues are considered risky? Tissues the Canadian Food Inspection Agency defines as specified risk material (SRM) are:
How must SRM and other wastes be handled and disposed of? All SRM must be handled according to the guidelines laid out by the CFIA. SRM and carcasses containing SRM may only be transported from an abattoir or processing establishment by a person or company possessing a CFIA permit. All recipients of SRM, for any purpose, must also possess a CFIA permit. In addition to meeting federal requirements, abattoir operators must also meet provincial Ministry of Environment requirements. Under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) and affiliated regulations, abattoirs are required to dispose of wastes in a manner that does not harm the environment. What are the penalties for non-compliance? Abattoir operators that fail to comply with the Meat Inspection Regulation can be shut down temporarily or permanently. Food safety inspectors have a variety of enforcement options, from warnings, issuing a ticket, or prosecution, depending on the severity of the situation. If abattoir operators are found to be responsible for a serious food safety incident, they can be prosecuted. Under the Food Safety Act, individuals found to be operating an abattoir in an illegal and/or unsafe manner can be fined up to $50,000 per day. Corporations found to be operating illegally or unsafely can be fined up to $200,000 per day.
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