NPA warns indoor pig producers to check paperwork

The National Pig Association (NPA) is urging producers sending finished pigs to abattoirs from controlled housing conditions (CHC) to make sure their paperwork is correct.

The EU needs assurance that pigmeat imported from the UK – now a third country trading partner – is not at risk of being infected with the parasitic worm trichinella.

For processors to continue exporting to the EU, farms sending pigs to slaughter from indoor production systems need to attest that all pigs have been kept under CHC by ticking the relevant box on their food chain information (FCI) form.

While the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made a list of farms applying CHC for the EU’s official vets to check, the NPA has learned that the list is incomplete because of missing or erroneous information.

See also: Feed and water checklist for finishing pigs

The NPA is asking producers to make sure they have ticked the CHC box on the FCI form, and to make sure their details – including county parish holding (CPH) number, Red Tractor licence number and postcode – are correct.

“If a farm [supplying an abattoir] is not on the list, the whole day’s kill has to be tested for trichinella, which could result in a significant extra cost for the industry,” says NPA chief executive Zoe Davies.

“Processors are experiencing real issues with exporting pigmeat to the EU at present, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could ensure all your data is correct.”

This applies to all indoor producers, and those accepting piglets that are sent indoors before five weeks of age. Boars and sows are automatically tested for trichinella, and free-range pigs also have to be tested as they cannot comply with CHC requirements.