Knackery inspections were doubled and inspection procedures overhauled by the Department of Agriculture following an audit by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The FSAI audit raised a range of non-compliance issues (see right) in an audit of 11 knackeries in a report published and reported by the Irish Farmers Journal last summer.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said the non-compliances identified at individual knackeries during the FSAI audit were followed up by the Department’s regional veterinary office staff.
“Written or verbal directions were issued as appropriate and compliance subsequently verified,” the spokesperson said.
“In addition, the conditions of operation of knackeries were amended in light of the findings of the FSAI audit, clarifying requirements for labelling, dyeing, harvesting procedures and hygiene.”
Training courses were carried out for knackery operators and the number of annual inspections at knackeries was increased from two to four per knackery in 2017.
There are 1,700 business operators approved or registered by the Department of Agriculture to handle animal byproducts. This includes 36 licensed knackery operators.
The FSAI audit was focused in particular on the sale of animal byproduct to dog owners such as hunts and greyhound owners.
Ireland has a derogation from the EU Animal By Product (ABP) Regulations, to allow Category 2 and Category 3 ABP be fed to certain animals including dogs and greyhounds.
Category 2 ABPs include dead or fallen animals from farms, animals rejected from abattoirs due to having infectious diseases, carcases containing residues from authorised treatments and carcases of animals killed for disease control purposes.
Carcases
Category 3 ABPs include carcases or parts of carcases passed fit for human consumption at a slaughterhouse, products originally meant for human consumption but withdrawn for commercial reasons, not because they were unfit to eat, domestic catering waste, hides and skins from slaughterhouses and processed animal proteins.
The meat fed to dogs must come from a premises authorised by the Department and can only be sold to holders of meat feeder licences.
In 2015, there were 467 licensed meat feeders. This number is up 55% to 725 in 2018.
Only seven of the 11 knackeries were found to be compliant with basic structure and hygiene requirements, with significant non-compliance in relation to one knackery.In one facility, which was physically attached to both a dog breeding establishment and a haulage business, concerns were expressed about the separation of the various businesses. No record of the stock held on site was available at this premises.Only two knackeries fully complied with rules on meat staining and denaturing.In one knackery, significant volumes of tripe were stored in a large refrigerated container with no traceability documentation.In seven establishments feeding meat from fallen animals to dogs, bones and carcase sides/quarters were fed to greyhounds, which is not allowed, while another was storing unstained bovine legs and equine sides. Read more
‘No reports’ of knackery meat in food chain – Department of Agriculture
Significant variation in knackery charges
Knackery loophole to be closed
Knackery inspections were doubled and inspection procedures overhauled by the Department of Agriculture following an audit by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The FSAI audit raised a range of non-compliance issues (see right) in an audit of 11 knackeries in a report published and reported by the Irish Farmers Journal last summer.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said the non-compliances identified at individual knackeries during the FSAI audit were followed up by the Department’s regional veterinary office staff.
“Written or verbal directions were issued as appropriate and compliance subsequently verified,” the spokesperson said.
“In addition, the conditions of operation of knackeries were amended in light of the findings of the FSAI audit, clarifying requirements for labelling, dyeing, harvesting procedures and hygiene.”
Training courses were carried out for knackery operators and the number of annual inspections at knackeries was increased from two to four per knackery in 2017.
There are 1,700 business operators approved or registered by the Department of Agriculture to handle animal byproducts. This includes 36 licensed knackery operators.
The FSAI audit was focused in particular on the sale of animal byproduct to dog owners such as hunts and greyhound owners.
Ireland has a derogation from the EU Animal By Product (ABP) Regulations, to allow Category 2 and Category 3 ABP be fed to certain animals including dogs and greyhounds.
Category 2 ABPs include dead or fallen animals from farms, animals rejected from abattoirs due to having infectious diseases, carcases containing residues from authorised treatments and carcases of animals killed for disease control purposes.
Carcases
Category 3 ABPs include carcases or parts of carcases passed fit for human consumption at a slaughterhouse, products originally meant for human consumption but withdrawn for commercial reasons, not because they were unfit to eat, domestic catering waste, hides and skins from slaughterhouses and processed animal proteins.
The meat fed to dogs must come from a premises authorised by the Department and can only be sold to holders of meat feeder licences.
In 2015, there were 467 licensed meat feeders. This number is up 55% to 725 in 2018.
Only seven of the 11 knackeries were found to be compliant with basic structure and hygiene requirements, with significant non-compliance in relation to one knackery.In one facility, which was physically attached to both a dog breeding establishment and a haulage business, concerns were expressed about the separation of the various businesses. No record of the stock held on site was available at this premises.Only two knackeries fully complied with rules on meat staining and denaturing.In one knackery, significant volumes of tripe were stored in a large refrigerated container with no traceability documentation.In seven establishments feeding meat from fallen animals to dogs, bones and carcase sides/quarters were fed to greyhounds, which is not allowed, while another was storing unstained bovine legs and equine sides. Read more
‘No reports’ of knackery meat in food chain – Department of Agriculture
Significant variation in knackery charges
Knackery loophole to be closed
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: