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Cost Effective Assurance for the Poultry Industry

14th August 2008

Local auditing company, Northern Ireland Food Chain Certification has recently won the contract to deliver inspection and certification services, under the Assured Chicken Production Scheme, to the Northern Ireland poultry industry.

Commenting on this development, Colin Duffy, NI Food Chain Certification Chairman said ‘We are delighted to have added the Assured Chicken Production Scheme to our portfolio of assurance services.  We are the only non-profit making certification body in GB and this new business is another significant step forward in our primary objective of delivering cost-effective assurance schemes across the agri-food sector.’

Noel Lavery, NIFCC Operations Manager, added ‘Auditing the ACP standard is a new and challenging task for the company.  TheNorthern Irelandpoultry industry operates to the highest standards of food safety and animal welfare and we are looking forward to working with the industry in our role of independently verifying these standards.’

Eric Reid, Production Director of Moy Park, said ‘NIFCC put forward a very professional and competitive package which will enable the industry here to maintain its high standards more cost effectively.’

Willis Mackey, Agricultural Director with O’Kane Poultry added ‘The auditing standards in the poultry industry ensure consumer confidence as they are European standards audited by an independent certification body, rather than the poultry companies themselves.’

NIFCC will audit the entire poultry production chain from breeding farms, hatchery, and broiler growers through to transportation and slaughter.  The audit visit is a very thorough process which covers a comprehensive list of criteria to be inspected.  This covers, traceability, the farm plan, emergency plans, health and hygiene, feed and water, environment, production records and de-population of the houses.

Joe Lawson, Technical Manager with Moy Park pointed out that the assurance scheme also includes the five freedoms introduced in 1992 by the Farm Animal Welfare Council.  This includes freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury or disease; freedom from fear and distress and freedom to display most normal patterns of behaviour.

Description : Displaying the certificates that NIFCC will award when auditing the Assured Chicken Production Scheme are Willis Mackey, Agricultural Director, O'Kane Poultry; Valerie McCann, Company Secretary, NIFCC: Joe Lawson, Technical Manager, Moy Park and Eric Reid, Production Director, Moy Park.

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