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3rd party audits: Are you prepared?

Sow Bridge Lecture Series

May 2014

Amber Stricker MS, DVM

Suidae Health and Production

515-341-7044 amber_stricker@suidaehp.com

Audit:

u  Definition:

u  (noun) -an official inspection of an individual's or organization's accounts, typically by an independent body.

u  synonyms: inspection, examination, verification, scrutiny, probe, investigation, assessment, appraisal, evaluation, review, analysis

u  Typically invokes anxiety and defensiveness

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Our opponents

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Our industry is changing

u  Audits are now a part of raising pigs and are here to stay.

u  Your farm WILL eventually be audited

u  Being prepared in advance makes for a better experience

u  Showcase your farm and your passion for caring for animals

u  PQA +, TQA, Packer requirements

u  Tool for personal development

u  Enhances consumer confidence

u  Provides for an insurance policy against animal neglect/abuse allegations and food safety liabilities

u  Sets guidelines for what the industry considers to be best practices

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About the auditors

u  All audits conducted by Validus trained auditors

u  Validus:

u  Independent certification company that prepares food companies and producers for changing market demands.

u  Based in Urbandale, IA

u  Created audits designed to meet the specs for each packer= proprietary

u  Hormel and JBS audits are identical

u  Tyson will accept a JBS/Hormel audit

u  Auditors have knowledge of swine production and should be familiar with basic farm terminology

u  Temporarily suspended auditing due to PEDv

u  Auditors preparing to be out in full force come May

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If When your farm is selected for an audit:

u  Notified by hog buyer in advance

u  Validus auditor will contact you to ask about your farm’s biosecurity requirements

u  Audits typically take 6-8 hrs for a sow farm and 5-6 hrs for a grow-finish farm.

u  Records

u  Animal observations

u  Interviewing caretakers

u  Based on a point system

u  Animal observations make up the most points

u  Documentation makes up fewer points

u  Need to have 80-85% to pass the audit

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Critical failures

u  Require immediate corrective action to be submitted within 24 hrs.

u  Include the following:

u  Failure to have emergency back-up equipment

u  Solid sided buildings must have alarm and generator that can be started up within 30 min. of the power failure.

u  Curtain sided barns must have auto-magnetic curtain drops and a generator or alarm

u  Euthanasia technique

u  Must be an approved technique in accordance with the AASV/NPB Guidelines for Euthanasia of Swine

u  Equipment should be readily available, functioning and properly stored

u  Timely euthanasia

u  Animals must not be kept in a state of suffering

u  Refer to PQA Plus handbook for definition of timely euthanasia

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Critical failures continued…

u  Terminal C-sections must not be practiced

u  Non-ambulatory animals

u  Animals that are loaded onto transport vehicles must be able to walk on all four limbs.

u  Electric prod use

u  Must not be used on piglets, weanlings or feeder pigs

u  Must not be used more than twice on any one animal

u  Must not be used in pens

u  Must not be used in sensitive areas

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Critical failures cont..

u  Failure to have an animal welfare policy

u  Policy must be posted

u  Must state that there is zero tolerance for animal abuse or mistreatment

u  i.e. no willful acts of abuse, dragging of live animals, swinging gates on animals,etc.

u  Failure to provide documentation of daily observation of the sick pen

u  Need to track individual animals on a daily basis

u  Should match the standard operating procedure for sick pen management

u  Failure to provide access to food at least 1x/24 hrs or water at least 2x/day

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Consequences for failures

u  Vary depending on packer

u  Critical failures require immediate action

u  Written corrective action reports will be requested

u  Major non-conformances or critical failures will result in a follow-up on-farm audit

u  Farm may be responsible for bearing the cost

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Summary of additional requirements:

u  Site information

u  Standard operating procedures

u  Protocols and policies

u  Packer specific information (Tyson)

u  PQA+ and TQA documentation

u  Site Records

u  Be familiar with your packer’s program specifications.

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Site information:

u  “No entrance to site” sign posted in a prominent location

u  Premise ID number

u  List of current caretakers

u  Emergency contact sheet

u  VCPR certificate

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Standard Operating Procedures

u  A set of written instructions that detail all the steps and activities of a process or procedure followed by an operation.

u  Should reflect day to day procedures on the farm

u  Reviewed at least annually with all caretakers

u  Should be dated at each revision and accessible to all caretakers

u  Written in a language that all caretakers can understand

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Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

u  Examples of SOPs to include:

u  Caretaker training

u  Site biosecurity

u  Animal handling

u  Daily pig care

u  Broken needles

u  Medication and treatment

u  Facility repair and maintenance

u  Record keeping and retention

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Protocols and Policies

u  Written animal care policy

u  Includes zero tolerance of willful acts of abuse or neglect

u  Any occurrence of neglect or abuse must be reported ASAP

u  Consequences relating to abuse or neglect including disciplinary actions

u  Must be dated, signed by all caretakers and posted

u  Animal abuse reporting policy

u  Written policy including email or phone number with voicemail that caretakers can report abuse or improper care.

u  Contact information posted and reviewed annually

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Protocols and Policies

u  Written euthanasia action plan for each stage of production

u  Posted in a prominent location

u  Must be an approved technique in accordance with the AASV/NPB Guidelines for Euthanasia of Swine

u  Blunt force trauma is approved for use only in suckling piglets <12 lbs.

u  Must include an alternative method

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Packer specific information

u  Tyson

u  Certificate of understanding

u  Signed by all caretakers prior to working with pigs

u  Kept on site for review

u  Internal animal care audits

u  Conducted monthly on grow-finish sites and weekly on sow farms

u  Kept on site for review

u  Tyson annual competency exams

u  Completed by all caretakers annually

u  Kept on site for review

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PQA Plus and TQA certification

u  PQA Plus and TQA reference material on site for review

u  PQA Plus site status is current

u  PQA Plus certification is current for all caretakers

u  TQA certification is current for all caretakers

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Site Records u  Visitor sign-in log

u  Caretaker training records

u  Daily observation records u  Kept by room/barn

u  To include initials of caretaker and temperature recording

u  Daily observation of pigs in the treatment area

u  Medication and treatment records u  Must contain minimum FDA required information

u  Out of feed events record

u  Annual dead and non-ambulatory in transit

u  Annual mortality records

u  Monthly site maintenance checklist

u  Monthly warning system and back-up equipment check

u  Activated alarm record

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Resources

u  Packer program specifications

u  Tyson, Hormel, JBS- all have written details of expectations

u  PQA Plus and TQA materials

u  Herd veterinarian or PQA advisor

u  Animal care services

u  Several services exist to aid producers in getting into compliance

u  Suidae Health and Production-Animal Care and Training Service (ACTS)

u  Develop site specific protocols and record templates, face-to-face review of materials with caretakers, on-farm audits with caretakers to review current practices.

u  Learn more at www. suidaehp.com

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Final words of advice

u  If marketing to more than 1 packer:

u  Request the auditor does the most comprehensive audit of the packers you work with

u  i.e. Market to Tyson and JBS- Request auditor to conduct the JBS audit which will suffice for both.

u  Should not be audited more than 1x/3 yrs

u  Still eligible for NPB 3rd party verification audit

u  Ask for help from your veterinarian, PQA Plus advisor, etc.

u  Pre-audit walk-throughs are valuable

u  View audits as a chance to learn and improve

u  BE PREPARED!

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Thank you for your time! Questions?

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