99.6 per cent slaughter­houses comply with regulations

"In 2021, the NVWA carried out as many as 88,000 inspections at Dutch slaughterhouses. The NVWA's new Compliance Monitor shows that no less than 99.6% of the companies complied with laws and regulations. The companies and their thousands of employees pay plenty of attention to company hygiene and have their affairs in order," COV said in response to the publication of the NVWA Slaughterhouse Monitor 2021 (Dutch).

The NVWA says it has paid extra attention to the risks of introducing swine fever through slaughterhouses and live transport. COV welcomes this specific attention. With optimal cleaning and disinfection of locations and means of transport, everything must be done to help prevent an outbreak of swine fever. With other industry organisations in the pig chain, the COV has already pointed this out.

Regarding the reported shortcomings in the correct use of disinfectants (PTO3), regulator (NVWA) and industry need to communicate well among themselves. It must be clear what the desired, verified doses are and how closely that listens for proper functioning. Only when these rules of the game are clear on both sides can there be effective supervision of their correct use.

COV further objects to the NVWA's reinstatement in the Compliance Monitor of 'non-determined fine-worthy violations'. As long as a finding has not been finalised or an objection is still pending, it does not belong in the final report and cannot be counted. The total may therefore creep even closer to 100 per cent compliance.

The 88,000 inspections come on top of the NVWA's regular permanent supervision of daily operations at slaughterhouses. With the commitment and diligence of thousands of employees around company hygiene and quality assurance, the Dutch meat sector can demonstrate to the sales markets at home and abroad that it can offer guarantees of impeccable products at a high level.

Source: COV