Flaws in Ireland’s horsemeat production and traceability rules have been identified in an audit by the European Commission.
In May of 2019, auditors visited Ireland where they met with the Department of Agriculture and inspected two horse factories, a cutting plant, two passport issuing bodies, a horse trainer and a race course.
Auditors found a number of shortcomings in horsemeat traceability:
The registration system does not allow for the identification of horse dealers, whose main activity it to buy and keep horses for limited time periods.Horse owners do not consistently meet their obligations when it comes to registering horses, ie horses are not registered or are registered after the compulsory registration period of 12 months.There is a “near-absence” of the recording of medical treatments, even in horses which are over 10 years old.Issues with passport handling at knackeries.The number of horses slaughtered has fluctuated over the last number of years between 6,000 to 7,700 per year. Numbers peaked in 2012 at 24,362 as a result of the financial crisis, with many owners not in a position to keep their horses.
Registration
The auditors concluded that procedures are in place for registration of keepers of horses and they are properly implemented.
However, they noted the registration system of horse-keeping premises does not allow the Department of Agriculture to identify horse dealers whose main activity is to buy and keep horses for a limited period of time in order to be sold later to factories.
“The competent authority (CA)[Department of Agriculture] does not consider holdings where these animals are kept are marshalling centres and not as posing a higher risk by the CA, although in practice they are,” they said.
Auditors also said that the fact that a number of horses are not yet identified, along with the late identification of horses after the compulsory 12-month period, highlights that horse owners do not consistently meet their obligations on horse identification and changes of ownership.
“Nonetheless, the automatic exclusion from the food chain of horses which were registered late or for which duplicate or replacement passports were issued, mitigates potential risks in the production of horsemeat,” the auditor’s report said.
Medicine recording
The audit team observed a “large-scale absence” of recording of medicinal treatments in the horse passports, which it said “casts doubts” on the reliability of the information.
The audit team checked more than 100 passports at the different locations visited (factories, race course, passport issuing bodies).
This near-absence of records appears very unrealistic
“With very few exceptions, no medical treatments were recorded, even when horses were more than 10 years old. In the audit team's view, this near-absence of records appears very unrealistic, even if the EU legislation requires that only certain veterinary medications must be recorded in the passport,” it said, adding that the Department CA acknowledged the finding.
The Department acknowledged that there is a gap in the system to control the use of veterinary medication and the inclusion of certain information in the passports. It indicated a document was being prepared to address this.
Horse passport.
Horses sent to knackeries
At the knackery visited, auditors noted that in most cases either the passports were absent or not handed over to the Animal Identification and Movement System (AIM).
“Many horses are not identified. As a consequence the AIM database was not updated and therefore dead animals were still present and registered as 'alive'. The transmission of passports has only started recently,” they said.
The Department provided the audit team with data on horses sent to knackeries and the amount of horsemeat which was harvested for the feeding of dogs. It is noted in the report that “horsemeat is seldom collected as it is not considered suitable for racing dogs”.
Horses sent to knackeries:
2016: 3,3602017: 2,9202018: 3,035Horsemeat harvested for dog feeding:
2016: 5,000kg2017: 4,000kg2018: 5,000kgResponse from the Department and FSAI
In response to the report, the CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Dr Pamela Byrne and the chief veterinary officer Dr Martin Blake wrote to the director of the Commission’s health and food audits and analysis department.
They said the report raises “complex issues” which in their view cannot be solved solely at member state level.
More stringent requirements for identification, traceability, provenance, remedy usage, etc are required
They suggested a high-level discussion at European level to discuss the “known weaknesses” in the current system.
“More stringent requirements for identification, traceability, provenance, remedy usage, etc are required.
“These deficiencies lead to gaps and opportunities, which can be exploited by criminals for economic gain, perpetrated through fraudulent and/or deceptive practices, where ultimately both consumers and competent authorities are being misled,” the letter says.
The audit was one of four horsemeat audits in the EU, with Belgium, Romania and Poland also audited.
Read more
Tackling the horsemeat scammers
Horsemeat: horse slaughter numbers and passport rules
Analysis: investigation into tampering with horse passports
Flaws in Ireland’s horsemeat production and traceability rules have been identified in an audit by the European Commission.
In May of 2019, auditors visited Ireland where they met with the Department of Agriculture and inspected two horse factories, a cutting plant, two passport issuing bodies, a horse trainer and a race course.
Auditors found a number of shortcomings in horsemeat traceability:
The registration system does not allow for the identification of horse dealers, whose main activity it to buy and keep horses for limited time periods.Horse owners do not consistently meet their obligations when it comes to registering horses, ie horses are not registered or are registered after the compulsory registration period of 12 months.There is a “near-absence” of the recording of medical treatments, even in horses which are over 10 years old.Issues with passport handling at knackeries.The number of horses slaughtered has fluctuated over the last number of years between 6,000 to 7,700 per year. Numbers peaked in 2012 at 24,362 as a result of the financial crisis, with many owners not in a position to keep their horses.
Registration
The auditors concluded that procedures are in place for registration of keepers of horses and they are properly implemented.
However, they noted the registration system of horse-keeping premises does not allow the Department of Agriculture to identify horse dealers whose main activity is to buy and keep horses for a limited period of time in order to be sold later to factories.
“The competent authority (CA)[Department of Agriculture] does not consider holdings where these animals are kept are marshalling centres and not as posing a higher risk by the CA, although in practice they are,” they said.
Auditors also said that the fact that a number of horses are not yet identified, along with the late identification of horses after the compulsory 12-month period, highlights that horse owners do not consistently meet their obligations on horse identification and changes of ownership.
“Nonetheless, the automatic exclusion from the food chain of horses which were registered late or for which duplicate or replacement passports were issued, mitigates potential risks in the production of horsemeat,” the auditor’s report said.
Medicine recording
The audit team observed a “large-scale absence” of recording of medicinal treatments in the horse passports, which it said “casts doubts” on the reliability of the information.
The audit team checked more than 100 passports at the different locations visited (factories, race course, passport issuing bodies).
This near-absence of records appears very unrealistic
“With very few exceptions, no medical treatments were recorded, even when horses were more than 10 years old. In the audit team's view, this near-absence of records appears very unrealistic, even if the EU legislation requires that only certain veterinary medications must be recorded in the passport,” it said, adding that the Department CA acknowledged the finding.
The Department acknowledged that there is a gap in the system to control the use of veterinary medication and the inclusion of certain information in the passports. It indicated a document was being prepared to address this.
Horse passport.
Horses sent to knackeries
At the knackery visited, auditors noted that in most cases either the passports were absent or not handed over to the Animal Identification and Movement System (AIM).
“Many horses are not identified. As a consequence the AIM database was not updated and therefore dead animals were still present and registered as 'alive'. The transmission of passports has only started recently,” they said.
The Department provided the audit team with data on horses sent to knackeries and the amount of horsemeat which was harvested for the feeding of dogs. It is noted in the report that “horsemeat is seldom collected as it is not considered suitable for racing dogs”.
Horses sent to knackeries:
2016: 3,3602017: 2,9202018: 3,035Horsemeat harvested for dog feeding:
2016: 5,000kg2017: 4,000kg2018: 5,000kgResponse from the Department and FSAI
In response to the report, the CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Dr Pamela Byrne and the chief veterinary officer Dr Martin Blake wrote to the director of the Commission’s health and food audits and analysis department.
They said the report raises “complex issues” which in their view cannot be solved solely at member state level.
More stringent requirements for identification, traceability, provenance, remedy usage, etc are required
They suggested a high-level discussion at European level to discuss the “known weaknesses” in the current system.
“More stringent requirements for identification, traceability, provenance, remedy usage, etc are required.
“These deficiencies lead to gaps and opportunities, which can be exploited by criminals for economic gain, perpetrated through fraudulent and/or deceptive practices, where ultimately both consumers and competent authorities are being misled,” the letter says.
The audit was one of four horsemeat audits in the EU, with Belgium, Romania and Poland also audited.
Read more
Tackling the horsemeat scammers
Horsemeat: horse slaughter numbers and passport rules
Analysis: investigation into tampering with horse passports
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