There is “widespread and systematic failure” in the Department of Agriculture’s inspection regime for animal by-products, an audit carried out last June has found.
These shortcomings weaken the assurances provided that Ireland’s animal-derived pet food complies with EU rules, it said.
The audit was completed by European Commission officials, who stated that while all of the elements for an effective control system for animal by-products are in place, these elements do not operate as they should.
Non-compliances with EU regulations were also found by auditors which had went undetected during Department inspections.
These areas of non-compliance at plants include issues around cleanliness, hygiene, the classification of animal by-products, health documentation and sampling for Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae.
Some of these issues had been identified in an audit carried out in 2018 and flagged with the Department as requiring remedial action.
Among the hygiene and record-keeping issues raised were that Department reports stated that animal by-product facilities were clean, when they were actually dirty.
Salmonella
Another instance of non-compliance concerned a processing facility’s own checks, where it claimed to have collected five samples to test for Salmonella, but only collected one.
The operators at this same facility also incorrectly interpreted the results of these bacterial tests.
The Department had signed off as compliant practices which saw animal by-products incorrectly categorised.
Category three animal by-products arriving at plants contained category two material, such as digestive tracts with their contents, animals’ heads with tags attached, animal tissues mixed with plastic and paper and byproducts which were in in a state of decomposition.
Action
The Department has committed to taking the corrective action which it said will bring confidence that the by-product sector is operating in compliance with EU rules.
These actions include staff training and issuing compliance notices on-foot of the Commission auditors’ findings.
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