ANIMAL WELL-BEING ON THE FARM

WHAT IS THAT

The National Reference Center for Animal Welfare has created an evaluation tool (check list) aimed at monitoring, among the various aspects taken into consideration, also the state of animal welfare of livestock farms. This tool is accessible through the information system of categorization of farms based on risk - ClassyFarm, of the Ministry of Health.

Animal welfare of beef cattle farms
The validity of the assessment tool has been recognized by the MIPAAF which has provided and authorized the information "Guarantee of animal welfare in breeding assessed according to the standard of the National Reference Center" to various organizations based on the EC Reg. 1760, the MIPAAF Decree of 16 January 2015 and the Circular 7770 of 04/13/2015.
The information approved by the MIPAAF can be used in the beef label on the basis of a specific procedure agreed with the MIPAAF and included in the optional labeling specifications of the authorized organisations.

Animal welfare of dairy cattle farms
Since the dairy sector, like others, is not regulated by vertical laws on labeling, in order to communicate animal welfare on the label, it is necessary to comply with a procedure aimed at ascertaining and demonstrating that the "Animal welfare on farm" claim is:

1. assessed to a recognized standard
2. used exclusively on products obtained from raw materials (milk / meat) of animals from farms that comply with the evaluation standard (traceability).

KEY POINTS

VERIFICATION OF VETERINARY APPOINTED (QUALIFIED BY THE NATIONAL REFERENCE CENTER)
The appointed veterinarian, qualified according to the procedures of the National Reference Center for Animal Welfare, carries out the evaluation in the stable, compiles the checklist prepared by the National Reference Center and enters the evaluation data in the appropriate computerized portal, through which the data is processed and the percentage of compliance calculated.
The farms which, through the data processing certificate issued by the computerized portal, show that the minimum score of 60% of compliance with the animal welfare requirements has been exceeded are judged to be compliant.

TRACEABILITY
The company interested in certifying animal welfare and declaring it on processed products must prepare a supply chain specification aimed at demonstrating the origin of the milk exclusively from farms that have exceeded the minimum score of 60% of compliance with animal welfare requirements.

The specification must therefore describe:

• the procedure for qualifying farms and maintaining the relative qualification
• the traceability and segregation procedure of the product in all phases (breeding, transport, transformation, packaging, labelling)
• the method of identifying the finished product (e.g. claim, brand, logo, etc.)
• the procedure for managing non-conformities and complaints
• the product/s subject to certification
• the supply chain agreements between the head of the supply chain and the contributing farms
• the list of farms and relative score obtained

In the event of a positive result , CSQA issues a certificate of conformity with the authorization to use the logo bearing the words "Animal welfare in breeding".

ADVANTAGES

• Possibility of communicating in a serious and objective way: the certification allows you to demonstrate to the consumer, who is increasingly sensitive to these issues, your commitment to animal welfare
• Institutional value of the assessment tool: The reference checklist is from the National Reference Center, a public structure, and therefore has endorsement and validity throughout the national territory