| Chicken | Hatching egg
The Alberta Poultry producers support the implementation of national programs through a producer funded training and counseling program. Producers receive certificates of compliance as they meet the expectations of the national programs.
There are three categories:
1. Chicken
2. Hatching Egg
3. Turkey
Chicken
The Chicken Farmers of Canada On-Farm Food Safety Assurance Program, which was introduced to chicken farmers in 1998, is composed of two distinct elements:
| 1. | The program is based on a code of good production practices (GPP) (an approach similar to the programs at the food processing and further processing levels). |
| 2. | The focus of the program is on incorporating these principles and practices in the chicken barn to determine Critical Control Points along with the associated and detailed surveillance methods and corrective actions. |
The code of GPP covers the whole production cycle; that is, from the preparation of the chicken barn after the exit of the preceding cycle of birds up to the catching and shipping of the market-weight birds.
Additionally, forms (records) were developed to cover the different sections of the GPP. The Chicken Farmers of Canada believe that rigorous record keeping is probably the most important element of the program as it can ensure traceability, and of course, quality control.
It should be noted that it is impossible to eradicate all pathogens in the chicken barns. However, implementing the GPP and other procedures as outlined in the "Safe, Safer, Safest" manual is an effective way to keep the pathogens at their lowest level.
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Hatching Egg
The Canadian Hatching Egg Quality Program (CHEQ)is a voluntary, on-farm food safety initiative developed by hatching egg producers for producers. It's based on the internationally accepted principles of HACCP and is consistent with the food safety approach developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
CHEQ is a major element in the Canadian poultry industry's "gate to plate" food safety strategy. It links into the food safety initiatives developed by the feed mills, hatcheries, chicken farmers and poultry processors. CHEQ focuses on hatching egg production but it also covers the production of pullets, market eggs and fowl.
CHEQ provides produces with a comprehensive set of generic Good Production Practices (GPP's) focused on food safety. It clearly sets out the single Critical Control Point - egg sorting - required on a hatching egg operation. It will assist producers to fully document the food safety controls they have in place on their operations.
CHEQ is an opportunity for hatching egg producers to certify their operations as having implemented an on-farm food safety program based on recognized industry standards.
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For more information on this and other On-Farm Food Safety programs, contact Betty Vladicka. |