Operational guideline: Poultry ante-mortem inspection

6.6.1 Extra-label use of medications

For birds exposed to extra-label medication(s) during last 120 days of the life of a bird that has been used for breeding or egg production or in respect of the entire life of any other bird, verify availability of:

• a copy of the prescription that was issued by a veterinarian
• an attestation by a competent person or body with respect to the withdrawal period for that administration. The following documents are acceptable:
  • Canadian Association of Poultry Practitioners (CAPP) or Canadian Global Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (CgFARAD) report showing a withdrawal period;
  • a copy of the Emergency Drug Release (EDR) form issued by the VDD, Health Canada, including the withdrawal period; or
  • a copy of the permit for the vaccine issued by the Veterinary Biologics Section (VBS) of the CFIA and a copy of the label showing a withdrawal period.

Verify that the documents provided as well as the withdrawal period observed are acceptable.

Shipments of birds treated with extra label medication(s) and for which a copy of a veterinary prescription and one of the documents above cannot be obtained may be slaughtered using "Hold and Test" regime. In such cases, verify:

• operator's actions for held shipment (refer to section below)
• operator's actions for missing supporting documentation (refer to section below)
• acceptability of lab results (refer to section below)

6.6.2 CFIA assessment of lab results

In cases of suspected or confirmed exposure to a chemical hazard, the operator may present laboratory results to the CFIA. A Veterinary inspector may consider the results satisfactory if:

• the report is issued by a laboratory accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) or a provincial or university laboratory using an internationally accepted method for the specific veterinary drug or its corresponding metabolite;
• samples from the treated flock submitted to the laboratory were collected, under the supervision of a provincially licensed veterinary poultry practitioner, from live birds which were representative of the flock; and
• the laboratory report indicates compliance with the applicable Canadian Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) or indicates that there was no detectable residue of the drug or applicable metabolite in case of Extra-label Drug Use (ELDU).

If the results do not meet these criteria, the operator's assessment of results and operator's action plan for the product should be submitted to the Operational Guidance and Expertise (OGE) using the prescribed communication chain and methodology. Inform the operator that the results might be forwarded to Health Canada and that this might impact the time taken for CFIA assessment.

6.6.3 Missing or incomplete FAID and / or supporting documentation

It is up to the operator to decide what action will be taken when the FAID or a supporting document is missing or is incomplete. CFIA will verify that the operator's actions do not lead to humane handling, food safety (including cross-contamination) or environmental contamination issues.

In addition, the CFIA will implement additional evisceration line tests e.g. evisceration standards test, final Critical Control Point (CCP) testing, Modernized Poultry Inspection Program (MPIP) tests etc.

6.6.4 Suspect, segregated and held shipments

6.6.4.1 Verify segregation of shipment of live birds

• Verify that the operator has adequately segregated shipments of birds that require segregation due to abnormalities in physiology, behaviour or appearance or suspected or confirmed exposure to biological or chemical hazards.
• Verify that the segregated shipments are adequately identified.
• Verify adequacy of operator's plan of identifying and segregating the suspect shipment throughout the slaughter, evisceration, chilling and post-chill processing.
• If operator's identification of the segregated shipment is inadequate, the CFIA inspector or veterinary inspector must identify these shipments with a CFIA identification device (e.g. a tag).

6.6.4.2 Veterinary disposition of a held shipment(s)

The disposition of a held shipment can only be made by a veterinary inspector or by an inspector under supervision of a veterinary inspector. The disposition decisions may be one of the following:

• release without further restrictions during slaughter or further processing
• release with some restrictions during slaughter or further processing
• immediate slaughter for humane reasons
• hold and test if a disease or drug residue is suspected
• condemned

6.6.4.3 Verify operator's actions for the condemned birds

• condemned birds are identified as inedible;
• condemned birds are segregated with other condemned birds or isolated if, because of its condition, it presents a risk to other birds or it requires protection from other birds;
• condemned birds are humanely killed; and
• the carcass and any blood collected from the condemned bird are identified as inedible.

6.6.4.4 Verify cleanliness and disinfection, where needed

• Verify that slaughter floor, equipment, yards, etc., which have been used to hold or move suspect or condemned birds, are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, as judged to be necessary by the CFIA Veterinary inspector.
• Verify that the trucks and crates used to convey birds of suspect or condemned flocks are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, as judged to be necessary by the CFIA Veterinary inspector.

6.6.4.5 Veterinary disposition of a held shipment(s)

• Complete Ante-Mortem Veterinary Inspection Report Ante-Mortem Screening Record (CFIA/ACIA 1438) for shipments held for veterinary inspection.
• Enter full details for e.g. flock identification, owner's name and address, reason for condemnation etc.

6.6.5 Implement FAD contingency plan

Should the CFIA veterinary inspector suspect a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), the FAD contingency plan will go into effect.

6.7.1 Verifying operator's compliance with record retention requirements

When conducting a CVS task, verify that operator is retaining ante-mortem records for a period stated in SFCR 166(2).