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National performance criteria for livestock and poultry traceability

The Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Animal Health Organisation defines "performance criteria" as follows: "specifications for performance of a programme and are usually expressed in quantitative terms, such as all animals can be traced to the establishment of birth within 48 hours of an enquiry."

The federal, provincial and territorial governments have identified the following national performance criteria for livestock and poultry traceability systems in order to rapidly and efficiently manage a sanitary issue or a natural disaster affecting or originating from a Canadian herd:

Within 48 hours of the relevant federal, provincial or territorial Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) Footnote 1 or competent authority Footnote 2 being notified Footnote 3 of a sanitary issue, a natural disaster, or in the prevention or preparedness of such an issue, it must be possible to:

  1. establish the location(s) Footnote 4 where a specified animal Footnote 5 has been kept during its life Footnote 6
  2. establish the location(s) from where animals at a given site were received
  3. establish a listing of all animals that have been kept on the same location as the specified animal at any stage during those animals' lives
  4. determine the current location of all animals that have been kept on the same site as the specified animal at any time during those animals' lives
  5. determine the identification number and movement history of all conveyances used to transport animals to and from a given location
  6. establish the location of a specified animal immediately prior to importation into Canada or the location of a specified animal immediately subsequent to exportation from Canada
  7. establish the location and date at which deceased animals were sent, transported, received and disposed of (both on- and off-site) and a listing of those animals if identified individually

The performance criteria will be used to measure the effectiveness of livestock traceability systems, whether they are mandatory or voluntary.

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