The introduction of compulsory CCTV in abattoirs in England

10^th World Congress on Veterinary & Animal Science

May 18-19, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Lewis G Grant

Veterinary Public Health Association, England

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Vet Sci Technol

Abstract :

The use of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in slaughter houses for the purposes of providing additional supervision of animal handling and slaughter practices is much debated in several countries. CCTV is already often used by food business operators (FBOs) to facilitate them in discharging their regulatory responsibilities requiring them to ensure that animals under their care are handled from arrival, unloading, lairage to slaughter in a humane manner, in accordance with the current welfare regulations. Under Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing, FBOs must have trained operatives with Certificates of Competence (COCs) to handle live animals as well as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and CCTV greatly assists the FBO in ensuring compliance with the regulation. However, the application of CCTV remains, in many countries, voluntary and variably regulated. In most cases, the official veterinarian does not have access to this system nor the resultant footage to assist him/her in carrying out his verification role with respect to the monitoring of animal welfare standards. As a consequence of undercover filming of animal welfare breaches in some slaughter houses in the UK, legislation for compulsory CCTV with unrestricted access for OVs is being introduced in England from May 2018.

Biography :

Lewis G Grant is a Veterinarian, worked initially in general practice but then specialized in veterinary public health working as an OVS until 1998, when he was appointed as an area Supervisor and Auditor by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS). He moved to MHS headquarters in 2000 helping to deal with the 2001 FMD outbreak, BSE related controls and editing the MHS Operations Manual. He was responsible for hosting EU Inspections to the UK and visits from third country delegations. He was awarded the MBE for services to the Food Standards Agency in 2011 and became President of the VPHA in 2016. Email: