Commission Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005 (repealed)Show full title

CHAPTER I OBLIGATIONS ON FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS

A. The following requirements must be met by food business operators to obtain official recognition of holdings as free from Trichinella:

(a)

the operator must have taken all practical precautions with regard to building construction and maintenance in order to prevent rodents, any other kind of mammals and large carnivorous birds from having access to buildings where animals are kept;

(b)

the operator must apply a pest-control programme, in particular for rodents, effectively to prevent infestation of pigs. The operator must keep records of the programme to the satisfaction of the competent authority;

(c)

the operator must ensure that all feed has been obtained from a facility that produces feed in accordance with the principles described in Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 of the European Parliament of 12 January 2005 and of the Council laying down requirements for feed hygiene(1);

(d)

the operator must store feed intended for Trichinella susceptible species in closed silos or other containers that are impenetrable to rodents. All other feed supplies must be heat-treated or produced and stored to the satisfaction of the competent authority;

(e)

the operator must ensure that dead animals are collected for disposal by sanitary means within 24 hours of death. However, dead piglets may be collected and stored on the holding in a properly closed container pending disposal;

(f)

if a rubbish dump is located in the neighbourhood of the holding, the operator must inform the competent authority. Subsequently, the competent authority must assess the risks involved and decide whether the holding is to be recognised as free from Trichinella;

(g)

the operator must ensure that piglets coming onto the holding from outside and pigs purchased are born and bred under controlled housing conditions in integrated production systems;

(h)

the operator must ensure that pigs are identified so each animal can be traced back to the holding;

(i)

the operator may introduce new animals, onto the holding only if they:

(i)

come from in holdings officially recognised as free from Trichinella; or

(ii)

are accompanied by a certificate authenticated by the competent authority in the exporting country stating that the animal comes from a holding recognised as free from Trichinella; or

(iii)

are kept in isolation until the results of a serological test approved by the Community reference laboratory prove to be negative. Serological sampling must commence only after the animals have been on the holding for four weeks;

(j)

the operator shall ensure that no pigs intended for slaughter have had outdoor access during the entire production period;

(k)

outdoor access during the first few weeks of life before weaning shall be permitted if all the following conditions are met:

(i)

no Trichinella infestations have been diagnosed in domestic animals in the country in the past 10 years;

(ii)

an annual surveillance programme exists for wildlife susceptible to Trichinella. The programme shall be risk-based and shall be conducted in an area epidemiologically related to the geographical location of the Trichinella-free farms. The programme shall test the relevant indicator species on the basis of previous findings. The results shall show a prevalence of Trichinella in indicator animals below 0,5 %;

(iii)

when outdoors, the animals shall be in properly fenced areas;

(iv)

the monitoring program referred to in Article 11 shall be in place and monitoring shall be more frequent on the holdings involved;

(v)

all sows and boars kept for breeding purposes on the holding shall be systematically sampled at slaughter for examination using the reference method of detection described in Chapter I of Annex I or one of the equivalent methods described in Chapter II of Annex I, and

(vi)

steps shall be taken to prevent access by large carnivorous and omnivorous birds (e.g. crows, birds of prey).

B. Food business operators of holdings recognised as free from Trichinella shall inform the competent authority where any of the requirements in point A is no longer fulfilled or where any other change has occurred that might affect the Trichinella-free status of the holding.

(1)

OJ L 35, 8.2.2005, p. 1.