A Training Technician from CIFEA of Lorca has participated in the “Better Training For A Safer Food: Animal Welfare In Poultry Production (Chickens Kept For Meat Production) I Edition Mapama”.
A Training Technician of the CIFEA of Lorca, José Maria Ros Piqueras has participated from 13 to 16 November 2018 in a Training Course that has been organised within the Programme “Better Training For a Safer Food: Animal Welfare in Poultry Productión Chickens Kept For Meat Production I Editión” organised by the European Commission in Malmö Sweden.
The aim of the Course is to disseminate knowledge and improve the professional skills of competent authority staff involved in official control activities on animal welfare in the EU, mainly for the purpose of:
- Raise awareness and promote a common understanding and interpretation of EU animal welfare rules applicable to poultry production.
- Promote the exchange of good practices between EU Member States as regards control activities at farm level, during transport and related operations, and in slaughterhouses.
- Promote and stimulate a constructive dialogue between stakeholders (including business operators, NGOs and their umbrella organisations, and also a climate of collaboration between National Authorities in the EU and outside the EU towards common achievements in relation to the most controversial aspects in the interpretation of the relevant aspects of the legislation.
The methodology of the course was theoretical-practical, with different presentations by some of the participants in which they shared their experiences and ways of acting in specific cases, as well as group work, debates and presentations.
Practical activities have also been carried out in the field, through visits to farms and slaughterhouses, in which the animal welfare assessment protocol has been carried out in the field, as well as simulated practices on proposed cases, in which the participants, in groups, have had to apply and share the knowledge acquired.
Among the topics discussed were mainly the current EU legislation, such as Directive 2007/43/EC on the protection of chickens kept for meat production as well as the Recommendations for action to ensure the correct implementation of Directive 2007/43/EC.
The course has enabled participants to achieve the skills necessary to
- Interpret the EU legislation on animal welfare in meat poultry farming.
- Interpret the legislation on animal welfare in meat poultry in the European Union.
- To evaluate the current farming systems, and the monitoring system in slaughterhouses, in relation to compliance with current EU legislation, by carrying out efficient inspections at farm level.
It is of great importance to participate in these training courses, to keep up to date with the guidelines set by the EU and to exchange experiences, thus improving the professional skills of the staff of the competent authorities.
This has once again demonstrated the importance of animal welfare and its close relationship with aspects such as biosecurity, public health, quality and food safety.
Published by the National Livestock Reference Center
