Figures raise concerns over pig welfare changes
New figures have revealed a lack of preparation concerning new pig animal welfare regulations which will come into force across the EU on January 1, 2013.
The partial ban on sow stalls was announced back in 2001, giving member states 12 years to ready themselves for when it comes into force. However, figures indicate that only five have made the vital preparations - including the UK.
Currently, six member states have reported compliance in excess of 90 per cent. But many remain short, including France at 33 per cent, Germany at 48 per cent and the Netherlands at 63 per cent. Denmark, the biggest exporter of pig meat to the UK, had only managed 85 per cent compliance.
The National Pig Association (NPA) estimates that nearly two million pigs from farms operating illegally will be delivered to Europe’s processing plants each week. That equates to around 40,000 ‘illegal’ pigs an hour entering the European food chain in January.
When the figures were circulated at a European Commission meeting earlier this month, Stewart Houston, chairman of the British Pig Executive, said he was ‘flabbergasted’.
“We were amazed because we had been working with the commission all year on this and the messages we were getting was that compliance was much higher,” he said.
NPA Chairman Richard Longthorp said: “This makes a mockery of Europe’s animal welfare legislation. As the United Kingdom imports around 60 per cent of its pork — much of it as processed food such as ham and bacon — shoppers will need to be very careful about what they choose from supermarket shelves and when eating out in restaurants.”
He revealed the NPA will be asking retailers, processors, food service companies, pork product manufacturers and restaurant chains to sign a "pork pledge confirming that they will only source pork from legal systems" in the New Year.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
