Regulation No. 916 on the marking of livestock

No 916 30 October 2012 REGULATION on the marking of livestock Article 1 Objective The objective of this Regulation is to ensure the traceability of livestock products from the herd of origin and/or from the birth of the animal in question to the sale of the products, thereby laying the foundations of well-targeted controls of foodstuffs and livestock, the monitoring of animal transports, the reporting of animal diseases, and the treatment of such diseases. Article 2 Scope This Regulation applies to the marking of livestock and to the recording of information about livestock, including in databases. In addition to this, the provisions of applicable regulations on the marking of individual species of livestock must be complied with. Article 3 Definitions 1. Brand means a tattoo, earmark or tag identifying a farm. 2. Livestock means horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry. 3. Holding number means the cadastral parcel number combined with the relevant business unit’s identifying number within the farm. 4. Homestead number means the number of the farm or owner engaged in sheep or goat farming combined with the county identifier and municipality code as listed in the National Livestock Brand Register. 5. Individual number means the unique number/letter code used to identify every animal kept for rearing on a national basis. 6. Producer number means the two-digit number of a pig herd as allocated by the Ministry of Industries and Innovation. 7. Weaning means the weaning of piglets, at a weight of around 7 to 10 kg. 8. Birth number means the world-wide individual identification number of [Icelandic] horses. Also called “FEIF-ID” in the WorldFengur [breed registry for Icelandic horses]. 9. Sequence number means the number of an animal within the herd; this is the same as the last part of the individual number. 10. Rearing pig means a suckling piglet, a weaner, or a grower. 11. Health chart means a collection of information covering data on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and on preventive measures. 12. Herd register means a database or formal written records where keepers of livestock must record specific information about the animals kept. 13. Herd means a group of animals belonging to a specific livestock species and kept on the same farm. 14. House number means the number indicated by a producer for premises used for one group of poultry constituting a single epidemiological unit, as defined in consultation with the Food and Veterinary Authority, including poultry sharing the same airspace. Where the poultry are kept indoors, the above applies to houses where all the birds share the same airspace. 15. Traceability number means a number of at least 10 digits in length, where the initial three digits are the poultry producer’s identification code, as allocated by the Food and Veterinary Authority, followed by two digits indicating the year, two digits indicating the week in which the chicks hatched, one digit indicating the serial number of the rearing group within the week of hatching, and finally two digits indicating the number of the house in which the group is reared. 16. Lamb/kid tag means a tag applied to lambs and kids in the spring. 17. Lamb number means a unique number used to identify each lamb born on an individual farm in a particular year. No 916 30 October 2012 18. National Livestock Brand Register means a register of all earmarks, fire brands and freeze brands, as well as all homestead numbers, in use within the country, as published by the Farmers’ Association of Iceland pursuant to Regulation No 200/1998 on livestock brands, brand registers, and limitations on the joint use of brands, as amended. 19. Animals kept for rearing means animals selected for breeding and/or production. 20. Marker means a tag, freeze brand, microchip or other electronic marker, a tattoo or any other means of identification approved by the Food and Veterinary Authority for use on individual livestock species. 21. Slaughtering refers to both slaughtering in slaughterhouses and slaughtering at a registered farm for own use. 22. Population means a specific breeding line within the same breed of livestock. 23. Pigs means animals selected for rearing, both sows and boars. 24. Keeper of livestock means the owner of livestock or any other person responsible for feeding, tending and supervising livestock in accordance with Act No 103/2002 on animal husbandry, etc. 25. Selective number means a number selected by the keeper of livestock. 26. Week number means the two-digit number of the week in which a suckling pig is born. 27. WorldFengur is the breeding register for Icelandic horses. 28. [MARK is a central computer system containing information about livestock branding.]1 Article 4 Obligation to mark Keepers of livestock are responsible for ensuring that all livestock in their custody are marked within a specified time limit after birth, using an approved mark designed to accompany the animal all its life, see further provisions relating to individual livestock species. It is prohibited to modify or remove the individual number/mark of an animal or rearing group, unless it has become illegible or damaged. If a mark comes off, is lost or becomes illegible, the keeper must re-mark the animal with a mark that ensures traceability through its connection with the earlier mark and with the herd register. Numbers already in use within the herd may not be used. At least 10 years must pass before the same individual number is reused within the same herd. Article 5 Requirements regarding the characteristics of tags Tags must be of a type that prevents any reuse of tags after they have been removed. Any information included on tags must be pre-printed in easily legible typeface which does not allow for subsequent modification. Tags intended for use pursuant to this Regulation must be approved by the Food and Veterinary Authority. Article 6 Marking of cattle Cattle must be marked by attaching a pre-printed tag to each ear within 20 days of birth. The tags must bear the following information: a. The letter combination ‘YD’ identifying the Food and Veterinary Authority. b. The letter combination ‘IS’ identifying Iceland. c. The holding number. d. The sequence number. [… ]2 In addition to the pre-printed information, cattle owners may use their own selective number system. 1 Regulation No 748/2016. 2 Regulation No 748/2016. No 916 30 October 2012 Article 7 Marking of pigs All pigs must be marked by attaching a pre-printed tag to one ear. The tags must bear the following information: a. The letter combination ‘YD’ identifying the Food and Veterinary Authority. b. The letter combination ‘IS’ identifying Iceland. c. The holding number. d. The sequence number. The pigs must be tagged before they leave the holding of birth or when they are treated, after weaning, with drugs with a mandated waiting period before processing. Article 8 Exemption from the obligation to tag rearing pigs The Food and Veterinary Authority may grant an exemption from the obligation to tag pigs intended for slaughter, provided that all of the following requirements are met: a. No drugs have been administered to the pigs after weaning. b. The pigs are identified as belonging to the holding of birth before being transported from that holding. c. The pigs are transported directly from the holding of birth or rearing to the slaughterhouse. d. Transports take place from one holding of birth or rearing only at a time. e. Transports take place with animals from one producer only at a time. f. All other animals transported at the same time, i.e. sows, boars and rearing pigs having been administered drugs, have been equipped with a tag. g. Measures are taken during slaughtering to ensure that the group concerned is kept separate from other groups of slaughter animals. h. The producer and the holder of a slaughter licence must ensure the traceability of the group during transport and slaughter by electronically recording the following information: i. Holding of birth ii. Holding of rearing iii. Number of untagged animals iv. Number of tagged animals v. Date of transport vi. A serial number identifying the group in question The producer and the holder of a slaughter licence must demonstrate that the above requirements are met in order to qualify for an exemption from the obligation to tag rearing pigs. An exemption of this type may not be extended to pigs that are transported to a slaughterhouse within 30 days of weaning. Article 9 Marking of sheep and goats Sheep and goats kept for rearing must be marked by attaching a pre-printed tag to one ear. The tags must bear the following information: a. The letter combination ‘YD’ identifying the Food and Veterinary Authority. b. The letter combination ‘IS’ identifying Iceland. c. The homestead number according to the National Livestock Brand Register. d. A four-digit sequence number where the first digit is the last digit of the year of birth and the remaining three digits are the number of the animal within the herd. Lambs and kids must be marked with a pre-printed tag (a ‘lamb/kid tag’) within 30 days of birth. The tags must contain the letter combination ‘IS’ identifying Iceland, the homestead number according to the National Livestock Brand Register, and the number of the lamb within the herd. The reuse of such tags is prohibited except with the authorisation of the Food and Veterinary Authority. Tags without the letter combination ‘IS’ identifying Iceland may be used, provided that the animal is re-tagged in accordance with Article 9, first paragraph, no later than at the age of 6 months. No 916 30 October 2012 The colours of tags used for sheep and goats must conform to those registered by the Food and Veterinary Authority in a centralised database pursuant to Article 12. Article 10 Marking of poultry The keeper of livestock at a hatchery must identify each group of poultry through the use of a traceability number. If a group is moved between houses, the house number part of the traceability number must be changed accordingly. A group of poultry which is only kept for the purpose of using its products for private consumption need not be identified with a traceability number. Article 11 Marking of horses All horses must be microchipped. All foals kept for rearing must be microchipped at their mother’s side before the age of 10 months. Any foals slaughtered before the age of 10 months must be identified by registering the birth number of the mother at the time of slaughter. [Microchips must be approved by the Food and Veterinary Authority. Suppliers of microchips may only sell such chips for use on horses to those authorised to mark horses with microchips.]3 Article 12 Herd register Keepers of livestock are responsible for recording information about all animals in their herds in either a dedicated herd book or a centralised database, where such exists, or, failing this, on a reporting form provided by the Farmers’ Association of Iceland and approved by the Food and Veterinary Authority. The Food and Veterinary Authority is to formulate and issue rules on the transfer of information from herd books to a centralised database; on access to that information; on recording procedures, etc. The Authority is to monitor the recording of information in the system. The following information on sheep, goats and cattle must be entered into an electronic herd register: a. The animal’s individual number; b. The date of birth (month and year); c. The selective number, where this exists; d. The sex of the animal; e. The breed of the animal; f. The individual number of the mother; g. The date of slaughter or, as appropriate, the date on which the animal is accidentally killed or lost; h. All introductions and removals of animals for rearing to or from the herd, whether permanent or temporary, with the exception of [sheep] driven or transported to mountain pastures; In addition: i. The name, address and holding or homestead number of both the dispatching and the receiving keeper; ii. The number of animals transported or sold; iii. The individual number of any animal transported or sold; i. The date of transport; j. Tags received. The following information on pigs must be entered into an electronic herd register: a. The individual number; b. The date of birth (month and year); 3 Regulation No 748/2016. No 916 30 October 2012 c. The sex of the animal; d. The breed of the animal; e. The individual number of the mother; f. The date of death or slaughter; g. All introductions and removals of pigs and piglets to or from the herd, whether permanent or temporary; In addition: i. The name, address and producer number of both the dispatching and the receiving keeper; ii. The number of animals transported or sold; iii. The date of transport; iv. The name and national identity number of the transporter. When a new pig is introduced into a herd, its individual number must be recorded. The following information must be recorded in the WorldFengur herd register for horses: a. The birth number; b. The date of birth (day, month and year); c. The birth number of the mother; d. The date of death or slaughter; e. The date of export. The following information must be entered into a herd register for poultry: a. All transports to and from the rearing house or epidemiological unit, whether permanent or temporary; b. The date of death or slaughter; c. The name and address of both the dispatching and the receiving keeper; d. The number of animals transported or sold, accompanied by a traceability number; e. The date of transport; f. The name and national identity number of the transporter. Article 13 Health chart Keepers of livestock are responsible for recording information about any diseases afflicting their livestock and the treatment administered. The information is to be recorded on forms approved by the Food and Veterinary Authority or in a computer file. Where animals are moved between herds, a copy of each animal’s health chart must be submitted to the receiving keeper. Article 14 Retention of herd registers and health charts Keepers are required to retain herd registers and health charts for at least 10 years. This applies even in cases where production is discontinued. At the Food and Veterinary Authority’s request, a keeper of livestock must provide all required information on the origin, identification number and, where applicable, destination of any animal owned, kept, sold alive or slaughtered by the keeper. Article 15 Responsibility of slaughterhouses and transporters Transporters may not accept for transport any cattle, sheep/goats, horses or pigs which have not been marked, with the exception of animals falling under the exemption of Article 8 of this Regulation. Slaughterhouses may not receive for sale or processing any livestock which has not been marked in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation. Where an unmarked animal is found in the holding pen of a slaughterhouse, this must be reported to the latter’s official veterinarian. The animal should be slaughtered; however, the veterinary inspection is to be postponed or measures taken when carrying out the veterinary inspection and the stamping of the meat to ensure that the products are not used for human No 916 30 October 2012 consumption. The Food and Veterinary Authority may grant exemptions from this provision if provided with a satisfactory explanation as to why the animal is unmarked and if its origin can be demonstrated, including by reference to its individual number and its record in a herd register. The slaughterhouse and/or the owner of the livestock are responsible for demonstrating the origin of the animal and providing the necessary explanations, as well as for applying for the exemption before the veterinary inspection takes place. Unmarked lambs found when sheep are rounded up in mountain pastures may be identified by affixing a red tag indicating the municipality in question and sent to a slaughterhouse; however, their products may not be used for human consumption. Within 10 days of an animal being slaughtered, the person responsible for the slaughterhouse must send an electronic report to the Food and Veterinary Authority containing details of the date of slaughter, the identifying number of the animal(s), their number and their origin, in accordance with the rules in force with regard to the recording and reception of data in herd registers. The marking of products and their traceability to the individual or group identification of animals are governed by the provisions of Act No 93/1995 on foodstuffs, and by regulations issued on the basis thereof. Article 16 Unmarked and unregistered animals If deficiencies are uncovered with regard to the marking and registration of animals belonging to a specific herd, the Food and Veterinary Authority must halt all movements of animals from the herd, including their transportation to mountain pastures. Where a keeper of livestock does not comply with the Food and Veterinary Authority’s request to mark the livestock in question within a time limit specified by the Authority, the Authority may order the livestock to be marked at the owner’s expense. Article 17 Record-keeping obligation Keepers of livestock must record information as provided in Annex I to this Regulation. [All keepers of livestock and all suppliers of approved tags for livestock must be registered in MARK.]4 [Orders and sales of individual tags to keepers of livestock and to accredited tagging professionals, and information on the individual numbers of all tags bought, are to be recorded in MARK.]5 Article 18 Controls The Food and Veterinary Authority monitors the implementation of the provisions of this Regulation. Article 19 Costs Costs incurred in the implementation of the provisions of this Regulation are to be borne by the owners of the livestock, with the exception that costs incurred as a consequence of Article 15 are to be borne by holders of a slaughter licence. Article 20 Penalty clause Infringements of this Regulation are subject to the penalties laid down in Article 18 of Act No 103/2002 on animal husbandry, etc., Article 19 of Act No 66/1998 on veterinarians and animal 4 Regulation No 748/2016. 5 Regulation No 748/2016. No 916 30 October 2012 health services, and Article 30 of Act No 25/1993 on animal diseases and measures to control them, as well as in Sections XI and XII of Act No 93/1995 on foodstuffs. Article 21 Entry into force, etc. This Regulation is issued on the basis of Article 17 of Act No 103/2002 on animal husbandry, etc., Act No 66/1998 on veterinarians and animal health services, and Act No 25/1993 on animal diseases and measures to control them, as well as of Article 31a of Act No 93/1995 on foodstuffs. The Regulation is furthermore issued having regard to Council Directive 2008/71/EC. The Regulation enters into force forthwith. Regulation No 289/2005 on the marking of livestock is repealed as of the same date. Transitional provisions Entry into force with regard to cattle, sheep and goats Animals born before 11 November 2011 which have been registered in the breeding records system maintained by the Farmers’ Association of Iceland and marked individually in an adequate manner need not be re-marked. If a tag of this kind is lost from an animal, it must be marked in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation. Entry into force with regard to pigs The provision regarding the marking of pigs enters into force on 1 January 2013. Ministry of Industries and Innovation, 30 October 2012. For the Minister Sigurgeir Þorgeirsson Baldur P. Erlingsson ANNEX I Time limits for recording information/other time limits The present Annex lists the time limits within which the owner/keeper of livestock and the holder of a slaughter licence must record information about any livestock for which they are responsible. In the following table, the term ‘days’ refers to working days in all instances. Births Days after birth Calves 20 Poultry 7 Lambs and kids 30 Consignments from farms Days after consignment Cattle 7 Pigs 7 Poultry 7 Lambs and kids 7 No 916 30 October 2012 Arrivals at farms Days after arrival Cattle 7 Pigs 7 Lambs and kids 7 Transfer of custody Days after transfer 7 Recording person Supplier Slaughter Days after slaughter 10 Recording person Holder of slaughter licence Death of animals Days after death/loss/deregistration 30 Diagnosis of disease Days after diagnosis 2 Veterinary treatment Days after treatment 2 Treatment of herd Days after treatment 2 Time limits for slaughter/use of products Days after slaughter 2 Limit for the transport of animals Days after transport 2 Limit for transports to the farm Days after transport 2 Marking with group and individual numbers Age of animals selected for rearing Cattle Within 20 days Horses Before the age of 10 months Poultry When hatched Lambs and kids Within 7 months Slaughter of unregistered young animals Registered days after slaughter 30