Approval of facilities to export treated hides and skins of ungulates for technical purposes (tannery) to the European Union

TAHD-DSAT-IE-2004-4-6
April 2021

Amendment: following the implementation of the new generic checklist and its annexes A to G, annexes A, B, C and D of this directive have been withdrawn

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I. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to:

  • explain the European Union's (EU) requirements for Canadian exports of treated hides and skins of ungulates for technical purposes (tannery) to the EU; and
  • standardize Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) field inspections of processing facilities for these products

This document does not cover:

  • completely tanned hides and skins
  • "wet blue" hides and skins
  • "pickled pelts," and
  • limed hides (treated with lime and in brine at a pH of 12 to 13 for at least 8 hours)

II. Background

See directive TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8.

Section 4 of chapter II of annex XIV of regulation (EU) 142-2011, outlines the requirements for treated hides and skins, whereas chapters 5 (A), 5 (B), and 5(C) of annex XV provide the model of health certificates to be used for export of treated or untreated hides and skins.

The regulation requires the CFIA to approve facilities that process hides and skins for export to the EU. To grant this approval, the CFIA must consider items, such as collection and transport conditions, processing methods, self-inspection programs, materials processed, and conditions of hygiene and storage.

Prior to CFIA inspection of facilities, owners are required to submit to the CFIA, for review, the specific forms, attesting that the plant meets the minimum requirements. Following the pre-inspection review of these forms by the district office, an inspection of the facilities is scheduled.

III. Definitions

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8.

1. Animal by-products of category 1, 2, and 3: refer to directive TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-9.

According to annex I of regulation (EU) 142-2011:

2. Treated hides and skins: refers to derived products from untreated hides and skins, other than dog chews, that have been:

  1. dried
  2. dry-salted or wet-salted for a period of at least 14Footnote 1 days prior to dispatch
  3. salted for a period of at least 7Footnote 1 days in sea salt with the addition of 2% sodium carbonate
  4. dried for a period of at least 42 days at a temperature of at least 20°C; or

3. Untreated hides and skins: include all cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues that have not undergone any treatment, other than cutting, chilling, or freezing.

IV. Specific requirements for hides and skins

IV.a Hides and skins for tanneries (annex XIV, chapter II, section 4 of regulation (EU) 142-2011)

The following requirements shall apply to the import of hides and skins of ungulates:

1. Fresh or chilled hides and skins (chapter 5 [A]):

(a) have come from a third country that is eligible for export to the EU for certain animals and meat (regulation [EU] 206-2010), as appropriate to the species concerned:

  1. for a period of at least 12 months before dispatch, they have been free from all of the following diseases:
    • classical swine fever
    • African swine fever, and
    • rinderpest; and
  2. have been free from foot-and-mouth disease for a period of at least 12 months before the date of dispatch and where, for a period of at least 12 months before the date of dispatch, no vaccination has been carried out against that disease

(b) have been obtained from:

  1. animals that have remained in the territory of the country of origin for a period of at least 3 months before being slaughtered or since birth in the case of animals less than 3 months old
  2. in the case of hides and skins from bi-ungulates, animals that come from holdings in which there has been no outbreak of foot-and mouth disease in the previous 30 days, and around which, within a radius of 10 km, there has been no case of foot-and-mouth disease for 30 days
  3. in the case of hides and skins from swine, animals that come from holdings in which there has been no outbreak of swine vesicular disease in the previous 30 days, or of classical or African swine fever in the previous 40 days, and around which, within a radius of 10 km, there has been no case of these diseases for 30 days
  4. animals that have passed the ante-mortem health inspection at the slaughterhouse during the 24 hours before slaughter and have shown no evidence of foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, classical swine fever, African swine fever, or swine vesicular disease

(c) have been obtained from animals that:

  1. were slaughtered and their carcases are fit for human consumption in accordance with Union legislation; or
  2. were slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, after undergoing ante-mortem inspection, and were considered fit, as a result of such inspection, for slaughter for human consumption in accordance with Union legislation

(d) have undergone all precautions to avoid recontamination with pathogenic agents

2. Treated hides and skins (chapter 5 [B] and 5 [C]):

(a) Hides of ungulates have come from:

  1. a third country or, in the case of regionalization in accordance with Union legislation, from a part of a third country, from which imports of fresh meat of the corresponding species are authorized (part 1 of annex II of regulation [EU] 206-2010) and they have been treated, as referred to in III.2 (a), (b), and (c) in this document; or
  2. a third country or, in the case of regionalization in accordance with Union legislation, from a part of a third country, from which imports of fresh meat of the corresponding species are not authorized (part 1 of annex II of regulation [EU] 206-2010), and they have been treated as referred to in point III.2 (c) or (d) in this document; or
  3. equidae or ruminant animals from any third country, and have been treated as referred to in point III.2(a), (b), and (c) of this document, and after treatment have been kept separate for a period of at least 21 days

(b) have been obtained from animals that:

  1. were slaughtered and their carcases are fit for human consumption in accordance with Union legislation; or
  2. were slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, after undergoing ante-mortem inspection, and were considered fit, as a result of such inspection, for slaughter for human consumption in accordance with Union legislation, or
  3. did not show any clinical signs of any disease communicable to humans or animals through the hide or skin, and were not killed to eradicate any epizootic disease

(c) salted hides and skins transported by ship have been treated, as referred to in point III.2 (b) or (c) of this document, and have been kept separated after treatment during transportation for a period of at least 14 days in the case of the treatment referred to in point III.2(b) or 7 days in the case of the treatment referred to in point III.2(c) before importation and the health certificate accompanying the consignment attests such treatment and the duration of the transportation.

(d) the period (14 days for III.2 [b] or 7 days for III.2 [c]) during which the hides must be submitted to the salting treatment may include the duration of transport from Canada to the EU.

(e) hides must be transported and stored chilled or frozen, unless they are processed within 24 hours after being harvested from animals.

(f) fresh, chilled, or treated hides and skins of ungulates must be imported in containers, road vehicles, railway wagons, or bales.

V. Export certification of hides and skins to the EU

Prior to endorsing export certificates to the EU, district offices should ensure that:

  • the products originate from processing facilities that have been granted approval by the CFIA and are included in the list of facilities approved for export to the EU; and
  • they have been provided with the original of the traceability certificate (This document is intended for internal use. CFIA staff can access this document using RDIMS 1406482) that corresponds to the products for export and signed by the appropriate veterinarian of the abattoirs

For products that are being exported to the EU and that have been legally imported into Canada, district offices should ensure that:

  • the products originate from processing facilities that have been granted approval by the competent authority or the country of origin and are included in the list of facilities approved for export to the EU; and
  • they have been provided with the sanitary certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of origin of the products, confirming that their eligibility for export to the EU

VI. Plant approval for export to the European Union

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.

VI.a General hygiene requirements for the approval of intermediate plants

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.a.

VI.b General hygiene requirements for the approval of storage plants

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.b.

VI.c General hygiene requirements for the approval of processing plants

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.c and IV.d.

VI.d Supervision of production

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.e.

VI.e Validation procedures

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.f.1 and IV.f.4.

VI.f Self inspection and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

For the processing plants, the EU legislation requires that a self-inspection program, similar to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) be in place.

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 IV.g.

Required Critical Control Points and Critical limits for plants processing treated hides and skins
Processing method required Critical Control Points Critical limits
Drying Final product brittleness Hides must appear brittle enough to crack when bent
Dry or wet-salted for 14 days Time in contact with salt 14 days (for export by ship, this time may include the time of voyage)
Salted for 7 days with sea salt, plus 2% sodium carbonate Time in contact with sea salt 7 days (for export by ship, this time may include the time of voyage)
Salted for 7 days with sea salt, plus 2% sodium carbonate Sodium carbonate 2% concentration
Dried for 42 days at a minimum of 20°C Drying time Minimum 42 days
Dried for 42 days at a minimum of 20°C Drying temperature Minimum 20°C

VII. Hygiene requirements for the collection and transport of animal by-products and derived products

The regulation requires that the CFIA approve conditions of hygiene and storage at the facility, along with transport of products.

See TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 V.

VII.a Vehicles and containers

See TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 V.a.

VII.b Temperature conditions

See TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 V.b.

VII.c Identification

See TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 V.c.

VII.d Traceability and retention of records

See TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 V.d.

VIII. Official controls and list of approved facilities

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 VII.

IX. Pre-inspection procedures

Refer to OP-31410 Use of the inspection checklist to export animal products and by-products not intended for human consumption, including pet food, to all countries except the United States (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 14156149).

X. Inspection procedures

Refer to OP-31410 Use of the inspection checklist to export animal products and by-products not intended for human consumption, including pet food, to all countries except the United States (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 14156149).

XI. Billing for inspections

Refer to OP-31410 Use of the inspection checklist to export animal products and by-products not intended for human consumption, including pet food, to all countries except the United States (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 14156149).

XII. Completing inspection reports

Refer to OP-31410 Use of the inspection checklist to export animal products and by-products not intended for human consumption, including pet food, to all countries except the United States (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 14156149).

XIII. Approval numbers

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 XII.

XIV. Facility name or address changes

Refer to TAHD-DSAT-IE-2009-8 XIII.

 
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