Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program
Annex V: Export requirements for meat

General requirements for the production and certification of beta agonists-free beef products for export.

On this page

• Glossary
• Components of the program
  • 1. Competent authority
  • 2. Program conformity
  • 3. Animal identification
  • 4. Feeding identification, reception, mixing and storage
  • 5. Feedlot enrollment
  • 6. Abattoirs reception of animals
  • 7. Abattoir procedures
  • 8. Randomized sampling and testing
• Annex 1: Feedlot enrollment application
• Annex 2: Feedlot affidavit
• Annex 3: National database for ractopamine and zilpaterol testing

Glossary

Approved tag

A tag, chip or other indicator approved according to subsection 173(1) of the Health of Animals Regulations. An approved tag includes any tag approved under the National Livestock Identification and Traceability Program(such as those allocated by Agri-Traçabilité Québec and the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency) that provides unique identification for the animal in a single-use and tamper-evident tag.

Beta agonist-free

Absence of ractopamine hydrochloride and zilpaterol hydrochloride.

Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program

A written program that includes the combination of all components contained in this document.

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA)

National administrator of the cattle, bison and sheep traceability programs.

CFIA

Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Eligible animals

According to Health Canada requirements, ractopamine and zilpaterol are labelled only for use during the "finishing" period of the animal's life. Eligible animals under this program means animals that have never received ractopamine or zilpaterol during the finishing period of their lives.

Feedlot

An operation that finishes cattle for slaughter.

Feedlot affidavit

A statement signed by a designated feedlot representative acknowledging understanding the objectives and requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program and taking responsibility for relevant practices applied to eligible animals.

Feedlot Enrollment Authority

Canadian Meat Council receives and retains a copy of feedlot enrollment forms from abattoirs and advises abattoirs that receive cattle from an affected feedlot when a major deviation has occurred.

Lot

Cattle that have been handled in the same manner under a single production system from the same feedlot.

Major deviation

Evidence of the administration, or likely administration, of ractopamine or zilpaterol to cattle that are enrolled in the Canadian Beta Agonist Free Beef Certification Program.

Mixed status feedlot

A feedlot that has on the premises a combination of eligible and non-eligible animals or that uses or has on the premises products that contain ractopamine or zilpaterol.

Program

The Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.

Ractopamine

Commercial name for ractopamine hydrochloride.

Run (abattoir)

Combination of all lots of eligible animals that are harvested consecutively in the abattoir on the same day.

Third-party audit

A systematic examination, conducted by a third-party auditor, to assess the effectiveness of a feedlot's control program and determine whether the implemented controls satisfy the requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.

Third-party auditor

A qualified person (veterinarian, veterinary technician, feed industry representative, but not a feedlot employee, owner or partial owner) contracted by a feedlot to conduct an audit of the feedlot's control program to determine whether it satisfies the requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist Free-Beef Certification Program.

Zilpaterol

Commercial name for zilpaterol hydrochloride.

Components of the program

1. Competent authority

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the competent authority responsible for the certification of beta agonist-free meat and meat products.

2. Program conformity

The Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program is a cattle and beef industry-driven initiative that is followed to comply with import requirements set by countries that do not allow the use of feeds containing beta agonists to be used during the raising of animals destined for human consumption. Conformity with the requirements of the program is the responsibility of individual operators. To confirm that operators meet the requirements of the program, third-party audits are conducted of feedlots and abattoirs are monitored continuously by CFIA officials.

3. Animal identification

Animals must be identified under the Canadian National Livestock Identification and Traceability Program.

Feedlots must maintain an accurate and up to date inventory of animals that are eligible for the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program. To maintain beta agonist-free eligibility, feedlots must ensure that only eligible animals are supplied to abattoirs.

On mixed status feedlots, beta agonist-free pens must at all times be maintained, segregated and differentiated clearly by a visual identifier from pens that contain ractopamine or zilpaterol ingredients or residue or ractopamine- or zilpaterol-fed cattle. Cattle must not be transferred from pens that contain ractopamine or zilpaterol ingredients or residue or ractopamine- or zilpaterol-fed cattle to beta agonist-free pens.

Mixed status feedlots must record distinctly and clearly the purchase, receipt, feeding, and disposition of beta agonist-free and ractopamine- or zilpaterol-fed animals. These records must be retained for two years from the departure of the animal and be made available on request to CFIA officials.

4. Feed identification, reception, mixing, and storage

Feedlots enrolled in the program must maintain a list of approved commercial suppliers (for example: feed mills and feed retail outlets) of feed or feed ingredients. Approved commercial suppliers of feed or feed ingredients are feed mills and feed retail outlets that have provided a signed document to the feedlot which includes the statement:

Appropriate records are maintained through all phases of production to ensure that feed intended for use in the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program has not been in contact with beta agonists.

Suppliers of single feed ingredients (for example: barley, corn) and sources of concentrated minerals, vitamins, flavours and enzymes are not subject to this requirement.

Feedlots must ensure each order of feed or feed ingredients for cattle enrolled in the program states clearly that the feed or feed ingredients are intended for the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program. Subsequently, feedlots must verify that, in the case of each delivery, feed or feed ingredient labels do not include beta agonists in the list of ingredients and invoices state clearly:

Appropriate records are maintained through all phases of production to ensure that feed intended for use in the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program has not been in contact with beta agonists.

In addition, mixed status feedlots must develop, implement, and maintain a feed protocol for the receipt, manufacture, storage, and disposition of feed and feed ingredients that qualifies or qualify for the program. The feed protocol must include demonstrable and auditable controls for each step of the feed continuum from arrival at the feedlot to final consumption. Throughout the continuum, all products received, manufactured, or stored that qualify for the program must be clearly segregated and identified as eligible in accordance with the requirements of the feed protocol.

Records related to the feed protocol must be retained for two years and made available on request to CFIA officials.

5. Feedlot audit and enrollment

Animals eligible for the program must originate from feedlots that have pre-enrolled with the abattoir(s) to which the animals will be delivered.

To apply for enrollment, a designated person at the feedlot must complete the Annex 1: Feedlot enrollment application following the successful completion of a ractopamine - and zilpaterol - free audit of the feedlot by a third-party auditor.

Third-party audits and enrollment renewals must be completed at least once each year and prior to re-enrollment following a major deviation.

The enrollment application must be accepted by the receiving abattoir(s) and forwarded by the abattoir(s) to the feedlot enrollment authority prior to the first delivery of eligible cattle.

In the event of a major deviation involving eligible animals, the feedlot that supplied the cattle must:

1. cease the shipment, if identified as beta agonist-free, of all animals that have been raised with the same production method as the lot that tested positive
2. remove from the program animals which are part of the lot on the day of occurrence of a major deviation
3. advise each abattoir with which the feedlot is enrolled to supply eligible animals of the deviation
4. conduct a thorough investigation to identify and manage the cause of the deviation
5. prepare a written report on the findings of the investigation as well as the corrective and preventive action plans to prevent a recurrence and present the findings to the receiving abattoir(s) for sharing these with the CFIA veterinarian-in-charge
6. undergo a successful third-party audit during which the findings and implemented corrective and preventative action plans will be assessed, and
7. re-enroll with the feedlot enrollment authority as well as each abattoir to which the feedlot wishes to supply eligible animals

6. Abattoir reception of animals

Feedlots must be enrolled with the abattoir prior to the delivery of eligible animals. The abattoir must maintain an up-to-date listing of enrolled feedlots. The list will be available on request for reference by CFIA officials.

The abattoir must retain enrollment applications until a subsequent annual renewal application is received. In the absence of the receipt of an enrollment renewal application within the following 12 months, the name of the feedlot must be removed from the feedlot eligibility list until an enrollment application is received and approved by the abattoir.

It is the responsibility of the operator of the abattoir to ensure that:

1. beta agonist-free animals arriving at the facility are sourced from a currently enrolled feedlot
2. beta agonist-free animals arriving at the facility are accompanied by or associated with the specific feedlot affidavit for the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program. See Annex 2: Feedlot affidavit
3. each livestock manifest is accompanied or associated with a lot number that matches the lot number on the feedlot affidavit (example in Annex 2)
4. beta agonist-free cattle have not been co-mingled with ractopamine- or zilpaterol-fed animals during transportation to the abattoir, and
5. upon arrival at the abattoir, ractopamine- and zilpaterol-free cattle are segregated in holding pens

7. Abattoir procedures

The CFIA must be notified prior to the slaughter of cattle intended for the program. There must be a clearly defined break between the slaughter of eligible and non-eligible cattle.

Similarly, there must be a clearly defined break between the handling of eligible and non-eligible categories of beef products. The control program must ensure proper segregation and identity of beta agonist-free and non-eligible products.

The operator of the abattoir must document a control procedure which outlines clearly the controls that will be implemented to ensure all applicable requirements for the certification of beta agonist-free beef and beef products will be met and that products eligible for the

Program can be readily distinguished at all times from non-eligible products. The control procedure must include monitoring, verification, and record-keeping activities, deviation procedures, and must be auditable and effective. The control procedure must be submitted to and be accepted by the CFIA.

The operator's control procedure must ensure traceability through the slaughter and production processes until packaging and appropriate labelling so that beta agonist-free and non-eligible products can be distinguished at all times. Beta agonist-free products must be readily identifiable as meeting applicable requirements when an application for export certification is submitted.

8. Randomized sampling and testing

Eligible animals will be subject to a CFIA accepted sampling and testing program to monitor compliance with the requirements of the program.

The number of samples tested by each abattoir harvest facility must be at least 0.001% of animals slaughtered under the program each year. The sample will be taken from the muscle, kidney or liver of randomly selected animals by specially trained abattoir staff under CFIA supervision.

One sample will be taken from each approved supplier (feedlot) at least once per quarter for each lot of cattle intended for use in the program. Only suppliers (feedlot) that provide eligible animals to the abattoir during the quarter will be required to be tested. The first shipment of eligible animals from each supplier (feedlot) must be tested.

Samples must be sent to an accredited laboratory with a method based on CFIA's reference method (AOAC Official Method SM 2011.23) for total ractopamine and zilpaterol on the laboratory's scope of accreditation. The laboratory must have a controlled-document method for testing of beta-agonists which includes the capacity to test for the presence of total ractopamine and zilpaterol (matrix-bound + free) at a reporting level (LOQ) of 0.1 ng/g, or lower. This method is also to be followed to confirm positive results. A report of analysis (ROA) is required for each test sample submitted. The presence of ractopamine, if confirmed above the reporting level of 0.1 ng/g, must be indicated as X.X ng/g. Levels below 0.1 ng/g will be declared as "not detected" on the ROA.

The samples may be tested individually to represent each lot or composited at the accredited laboratory into one sample to represent a run of cattle.

All laboratory results must be sent simultaneously, directly and on a timely basis to the plant, the CFIA veterinarian-in-charge, and the CFIA.

For the purpose of reporting test results to the CFIA, the contracted laboratory must be instructed by the abattoir to:

• complete the table in Annex 3 in an Excel format
• forward it by e-mail to: ractopaminedatabase@inspection.gc.ca
• specify "Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program" in the subject line

Carcasses from each sampled lot may be fabricated pending receipt of the test results. Beef products from sampled lots will be withheld from distribution. The CFIA veterinarian-in-charge must inform the Food Import Export Division as soon as a test result is positive for either ractopamine or zilpaterol until the results of the test have been received.

If the test results for a lot are negative for ractopamine and zilpaterol, meat products from the lot will be released for export shipment.

If the test results for a lot are positive for ractopamine or zilpaterol, meat products from the lot will not be eligible for the program. After corrective actions have been taken, the abattoir must test at least the first five shipments of eligible animals provided by that supplier (feedlot) following a positive test result.

Annex 1: Feedlot enrollment application

Part 1

Name of feedlot applicant:____________________

Legal name of business:____________________

Location:____________________

Mailing address (if different):____________________

Canadian Cattle Identification Agency/Agri-Traçabilité Québec/Provincial Premises ID:____________________

I, (Name)____________________, am a feedlot operator wishing to enrol cattle in the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.

Total number of cattle on the premises (estimate):____________________

Number of cattle intended for the Program (estimate):____________________

If the total number of cattle is greater than the number of animals intended for the Program, please answer yes or no to the following questions:

Will animals not intended for the Program be administered any ractopamine or zilpaterol?

Check No Box (All animals are part of the Program) or Yes Box

If Yes – Please provide the title of your written alternate identification or segregation program that distinguishes visually and clearly animals that are part of the Program.

____________________

Authorized Applicant Initial:____________________

Auditor Declaration:

I have conducted a third-party audit of this feedlot and declare that it has demonstrated compliance with the requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.

Name:____________________

Title:____________________

Signature:____________________

Date:____________________

Part 2

• Box I, the undersigned feedlot operator, declare that I wish to produce animals from which meat will be eligible for the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.
• Box I declare that the cattle produced for this Program will not have been administered ractopamine hydrochloride or zilpaterol hydrochloride.
• Box I have a valid third party audit that confirms the control program of my feedlot satisfies the requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.
• Box I will present for transfer of ownership or slaughter under the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program only animals that bear an Approved Tag and Feedlot Affidavit.
• Box If I have administered ractopamine hydrochloride or zilpaterol hydrochloride to animals on the site of the feedlot, I have a record of animal and feed purchases (quantity and type), a log of disposition or usage, and an appropriate written alternate animal identification/segregation program.
• Box I understand that failure to keep proper records, or finding evidence of the use of ractopamine hydrochloride or zilpaterol hydrochloride in an animal presented under the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program, will result in my removal from said Program until compliance with all requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program Section 5: Feedlot Audit and Enrollment is demonstrated.
• Box I will give access to Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials to relevant records, premises, and cattle.
• Box I will allow Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials to obtain any relevant information from my veterinarian, my supplier(s) of cattle, or my feed supplier(s) in order to verify compliance with the Program requirements.
• Box I understand that beef products produced from cattle under the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program may be sampled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canadian abattoir(s), or foreign country officials.

Applicant title:____________________

Applicant signature:____________________

Applicant telephone:____________________

Applicant e-mail:____________________

Date:____________________

Signed in Town/City of:____________________

In the province of:____________________

Annex 2: Feedlot affidavit

I, (Name)____________________, am the present owner or/the responsible person for the identified animals on attached listing consisting of #____________________ pages with Lot #____________________.

I have directly controlled or take full responsibility for relevant feeding practices applied in the raising of the identified animals.

I have a valid third-party audit which confirms that my feedlot's control program satisfies the requirements of the Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.

I declare that the animals covered by this declaration comply with the definition of eligible animals contained in Canadian Beta Agonist-Free Beef Certification Program.

Name:____________________

Title:____________________

Signature:____________________

Date:____________________

Signed in Town/City of:____________________

In the Province of:____________________

Annex 3: National database for ractopamine and zilpaterol testing

Please submit all results to the National Database in Excel format. PDF formats will not be processed.

Submit results to the CFIA via email to ractopaminedatabase@inspection.gc.ca.