Ante-mortem Examination and Presentation Procedures for Food Animals

This document is incorporated by reference into the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). Any changes to this document must be made in accordance with the CFIA Incorporation by Reference Policy.

Part I. Ante-mortem examination procedures

1.1 The ante-mortem examination of a food animal conducted by the licence holder for the purpose of identifying any deviation from normal physiology, behaviour or appearance in the food animal must be conducted in the following manner:

(a) in the case of a food animal, other than a game animal, a domesticated rabbit or a bird, that is not an ostrich, rhea or emu, by the examination of each animal when the animal is unloaded from the conveyance and in a manner that includes examining the animal in motion from all sides, including from the head and the rear;
(b) in the case of a food animal that is a domesticated rabbit or a bird, other than an ostrich, rhea or emu, by the examination of a sample that is representative of the shipment that the food animal is part of while the animal is in a crate, either on or off the conveyance; and
(c) in the case of a food animal that is a game animal, by the examination of the game animal.

1.2 The examination of the food animal information documents, for the purpose of the ante-mortem examination, must be conducted by the licence holder in the following manner:

(a) By assessing the information for its accuracy and completeness; and
(b) By assessing the information to identify biological, chemical or physical hazards that present a risk of contamination to the meat product that would be derived from the food animal

Part II. Presentation procedures for ante-mortem inspection

2.1 The presentation by the licence holder of a food animal, other than a game animal, to a veterinary inspector or inspector under the supervision of a veterinary inspector for ante-mortem inspection must be conducted in the following manner:

(a) in the case of a food animal, other than a domesticated rabbit or a bird, that is not an ostrich, rhea or emu, by the presentation of each animal; and
(b) in the case of a food animal that is a domesticated rabbit or a bird, other than an ostrich, rhea or emu, by the presentation of a sample that is representative of the shipment that the food animal is part of.

2.2 The presentation of the food animal information documents by the licence holder to a veterinary inspector or inspector under the supervision of a veterinary inspector for ante-mortem inspection must be conducted by presenting the documents and the results of the examination of the documents conducted by the licence holder in accordance with section 1.2.