Archived - Annex C: HACCP Based Slaughter Inspection Program (HIP) for Swine
3.0 General Responsibilities in a HIP Establishment

3.1 Operator Responsibilities

The operator of an establishment operating under the HIP shall:

• design, implement and monitor a written Quality Assurance (QA) program which reflects all HIP requirements. This program shall be approved by the VIC;
• design, implement and maintain a written employee HIP training and accreditation program. This program shall be reviewed by the VIC;
• assign accredited personnel to perform the monitoring activities under the HIP and implement corrective measures as required. The immediate supervisor(s) of accredited Plant Monitors, Detectors, and Trimmers must also be accredited;
• assign only HIP-accredited personnel to perform the production activities and positions that require accreditation under the HIP. The accredited plant employees shall not be distracted by additional responsibilities that would prevent them from otherwise satisfactorily performing the accredited functions of their position;
• train plant employees in the proper presentation of carcasses and their parts for post-mortem examination and inspection; and
• ensure all HIP test records are available to CFIA inspection staff.

All product preparation, presentation and handling shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 17 of the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures (MOP).

3.2 Plant Personnel Training

An important part of the success of the HIP is the training and accreditation of key plant personnel. The operator has full responsibility for the training, evaluation (testing for proficiency), and re-training of accredited company employees as per CFIA HIP training program criteria. The positions for which CFIA accreditation is required are Plant Trainers (normally QA staff and Supervisors). All other plant staff occupying HIP related positions shall be trained by the accredited Plant Trainers. Detector/Trimmers and process control monitors shall be accredited under the operator's HIP training program. The initial group of Plant Trainers will be trained and accredited by CFIA HIP certified staff. Subsequent training of Plant Trainers shall be done by accredited Plant Trainers. The final accreditation of these Plant Trainees shall be performed by the CFIA. Accreditation requires successful completion of both a theoretical classroom session and a practical evaluation. All subsequent training of new plant staff will be performed by accredited Plant Trainers using the establishment's HIP training program. Thereafter, the VIC/delegate will only monitor the training of plant personnel along with the plant's written program to ensure sufficient training standards are being maintained.

A written plant HIP training program for each accredited position shall be maintained on file, be signed off by a responsible company officer, and include the training and testing procedures for each accredited position. HIP training records that demonstrate the training, evaluation and accreditation of each employee shall also be maintained on file by the operator. The VIC shall review the operator's HIP training program annually to ensure that it is current and complete. This review shall also include an examination of the accredited employee HIP training records. The company's current written training program and roster of accredited plant employees shall be made available to the VIC upon request.

Any accredited employee not exposed to the application and/or practices of the HIP for one year must be reassessed for proficiency in the HIP in order to maintain their accreditation. If necessary, the employee will be required to undergo a refresher training course under the direction of an accredited Plant Trainer. The plant QA department shall be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the accredited status of their employees.

The VIC has the right to remove the accreditation of any plant employee if factual information shows the individual does not perform his or her duties at the required standard as described in this policy and/or the operator's written training program. A protocol describing the process of accreditation removal and retraining must be included in the establishment's HIP written program.

3.2.1 Plant Trainers

Plant Trainers are establishment personnel who have been accredited after successfully demonstrating their heoretical and practical understanding of the entire HIP training program. They must also have an understanding of the specific functions performed by every plant accredited employee. Plant Trainers are usually production Supervisors or QA personnel who are responsible for developing the facility's written HIP training program and/or conducting the training sessions to accredit plant employees.

3.2.2 Defect Detectors and Trimmers

For further explanation of Operator Managed Conditions (OMC) and CFIA-Operator Managed Conditions (CFIA-OMC), refer to section 17.7, Chapter 17 of the MOP.

It is the responsibility of the plant carcass defect detector to identify all defective conditions referred to as OMC and to decide if the carcass is to be railed out for trimming or the defective condition will be corrected online. Carcass defect detectors shall use an in-plant marking system approved by the VIC to identify all OMC defects.

Carcass defect trimmers shall remove conditions identified as OMC and/or CFIA-OMC either online or on the operator held rail. No carcass shall leave the final carcass approval area until all defects and their associated tagging/identification marks have been removed by the carcass trimmers.

Under certain conditions, it is acceptable for one accredited plant employee to simultaneously perform the functions of defect detection and trimming. However, it may not be possible at higher line speeds for one person to identify, mark and trim carcasses. If it is determined by the VIC and Regional Veterinary Officer (RVO) that a plant employee cannot perform these multiple tasks effectively, the carcass defect detector shall only identify and mark OMC defects and one or more accredited trimmers shall be in place to effectively perform the sanitary removal of the identified defects.

No trimming of pathological conditions shall be performed on CFIA held carcasses until after CFIA veterinary disposition. Additionally, CFIA held tags shall only be removed after trimming and at the direction of a CFIA veterinarian/delegate.

3.2.3 Plant Process Control Monitors

Plant process control monitors shall be accredited company employees who perform Evisceration testing, Presentation testing, Finished Product Standards testing, and Rework Verification testing. These monitors shall be proficient in the detection, scoring, recording and process action activities associated with the process controls for which they are accredited and in accordance with the HIP.

3.3 CFIA Responsibilities

The application of the HIP policy must at all times remain in conformity with the Meat Inspection Act (MIA), Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990 (MIR) and the MOP. Unresolved differences in the interpretation of the application of the HIP policy between CFIA personnel and the operator may be referred to Operational Guidance and Expertise for written clarification.

Pending a decision from CFIA headquarters, the decision of the VIC/RVO shall prevail.

The CFIA reserves the right to take necessary regulatory corrective action when it is determined by the VIC/delegate or other responsible regulatory officer that the establishment has failed to properly and reasonably apply the requirements of the HIP.

All post-mortem inspection station activities remain a CFIA responsibility. Except where noted in this policy, post-mortem activities are performed as described in section 17.7, Chapter 17 of the MOP. CFIA inspectors working online shall be responsible for identifying specified pathological conditions which affect a part of or the entire carcass. The consistent presentation of portions or carcasses should result in a notable reduction in the manipulation of portions and in the number of required inspection stations for establishments operating at higher line speeds under traditional inspection.

The CFIA shall make available sufficient numbers of HIP certified inspection staff to perform all the required duties of CFIA inspection, HIP process control correlation testing, and the monitoring of operator programs related to the HIP.

The CFIA HIP floor monitoring function will be filled as part of the regular CFIA inspector rotation. The time requirement for this position will vary depending on the volume and day-to-day performance of each individual facility. The VIC, RVO and Inspection Manager (IM) shall collaborate to determine the station time requirements for this position in each establishment.

CFIA inspection personnel shall monitor plant process control records and generally oversee the activities of the plant production and QA personnel. It is recommended that the same inspector be assigned to the HIP floor monitoring function for at least the full shift and work under the supervision of the VIC/delegate. The floor monitor shall perform randomly scheduled Evisceration, Presentation and Finished Product Standards correlation tests. They may also conduct unscheduled or spontaneous correlation tests if deemed necessary by the VIC/delegate. Independent verification tests of a particular process control step are not routinely performed in the HIP by the CFIA. However, at the discretion of the VIC, such tests may be authorized if it is determined that they are warranted.

The HIP floor monitoring inspector shall enter the date, time, and their initials at the bottom of each evaluated form. If errors are found on the forms or the plant entries are found to be incomplete or untimely, the inspector should describe the findings and actions taken on the bottom or back of the form. CFIA correlation tests may also be recorded on the company forms, provided a different colour of ink is used to distinguish CFIA entries from plant entries.

Due to various facility configurations with respect to how the carcass and its portions are presented for inspection, the VIC may redistribute the recommended staffing numbers indicated in the MOP, Chapter 17, provided the total staff numbers are not altered. The VIC's decision to redistribute staff shall be made in conjunction with the RVO and the Inspection Manager.

3.3.1 CFIA Post-mortem Activities

One of the goals of the HIP policy is to have CFIA staff minimize their handling and manipulation of carcasses and their portions by taking advantage of presentation standards and support equipment such as mirrors, hooks etc. Section 6 of this policy describes these standards in detail.

Head Inspection

As per section 17.7, Chapter 17 of the MOP.

Viscera Inspection

Red Offal:

There are several methods of presenting the red offal (heart, liver and lungs, referred to as the pluck) for inspection. Section 17.7, Chapter 17 of the MOP describes the general inspection requirements that must be met. In instances where the liver is presented as part of the pluck, the hepatic lymph node shall be left intact with the gastro intestinal tract (GIT) for inspection. The dorsal or anterior surface of the liver may be examined visually without manipulation provided this surface is visible.

Grey Offal:

Where the liver is detached from the GIT, the hepatic lymph node shall remain attached to the GIT for purposes of inspection.

Carcass Inspection

As per section 17.7, Chapter 17 of the MOP.

3.3.2 CFIA Inspection Training

CFIA employees will be certified after successfully passing the theoretical and practical CFIA HIP training program.

Any certified CFIA employee not exposed to the application and/or practices of the HIP for one year must be reassessed for proficiency in the HIP program in order to maintain their certification. If necessary, the employee will be required to undergo a refresher training course under the direction of the VIC/delegate and satisfactorily demonstrate their knowledge and application of the HIP before being re-certified.

Seasonal and temporary CFIA employees will be trained for limited participation in HIP inspection but they shall not be responsible for the HIP floor monitoring activities. However, they shall be responsible for understanding and reporting on plant employees who are improperly preparing carcasses and their portions for post-mortem inspection. Any such a CFIA employee who works in this capacity for greater than six continuous months shall receive full HIP certification training.