FOOD SAFETY

West Grey Premium Beef is first Beef slaughtering facility in Canada to receive this accreditation. On March 1st , 2006 West Grey Premium Beef will be recognized by the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. HACCP or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is an audited process of best practices involving everyone in food production. The decision to make this significant investment of capital and human resources is another indication of our dedication to supply a safe product to our customers.

What is HACCP?

HACCP is short for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. It is an internationally recognized approach to food safety developed by the Pillsbury Company in the late 1950’s. Its goal was to guarantee safe food for the space program.

HACCP:

A systematic approach to reduce the known risks in food.
Attempts to prevent food safety hazards instead of detecting problems in the finished product.
Maximizes the control during manufacturing to increase the chances that each and every product is safe, wholesome and of high quality.
Uses sound, well-known principles of science and technology to choose and take corrective actions when a problem is found

Quality Assurance

The Quality Assurance Program, it’s record keeping forms, and the critical control points, which have been identified, were developed using HACCP principles.

The beef industry is taking the necessary steps to ensure quality assurance is an ongoing priority in every sector of the cattle business. Food processors are already working with quality control programs that are based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. It is important to understand that information from on-farm food quality programs is an integral part of the HACCP based programs currently followed by processors.

Processors are demanding more information and documentation from the producer to verify that quality assurance methods were in place on the farm. This is where we have a huge advantage. We can identify and control these hazards.

Quality Starts Here Program

As well as following the stringent guidelines of the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Quality Assurance Program we also follow the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Quality Starts Here program.

We make sure that our on farm management procedures include:

•	A valid veterinary/client/patient relationship;

•	Animals are individually and permanently identified;

•	Animal health products, including feed additives and pesticides are purchased from licensed medicine suppliers, properly labeled including DIN number and stored according to label directions;

•	All drug withdrawals are carefully monitored and cattle are not shipped before the end of the withdrawal period;

•	Feed and Animal Health records are complete and accurate and stored in a secure location;

•	All equipment and storage areas are cleaned on a regular basis;

•	Contaminated or outdated animal health products, pesticides and feed additives are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner according to label directions and municipal bylaws;

•	Facilities including feeding systems, hospital pens, holding working areas, watering systems and livestock trucks are regularly cleaned to avoid residues, tag build-up on cattle hides, and contamination of water sources;

West Grey Premium Beef Inc. | RR. #3, Hwy #6 | Durham, Ontario N0G 1R0
Telephone: 519.369.3163 Fax: 519.369.2927 Email: beef@premiumbeef.ca