Earlier this year, NSF International introduced its new Global Animal Wellness Standards to address the full life cycle of all key species and establish best practices for how animals are kept, raised and responsibly managed. To comply with the new standards, operations must complete a hazard analysis as part of their animal wellness management system. Animal management practices and processes are so strongly connected that a change in one area could potentially affect another area. This article describes the process of utilizing a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) plan to identify, balance and mitigate key threats to animal wellness.
For primary producers, a HACCP plan formalizes what a good producer is doing and meets consumer demands regarding public health, animal health and welfare. Transporters can use a HACCP plan to measure and monitor the efficacy and performance of livestock handling and transport operations. For slaughter operations, a HACCP plan can make regular measurements at identified critical control points (CCPs) and closely monitor that tasks are performed correctly and consistently. At all levels of the supply chain, a HACCP plan is key to recognizing, avoiding and responding to critical risks.