Food Chain Information (PCI) for pigs

Slaughterhouses: Guidance

The EU food hygiene legislation requires slaughterhouse operators to request, receive, check and act upon food chain information (FCI) for all pigs sent to the slaughterhouse.

This requirement forms part of the whole chain, farm-to-fork, approach to food safety introduced by the Hygiene Regulations from the beginning of 2006. Implementation of FCI was initially required only for poultry, with a delayed, progressive implementation of FCI for other species; pigs from 2008; cattle and sheep from 2010.

FCI contributes to slaughterhouse operators HACCP-based food safety management systems by providing information about animals procured for slaughter. Many FBOs will already require much of this information from their pig suppliers as part of their commercial relations with them, and may have little more to do to comply.