Ensure the quality and safety of live pig products so that the people can eat "rest assured meat"
my country's pig slaughter industry embarks on a new journey of high-quality development
□ Our reporter Zhang Wei
Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council recently signed an order of the State Council to promulgate the revised "Regulations on the Administration of Pig Slaughter" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), which will come into force on August 1, 2021.
Strengthening the management of live pig slaughter is the key to ensuring the quality and safety of live pig products, allowing the people to eat "safe meat", and ensuring the health of the people.
The promulgation of the "Regulations" is of great significance. It has supplemented and improved a number of regulations around quality and safety. “These regulations will have a profound impact on the slaughter industry and provide a strong guarantee for meat safety.” Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University Long Shen Jianzhong said.
Implement quality management standard management
The original "Regulations on the Administration of Pig Slaughter" was implemented in 1998.
It once led my country's pig slaughter industry to gradually turn into the track of rule of law.
As an industry expert, Li Shuilong, chairman of the China Meat Association and vice chairman of the World Meat Organization, has a deep understanding of this: “Through the implementation of the designated slaughtering system, the government’s supervision capacity has been improved, the operation of pig slaughter has been standardized, and the concentration of slaughter and products have been improved. The quality and safety assurance capabilities have been significantly improved."
However, in recent years, the original "Regulations on the Administration of Live Pig Slaughter" has also encountered some problems in its implementation.
Li Shuilong said that on the whole, my country's pig slaughtering industry still has outstanding problems such as backward production methods, low technical level, and insufficient competitiveness of enterprises. The meat quality safety risks in the slaughter process still cannot be ignored.
For example, Shen Jianzhong said that at present, the proportion of small and medium-sized pig slaughter companies in my country is more than 60%, and the slaughtering and processing conditions and technical levels are uneven, and there is still a big gap between the people's growing needs for a better life.
The implementation of the Regulations on the quality management of pig slaughter is aimed at this problem.
Article 14 of the "Regulations" stipulates that designated pig slaughter plants (farms) shall comply with the state's operating procedures, technical requirements and pig slaughter quality management practices, and strictly implement disinfection technical specifications.
Shen Jianzhong said that the implementation of "Good Manufacturing Practice for Pig Slaughter Quality Management (GMP)" management and the implementation of strict national standards or industry standards in the processing environment, sanitary facilities, production water, equipment and tools, processing procedures and production management are the "Regulations". The new requirements are the basic requirements for pig slaughter companies engaged in pig slaughtering production activities, the basic conditions for realizing the quality and safety of pig products, and the main basis for supervision and inspection by the regulatory authorities.
"The slaughter enterprise should have good production equipment, reasonable production process, perfect quality management and strict inspection system to ensure that the quality and safety of slaughtered products meet the requirements of laws and regulations."
In Shen Jianzhong's view, the "Regulations" provide a legal basis for the implementation of GMP management, will speed up the withdrawal, shutdown and transfer of small slaughterhouses, promote the integrated development of slaughter, processing, sales, and distribution of slaughter companies, and continue to promote the transformation and upgrading of the pig slaughtering industry , my country's pig slaughter industry will embark on a new journey of high-quality development.
Standardization of safety control in the whole process
The "Regulations" reflect the great emphasis on meat quality inspection.
Article 15 of the "Regulations" has made important amendments to the provisions concerning meat quality inspection, clearly stipulating that the meat quality inspection of designated pig slaughter plants (sites) shall comply with the pig slaughter meat quality inspection procedures and be carried out simultaneously with the pig slaughter.
"Meat quality inspection is an important support for the quality and safety control of the whole slaughtering process. The pig slaughter factory (field) strictly implements meat quality inspection in accordance with the requirements of synchronous inspection, which is to control the entire slaughter and processing process from the entry of the pig into the factory (field) to the slaughter An important measure for the quality and safety of the product during the whole process of leaving the factory." Shen Jianzhong said.
It is understood that at present, some slaughterhouses (sites) are not paying enough attention to the quality and safety control of slaughtered products, have not established an effective meat quality inspection system, and have problems such as lack of inspection posts, insufficient inspection personnel, and insufficient inspection control.
The "Regulations" highlights the important position of the pig slaughter meat quality inspection procedures, and puts forward higher requirements for the meat quality inspection work, which will greatly enhance the legal status of the pig slaughter product quality inspection procedures, with stronger binding force and more regulatory basis. Clearly, it provides a more solid foundation for the quality and safety control of the entire slaughter process.
The implementation of a quality and safety risk monitoring system is also an important guarantee.
Article 25 of the "Regulations" stipulates: The state implements a system of monitoring risks for the quality and safety of pig slaughter.
Chen Weisheng, director of the Slaughtering Technology Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, believes that the implementation of pig slaughter quality and safety risk monitoring is different from supervision and random inspection. It is not a standard compliance determination, but a forward-looking work based on risk investigation and early warning, which is implemented by the agricultural and rural authorities. An important way of food safety prevention and risk management principles.
Based on the results of risk monitoring, the agricultural and rural authorities will supervise and inspect the quality and safety management of designated pig slaughter plants (farms), which will also greatly enhance the pertinence and effectiveness of supervision.
"The implementation of the pig slaughtering quality and safety risk monitoring system is conducive to early detection, early reporting, and early disposal of pig slaughtering product safety risks, and will improve the quality and safety of pig products." Shen Jianzhong said.
In addition, the "Regulations" also encourage the implementation of standardized slaughter.
Article 5 of the "Regulations" stipulates: The state encourages the integrated development of pig breeding, slaughter, processing, distribution, and sales, promotes standardized slaughter, and supports the construction of a cold chain circulation and distribution system.
Shen Jianzhong believes that the whole-process management of the slaughter process involves requirements for inspection and registration of live pigs, waiting to be slaughtered, inspection and quarantine, slaughter processing, sanitation control, harmless treatment, product packaging, storage and transportation, personnel management, production management and other requirements. Corresponding standards are formulated in the link, and a complete slaughter standard system is established, which is conducive to the quality and safety control of the whole slaughtering process through standardized means.
Significantly increase the amount of punishment to people
Chen Weisheng noted that the "Regulations" implemented the "most severe punishment" requirements for food safety, and compared with the Food Safety Law, the penalties for illegal pig slaughter violations have been greatly increased.
The "Regulations" stipulates that the maximum value of the pig products that have not been inspected or failed to pass the meat quality inspection at the designated pig slaughter plant (farm) shall be set at the highest value if the value of the pig product is more than 10,000 yuan. 30 times the fine.
At the same time, strengthen the linkage mechanism between administrative law enforcement and criminal justice, and pursue criminal responsibility in accordance with the law for those who constitute a crime.
The "Regulations" also strengthened the "punishment of people."
Chen Weisheng said that the person in charge of the designated pig slaughter plant (farm) and other directly responsible persons are the key to implementing the main responsibility for product quality and safety.
The implementation of "punishing others" can further force the responsible persons to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations.
The "Regulations" has set up designated pig slaughter plants (farms) and directly responsible persons in charge, in addition to lending or transferring pig slaughter certificates or pig slaughter signs for illegal activities in designated pig slaughter plants (farms). Administrative "double penalties" for other directly responsible personnel.
For the designated pig slaughter plant (farm) whose pig slaughter certificate has been revoked, its legal representative (person in charge), directly in charge and other directly responsible personnel shall not apply for a pig slaughter certificate or engage in pig slaughter management activities within 5 years. If a food safety crime is sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment or more, it shall not engage in pig slaughter management activities for life.
The "Regulations" adopted a variety of measures to greatly improve the quality of the pig slaughtering industry, and at the same time, it will also improve the business environment while strengthening industry governance.
Li Shuilong said that in order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of designated pig slaughter plants (farms) and create a good business environment, the "Regulations" made specific provisions: No designated places shall be engaged in pig slaughter activities; no places shall be provided for units or individuals that have not been designated and illegally engaged in pig slaughter activities; pig slaughter sites or pig product storage facilities shall not be provided; places shall not be provided for units or individuals that inject water or other substances into pigs and pig products.
Second, the pig products produced and operated by units and individuals engaged in the sale of pig products, meat production and processing, catering service operators, and centralized dining units must be pig products that have passed quarantine and meat quality inspections at designated pig slaughter plants (farms) .
Third, the local people's government and its relevant departments shall not restrict the entry of live pig products that have passed quarantine and meat quality inspections into the local market from designated live pig slaughter plants (farms) in other places.
The fourth is to strengthen social supervision and social co-governance, and the agricultural and rural authorities have established a reporting system to deal with reported violations in a timely manner.
"The implementation of the "Regulations" will further improve the business environment of the pig slaughtering industry and standardize the development order of the industry." Li Shuilong said.