HOMEHow do you promote transparency in your abattoirs?
The Maubourguet abattoir already has a video surveillance camera system for ducks and geese, which will soon be extended by installing two other cameras. The second Euralis abattoir in Les Herbiers (Northwest France) will be similarly equipped in autumn 2021. The specific abattoir audit programme, based on the reference system established with an animal welfare NGO (OABA), was launched at our Maubourguet site in January 2021 and will begin at the Les Herbiers site in autumn 2021.
Who is in charge of your livestock and abattoirs?
Euralis has been one of the main French foie gras producers for several decades. Quality standards are at the core of the cooperative’s concerns. All production stages are controlled by Euralis alongside external organisations. The aim is to guarantee quality and ensure full product traceability.
Several steps have been implemented :
- An initial control phase is undertaken during the breeding and force-feeding stages. A Euralis “livestock production” technician is in charge of monitoring production. This represents on average several thousand inspections per year.
- A vet from the DDPP (Departmental Directorate for the Protection of the Population) visits the PGI and Origine France-certified farm every year. They monitor the FCI (Food Chain Information) reports on breeding, the health status of livestock, mortality rates and antibiotic treatments. This results in one inspection per year, i.e. 700 inspections for Euralis.
- Beyond the rules defined in the technical regulations of Sud-Ouest PGI certification and fattening specifications established by Euralis, an independent inspection is also carried out on producers by a certifying body accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Abattoir inspections. A member of the Veterinary Services Department is present at all times at both abattoir sites (Les Herbiers and Maubourguet). Once again, they check the batch certification report, the carcasses, the slaughter line, and may also verify samples to guarantee high-quality livestock. Each year, the veterinary services department implements an annual product auditing programme.