The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today published in the Federal Register its final rule on traceability requirements for livestock moved interstate. Though the final rule mainly focuses on cattle, it leaves in place existing poultry-related traceability regimes and requires records be retained for poultry for two years.
The rule becomes effective March 11, 2013. Although generally supportive of agency efforts to implement traceability programs, the National Chicken Council (NCC) in comments to the proposed rule, voiced concern with APHIS’s decision to apply a one-size fits all, cattle-based traceability system to poultry and specifically with APHIS’s proposed requirement that records be kept for five years for all species. The preamble to the final rule recognizes the effectiveness of the existing poultry traceability program under the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and leaves that program largely in place. Read More