The Ontario Veal Quality Assurance Program (OVQAP) is a powerful
management tool that will become the industry standard for veal
production. These production practices will improve the
consistency of veal carcass quality and provide the product
customers demand. The program addressers three areas of
concern that definitely affect the veal industry.
1. Product Quality
Product quality is enhanced through production protocols and setting
standards. These guidelines offer the producer and educational
element to improve their production practices. The program
contains protocols for purchasing good calves, reducing stress on
the calf, healthy calf management, calf feeding to maximize growth,
calf housing/ventilation, minimizing calf stress at shipping and
tips to maintain quality calves throughout the production cycle.
An important element of the program is calf weight. Calves
must be marketed as per the veal definition of having a maximum
carcass weight of 180 kg hot hide off.
2. Food safety
The food safety component involves
HACCP-based
on-farm "good production practices" that help producers to control
such food safety hazards as drug residues in the meat and broken
needles. Producers will complete records that show their
practices are maintained.
3. Animal Care
Proper animal care is highly promoted by the OVQAP. The
program is teeming with on-farm practices designed to reduce calf
stress. Producing healthy quality calves requires proper
handling, health monitoring, adequate housing and feeding.
Producers understand the importance of linking quality with good
animal care.
Producers on the program will have their farming practices
and records audited on an annual basis by a 3rd party auditor.
This gives the program integrity and the customer confidence in
the veal the buy.
Look for the unique pink ear tags as your assurance that
these producers have met the requirements of the OVQAP.
These management tags have the individual OVQAP producer ID
number printed on them.
