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Ontario Veal Quality Assurance
Program |
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How will the
OVQAP and HACCP work on your farm? |
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The best way we have found to achieve quality assurance
certification is through a multi-step process: |
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Module 1: Good Production Practices in order to produce a Quality
Product |
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These "Good Production Practices" (GPPs) are designed to offer a
form of standardized calf management for the industry. Program
participants are expected to apply these practices, protocols and
guidelines to the best of their ability. |
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1) Study the "Good Production Practices" Module in the OVQAP manual.
2) Determine if your calf management meets or exceeds the GPPs
provided.
3) Make any necessary adjustments to your management practices if
required.
4) Fill out the required form: |
- Producer commitment checklist
- Validation form C
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Module 2: On-Farm Food Safety |
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1. Completion of an Ontario Veal
Quality Assurance Program Producer Certification Manual. |
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This manual contains a number of questions. Some questions are
answered with a Yes or a No. These questions are asked to
create discussion, awareness and consideration, which may be
signification to quality assurance. Others ask for a written
explanation of how you, the producer, deal with specific concerns.
That is, describe a procedure (including records) or list and
explain something. Once hazards have been determined, you will
be asked for the control points: |
- who is responsible for these?
- what action is required?
- what information is recorded and what corrective actions
would be appropriate if the system failed?
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If additional space is required, extra written pages can be added to
the manual. These explanations become your Good Production
Practices. The GPPs we will consider are for the following
eight areas of your operation: |
- Purchasing
- Sanitation
- Building Design
- Medical Supplies
- Water
- Biosecurity
- Personnel Training
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As you develop these GPPs, you create your own quality assurance
program. Since no two farms are exactly alike, it is very
unlikely that any one quality assurance program would be appropriate
for all veal producers. |
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2. As part of the manual, several
record forms must be completed and maintained in an up-to-date
fashion. These forms include: |
- feed inventory form
- medication/vaccine inventory form
- individual treatment form
- incoming/outgoing animal form
- group outgoing animal form
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3. The introduction to each operation
area will provide additional background information relative to the
GPPs and the overall program. |
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It provides insights relative to the questions asked in that section
of the manual. The manual includes a complete list of all
medications and vaccines approved by the Bureau of Veterinary Drugs,
Health Canada, for use in veal cattle. |
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4. All participants will receive a
copy and must be familiar with: |
- the Recommended Code of Practice for the Care and Handling
of Veal Calves (CARC, 1998)
- Preventing and Handling Non Ambulatory Livestock on Farm (OFAC)
- Transporting Livestock by Truck (CFIA)
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5. After you have completed the
questions and the tasks assigned in the manual and have accumulated
a minimum of three (3) months of record forms, a certified Validator
will visit your farm, evaluate your operation, review your manual
and check your records. |
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This person must be certified by the OVA and may be trained OVA
staff or your herd veterinarian. A list of qualified
veterinarians is available from the OVA office. The answers
and the records you provide will determine whether or not your farm
qualifies. |
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6. Records must be maintained on an
ongoing basis and the process re-validated every year in order to
maintain your certification in the program. |
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Back to OVQAP
Main |
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