Animal disease hygiene is an important issue, and we are more than aware of our being a potential site for the spread of different swine illnesses. Every day, various transport vehicles from different farms in the region come to our premises. Likewise, refrigerated vehicles that drive goods to our customers are potential virus vectors.
We ensure that we meet all requirements in terms of animal disease prevention. Even before the outbreak of the current epidemic of African swine fever in Brandenburg and Saxony in Germany, we established a disinfection sluice to treat every incoming vehicle. Once the vehicle is on our farm, the requirements of the Animal Disease Ordinance are maintained to the fullest extent. Livestock vehicles must always be cleaned and disinfected in our washing facility before leaving. Our employees are trained in animal disease hygiene, and are regularly tested and brought up to date regarding the latest information and research.
Our slaughterhouse operates under video surveillance. From the moment a truck with live pigs enters the premises, to the moment a refrigerated truck with finished cuts leaves the facility, every step is monitored by video. This is particularly important in sensitive areas such as the waiting, stunning, and bleeding areas.
The video footage is recorded and stored for predetermined periods of time so that we can clarify issues at later points if required. We have used this video surveillance practice for more than ten years, while at the same time maintaining all current data protection regulations. Not all areas are permitted to be under video surveillance; this only applies to the areas of clear interest regarding employment, work safety, and animal welfare.
The slaughterhouse is clearly divided into hygienically clean “white” areas and unclean “green” areas. The green areas are where the live pigs are delivered: the waiting, stunning, bleeding, scalding areas, and scraping machine, to the so-called decontamination flame oven. A second flaming reduces the germ load on the skin of the pigs to a very low level. Following this, the carcasses are conveyed to the white area.
The white area may only be entered by employees who have passed through a hygienic sluice. In the white area, all employees are required to wear hair nets and, if necessary, beard coverings. In the dismantling area, so-called astronaut hoods are worn which cover the entire clothing. Our hygienic clothing is cleaned after use by a service provider. This special clothing has e.g. pockets on the inside to prevent foreign objects from entering the meat. All these measures are part of our comprehensive hygiene concept which is regularly checked and updated by our QM department.
We are committed to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the German Sustainability Code (DNK). We reported on our sustainability according to the DNK standard for the first time in 2021.
All farms must be certified organic that want to produce this level of quality. We are also certified organic and meet these requirements.
VLOG – the German Association for Foodstuffs without Genetic Engineering certifies companies that produce GMO-free products and can credibly differentiate them from non-GMO products. We participate in this program and are a proud member of the VLOG family.
International Featured Standard Food defines uniform food and product standards on an international level. Since we also operate internationally, our processes are also subject to the specifications of the IFS Food system.
QS (quality and safety) is an inspection system from the farmer to the store counter. As a slaughterhouse, we are part of this chain and therefore also part of the QS system.
By participating in various quality management programs, we ensure that Brand produces a consistently high-quality product under the most sustainable conditions possible.
Animal disease prevention is of particular importance for our company. African swine fever is something we closely monitor for in our operation. Every day, various transport vehicles from different farms in the region come to our premises. Refrigerated vehicles that drive the commissioned goods to our customers are potential virus carriers. This is why we ensure that we fulfill all animal disease prevention requirements. Prior to the most recent outbreak of African swine fever in Germany, we established a disinfection gateway channel to disinfect every incoming vehicle. Once any vehicle is on our farm, the requirements of the German Animal Disease Ordinance are strictly adhered to. This means for example that livestock transporters leaving our farm must always be cleaned and disinfected in our truck wash. We furthermore ensure impeccable animal disease hygiene from our employees at all times.
