Animal age terms verification#

PVP cattle will meet the requirements of multiple QSA programs).Ĭurrently, producers retaining ownership are working with their feeders to provide the necessary documentation and paperwork to fulfill the requirements of a packer QSA. Therefore, PVP certified cattle for age should meet the documentation requirements for any cattle feeder or packer (ie.

Animal age terms verification#

When participating in a PVP Program, producers will supply the necessary documentation for source and age and be able to sell their calves as “USDA Process Verified.” Thereby, these calves would be recognized in the industry as being Source and Age Verified and this verification could be utilized by cattle feeders and processors to fulfill the requirements of their QSA for Export Verification. To sell calves as Source and Age Verified, cow/calf producers will most likely be providing information to a PVP program. Likewise, it has been established that signed affidavits will not substitute for documentation provided through a USDA approved PVP or QSA.

Simply stating “source and age verified” or “home-raised” does not provide the level of documentation necessary for a PVP or QSA. For calves to be truly Source and Age Verified, they must be enrolled in a PVP or QSA as previously described. So What Does This Mean to Me – a Cow/Calf Producer?Īge and Source Verification have taken on a new meaning. product from PVP age-verified cattle or.product from carcasses which meet carcass maturity specifications (ie.These EV age regulations can be met in one of three ways: For most other countries (Hong Kong, Mexico, Canada), the age requirement is 30 months or less. In the case of Japan, a specific requirement is that the beef be from cattle of 20 months of age or less. These requirements outline the specific requirements for each country, including what products may be exported, processing regulations, and stipulations for the cattle producing the beef. USDA has established Beef Export Verification (EV) Program³ requirements for selling beef internationally. Role of PVP and QSA Programs in Exporting Beef Entities with approved USDA QSA programs include packers and large feedyards. The program is regularly audited and must have auditing procedures as part of their certification. This QSA describes how age/source will be documented by the packer with cooperation from source feedlots and their producer suppliers (cow-calf producers).Īs with a PVP, QSA certification requires considerable records, labor, and capital to establish. For source and age verification, most beef processors have an approved QSA for exporting beef. These companies or groups have certified through USDA a system of records and procedures that can verify their claims to specific attributes of their product. Quality System Assessment Programs are similar to PVP programs in many ways, although a QSA generally involves certification of a system that may involve several entities. Process Verified Program Certification is not something an individual producer or even a county group of producers will likely undertake. A portion of the company’s employees will be dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the program, managing records and handling audits. Obtaining certification to administrate a PVP is complex and extremely expensive. Examples include those administered by beef processors (Smithfield Beef Group, PM Beef Group, Creekstone Farms), information management companies (AgInfoLink, IMI Global, etc), and breed associations (AngusSource, Red Angus Association). There are several PVP programs which have been approved through USDA. In the case of age and source verification, PVP programs create a documented, auditable procedure for the collection and transfer of age and source information. This includes detailed procedures, record systems, and audit process.

Process Verified Programs are the highest level of certification in which companies have certified their entire production process or large portions of their process. In general, PVP programs are designed to verify cattle prior to marketing (applicable to feeder cattle sales) whereas QSA programs define mechanism by which records are maintained and transferred within a production system (retained ownership with a known feedyard and packer). USDA has established two processes by which cattle birth records may be tracked through the production chain. These programs include the USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) or a USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA). Beef export regulations have clearly defined the meaning of Age and Source Verification, as age and source claims must by documented and verified through a recognized USDA program. Age and Source Verification has been a topic of increasing interest in the beef industry, as the Japanese and other foreign markets have reopened to US beef.