The Veterinary Department of Leitrim County Council carries out a broad range of duties relating to Food Safety, Disease Control and Veterinary Public Health. The service is provided under the terms of a Service Contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The most recent Service Contract came into effect on January 1st 2006 and provides for a five year term, ending on 31st December 2010.
Food Safety Legislation The Veterinary Department is involved in implementing a wide range of National and E.U. Food Safety legislation as listed in Schedule I of the FSAI Service Contract dated 1 Jan 2006 which can be viewed on the following link
www.fsai.ie A major restructuring of Food Safety Law in the European Union was undertaken resulting in the introduction of the ‘Hygiene Package’on January 1st 2006. The aim of the Hygiene Package is to update and consolidate existing EU food safety legislation, some of which dates back to the 1960’s.
Slaughterhouses There are currently seven slaughterhouses operating in County Leitrim. Ante and Post-Mortem inspections are carried out on all animals slaughtered. All slaughtermen must obtain an annual slaughter licence from Leitrim County Council and be capable of carrying out slaughter hygienically and with minimum pain or stress to the animals. The Veterinary Department is responsible for supervising the slaughter process and ensuring the highest standards of hygiene before, during and after slaughter. Supervision of slaughtering is carried out to ensure compliance with legislative and ‘Best Practice’ requirements. Ensuring the production of high-quality, wholesome, residue-free meat using the most up-to-date techniques available is a priority of Leitrim County Council.