This requirement forms part of the whole chain, farm-to-fork, approach to food safety introduced by the Hygiene Regulations from the beginning of 2006. Implementation of Food Chain Information (FCI) was initially required only for poultry, with a delayed, progressive implementation of FCI for other species; pigs from 2008; cattle and sheep from 2010.
FCI contributes to slaughterhouse operators' HACCP-based food safety management systems by providing information about animals procured for slaughter. Many food business operators will already require much of this information from their livestock suppliers as part of their commercial relations with them, and may have little more to do to comply.
We use FCI to help us make decisions on meat, and to determine inspection procedures for animals and groups of animals.