Avian Influenza Protocols

Dear Valued Customer,

At Big Country Raw we understand your pets are part of the family, and we want to assure you that our products are processed safely with the best quality for your pets to consume. We take great pride in the products we offer and the ingredients we use.

You may have heard that in the US there is a lot of media coverage surrounding Avian Bird Flu – please be reassured that the Canadian supply chain for meat has one of the highest biosecurity protocols.

In Canada Biosecurity is standardized under national programs like the National Avian On-Farm Biosecurity Standard - this means stricter quarantine and zoning measures are applied uniformly across provinces. In the USA Biosecurity guidelines are more decentralized, relying heavily on state agencies and industry associations. Some states may implement different levels of enforcement, leading to inconsistencies in the national response.

Our Risk Based Food Safety Quality system has strict protocols for monitoring and assessing our suppliers. Big Country Raw sources only human-grade, provincially OMAFRA and federally CFIA government inspected ingredients for products. Our facility is HACCP certified through Bureau Veritas, making us the only pet food facility to achieve this high standard. This certification ensures that that we regularly test our products, supplies and equipment for bacteria and pathogens, while adhering to strict policies and procedures for food safety and the elimination of hazards. The ingredients we use are also only sourced from the same farms and suppliers that provide meat and produce to grocery stores. If there were any concerns regarding supply amid recent outbreaks, those raw materials would not pass CFIA or OMAFRA inspection or be sent to our facility for production.

We understand our responsibility as a manufacturer of raw meat products to provide you with transparent and honest information on our procedures. Our suppliers have strict bio-security procedures in place to eliminate the possibility of infections including, but not limited to, no-visitor policies, risk mitigation procedures, bird control permits and feed delivery controls, continual testing with approved certified laboratories, etc. CFIA holds the authority for managing cases of Avian Influenza in Canada. They have specific industry guidelines and Standard Operational Procedures to control and contain affected birds, outbreaks and mitigation measurements applicable to all inspected facilities. Our team works with suppliers to ensure that only birds that are compliant with these CFIA guidelines and controls are used for our products.

We want to assure you that we have taken all the necessary steps to ensure the safety and quality of our pet food. We understand that you trust us to provide safe and nutritious food for your pets, and this is our commitment and responsibility to you. We appreciate your loyalty and trust in our products and we will continue to work hard to maintain your confidence in us.

For additional information on how Canadian farmers and the CFIA together mitigate these risks, please find the below links:

https://www.chickenfarmers.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Avian-Influenza-Handbook-Version-1.4-Web.pdf

https://inspection.canada.ca/en/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/avian-influenza

Regards,

Delia Boom, Quality Manager

Big Country Raw