Trade & transport

The proper transportation of pigs is important to ensure animal welfare and is also a major influence on the quality of the meat. There are therefore strict requirements for the transport of pigs to an abattoir.
VION has both direct and indirect supply. Direct supply involves deliveries straight from the pig farmer to one of our locations. Indirect supply occurs via dealers.
The professional dealers endeavour to deliver the right number of pigs from a quality concept at the right time to one of the VION Food Netherlands slaughter locations. This requires close relationships with the pig farms, an understanding of logistical issues and a great talent for organisation.  The dealers are very important for logistics and quality. They also contribute to the on-going quality improvement of the delivered pigs, for example by also analysing the data from Farmingnet.

Quality regulations
There are strict requirements for the transport of pigs to an abattoir. All our people work in accordance with the quality regulations for the transport of livestock (GTP code) and the quality regulations for the livestock trade (GHP code). These regulations comply with European Directives and are based on the ISO 9002 system. They are also part of the IKB quality system.
Working practices for the dealers are set out in a manual. This specifies the hygiene requirements and also states which criteria and checks apply, and what registrations and documents are required. Tranquillisers (agents to pacify the animals) are not permitted during transport. The drivers must follow compulsory training on the correct way of handling the animals.

Lorries
Lorries used to transport the animals must satisfy quality requirements, checked by the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA). The rough floor of the lorry is covered with litter. Adjustable ventilation slats ensure that the optimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius is maintained in the lorry. The temperature is recorded to facilitate checks. Of course, we take the journey time into account in the supply. It must be kept to a minimum and must never exceed 4 hours. VION Food Netherlands has abattoirs throughout the Netherlands.

Cleaning and disinfecting
As soon as the pigs have been delivered, the lorries are cleaned and disinfected. This is recorded. The VWA regularly checks this. In addition, VION Food Netherlands performs inspections itself.