Aenor has informed Avícola Son Perot this Tuesday about the suspension of the ‘Welfair’ certificate for two types of eggs (free-range and barn) from the Ses Cisternes de Llucmajor facility.
In a statement, Aenor explained that the audits carried out at the Avícola Son Perot facilities for the certification process strictly follow the regulations set out in the certification protocol.
At the Llucmajor farm, Aenor audits the principles defined by ‘Welfair’ for animal welfare for two types of eggs produced on the farm. Therefore, they had a valid certificate for type 1 eggs (free-range) and type 2 eggs (barn).
Additionally, there is a traceability aspect to ensure that the eggs in the packaging with the ‘Welfair’ seal actually come from the certified farm. This certificate is valid for one year and requires regular audits to maintain it.
Aenor detailed that an unannounced audit of type 2 eggs was conducted on May 21. Following the publication of information about poor animal welfare practices, they immediately activated the ‘Welfair’ verification protocol.
Subsequently, on May 27, an extraordinary unannounced audit was carried out by a team of two auditors, one from Aenor and the other from ‘Welfair.’
The regulations of this certificate state that it can be immediately canceled if serious violations are detected and/or if a judicial process is initiated, or an administrative sanctioning procedure is opened by the competent authority.
Following these guidelines, Aenor informed Avícola Son Perot on June 5 of the intention to temporarily suspend the certificate and granted them a 15-day period to present their arguments.
The company submitted several written arguments which were eventually rejected after being analyzed to assess the non-compliance, the imposed sanction, and the appropriate processing of the procedure in accordance with the regulations of the ‘Welfair’ Animal Welfare Certification.
It is worth mentioning that Aenor, in the field of animal welfare, is an entity that certifies compliance with regulations developed and owned by different specialized entities, such as ‘Welfair’ or interprofessional livestock organizations.
These certifications are voluntary, allowing the client to choose which protocol to certify under. Aenor’s role is to evaluate during audits whether farms and companies meet the requirements set by the owner of each certification scheme, following the working rules established in the respective certification regulations.
FUENTE