Division 2.3.1 Representative sampling of samples at slaughter

The random sampling plan shall be stratified per slaughterhouse by allocating the number of samples from domestically produced animals collected per slaughterhouse proportionally to the annual throughput of the slaughterhouse.

The collected samples at slaughter shall be evenly distributed over each month of the year to enable the different seasons to be covered.

Only one representative sample of caecal content per epidemiological unit, derived either from a unique carcass or from a number of carcasses, shall be gathered to account for clustering. The sampling shall otherwise be based on a random selection regarding sampling days each month and which batches are to be sampled on a selected sampling day.

The number of biological samples to be collected in accordance with point 1(a), (b), (c), (e) and (f) of Part A shall be determined in order to achieve the required number of isolates by accounting for the prevalence of the bacteria species monitored.