What is the purpose of the new section IX on the passport?
Section IX is for the owner to declare whether or not the horse is ultimately intended for human consumption. The declaration must be signed before:
a) any medication containing a substance specified in Annex IV of Council Regulation 2377/90 is administered (in this case the declaration must be signed as "˜not intended for human consumption"™)
b) the horse is consigned for slaughter for human consumption (declaration must be signed as "˜intended for human consumption"™)
c) the horse is sent outside the UK (declaration can be signed either way)
The owner can at any time prior to one of the above events choose to sign the declaration. It must be remembered that once the declaration has been signed as "˜not intended for human consumption"™, this can never be changed in order to protect the human food chain. An "˜intended for human consumption"™ declaration can be reversed.
If the declaration that the horse is ultimately intended for human consumption is signed, the date that certain veterinary medicines are administered to the horse must be recorded on the relevant pages. Before administering any medication which contains a substance listed in Annex IV of Council Regulation 2377/90 a vet or other person administering the medicine will need to see the passport to ensure that the declaration has been signed as "˜not intended for human consumption"™. This is because by law no medicines not approved for food animals must be given to horses declared as intended for the human food chain.
