International Hatchery Practice • Volume 31 Number 1 9

The vaccination process in hatcheriesis a small but crucial part of the valuechain that already follows standard

procedures to guarantee the vaccines arewell applied in order to get maximumpotential for protection in the field.Moreover, there are well defined control

points to achieve this goal; therefore theintegration of the vaccination process inhatcheries as part of a Quality ManagementSystem is highly relevant.

by Paola Cruz, GlobalVaccination Services Manager,Ceva Santé Animale, France.

www.ceva.com

The number of large poultry farmingoperations is constantly increasing, as theyoffer considerable economic advantageswhen it comes to feeding an ever growingworld population, of which nearly onequarter suffers from malnutrition. Their animal health management is also

becoming more sophisticated, as the risk ofan epidemic increases with the size of thefarming operation. To allow large poultry farming operations

to take charge of their health management,

pharmaceutical companies cannot simplysupply them with effective pharmaceuticaland biological products. Vaccine administration now uses quite

complex technology and is becomingautomated. The process of vaccinationrequires a holistic approach encompassingdiagnosis, definition of a vaccinationprotocol tailored to the context of thedisease, supply of the equipment follow-up

after vaccination, and all these processesrequire staff to be trained to increasinglyhigh levels. This is the reason why the ‘Ceva Hatchery

Immunization Control Keys’ – knowncommonly as the C.H.I.C.K. Program – wascreated. Ceva’s C.H.I.C.K. Program involvestheir specialist teams visiting the customer’shatcheries regularly in order to run anumber of tests to check whether thevaccines are properly stored, prepared andadministered to the birds. The equipmentsupplied is checked on its proper operationand cleaning. The quality of theadministration of vaccines is also inspectedand all these involve the delivery ofcontinuous training for hatchery operators.

Importance of quality managementsystems

Quality schemes in today’s competitivemarket environment have a significantimpact on the ability to compete in local,regional and international markets. Indeed,in order to promote food trade andmaintain consumer trust in product qualityand safety, quality management is of highimportance for the agri-food industry.Safety and quality standards, assurance

systems and a regulatory framework arepart of the concept of quality management.

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A new, qualitymanagement system forhatchery vaccination

Vaccine handling and preparation are the first control points of the C.H.I.C.K. Program.

Control of the quality of application by injection or spray.

International Hatchery Practice • Volume 31 Number 1 11

Ceva has a global team of over 130hatchery specialists who work with localhatchery managers using innovative datamanagement tools, to continually trackperformance of the vaccination processand ensure continuous improvement ofresults. In order to provide a global standard to

these activities, international trainingmodules on site and through e-learningwere developed. This is in addition todigital tools connected to an advanceddata management system that facilitatesthe work of Ceva hatchery specialists andtheir activities of reporting. All these together with the Standard

Operating Procedures for all stages of thevaccination process: vaccine storage,vaccine administration, equipment care,audit and monitoring are today part of theC.H.I.C.K. Program Quality Code of Practice.The compliance to the rules and

procedures of the C.H.I.C.K. ProgramQuality Code of Practice will be regularlycontrolled around the world by a thirdparty, which is the international testing andcertification company, Bureau VeritasGroup, based in Paris, France. Bureau Veritas is a world leader in

laboratory testing, inspection andcertification services. Created in 1828, theGroup has more than 66,000 employees inaround 1,400 offices and laboratories

located all across the globe. Bureau Veritashelps its clients to improve theirperformance by offering services in orderto ensure that their assets, products,infrastructure and processes meetstandards and regulations in terms ofquality, health and safety, environmentalprotection and social responsibility.

Recognition of quality

The Quality Stamp for Ceva’s C.H.I.C.K.Program recognises that the policies,practices and procedures applied by ourteams ensure consistent quality in theservices when going to customer hatcheriesto monitor the quality of the vaccination.The Bureau Veritas quality stamp of

approval guarantees that:l Ceva have dedicated teams qualified tomonitor the quality of in ovo and day-oldchick vaccination.l Ceva will deliver continuous training forcustomer hatchery operators involved inthe vaccination process, covering: – Good practices on vaccine storage,handling and preparation.– Control of the administration qualityspray, subcutaneous, or in ovo.– Equipment care and maintenance. – Monitoring of results. l Ceva is committed to a schedule ofregular hatchery visits and regular reporting

to the hatchery managers using innovativedata management tools, with a view tofollowing up corrective actions andcontributing to the continuousimprovement of results. l Equipment is installed in line with apreventive maintenance program toguarantee the proper operational quality ofthe equipment on a daily basis.In summary, as stated for ISO certification

philosophy, we ‘say what we do, do as wesay, and document that’. n

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The Bureau Veritas quality stamp ofapproval.