Quality System

"We focus on quality" is the motto that has always distinguished Vicentini Carni. Every single action carried out by the Company, from the care of the product, the training of personnel, the system of hygiene relating to the Production Plant, to the constant updates of the internal management of the Company, are all aimed at optimizing this reality.

The project " Filiera Vicentini Carni "

Vicentini Carni adopts a step by step approach in the control of quality, with special attention given to all the stages of the live of each animal. It was precisely for this reason that, in 2006 the Company commenced the project “Filiera Vicentini Carni” with which it planned for the implementation of strategies to control and guarantee the stages from breeding until slaughtering and dissection. The meat from the supply chain can be identified by the Company’s own trade mark.

Breeding

The Company is proud of its supply chain as its cattle ranches are able to meet 50% of the demands for slaughtered Bovine and furthermore, it is also possible to have a 360-degree control over production. Young calves belonging to selected French breeds are imported at the age of 8-9 months and subjected to a conditioning phase for about 30 days, which allows them to adapt to the new environment and to recover from the long journeys. During this period the nutrition provided for the animals is a diet rich in Fiber, such as hay and straw, which enables them to restore their delicate equilibrium. The Company, then monitors the fattening and finishing phases in which energy intake which is necessary to obtain the desired shapes and weights is increased. Each ration, which is strictly a vegetarian, based on rich cereals, is studied by qualified nutritionists and adapted to the needs of any individual animal. In order to become a member of Filiera Vicentini Carni, each animal must be accurately monitored at farms owned by the prospective member for at least 4 months. The certification and the guarantee of the supply chain can only take place through the documentations and the fulfillments prescribed by EC Regulation 1760/2000, which provides that:

  • Two ear tags for cattle, with each representing a unique identification code, which will also appear on individual passports;
  • A Register of animals appropriately completed and updated;
  • Communication of all information, including the displacements relating to every single animal, to the National Data Bank.
Each operation is aimed at maximizing the well-being and health of the animal because it is a known fact that healthy meat of good quality is derived from healthy animals.

Breeds

Cattle slaughtered and processed at our facilities are predominantly from the Charolais and Limousine breeds. Being rustic, they are best suited to adapt to environments with difficult climate conditions.
Our Cattle Ranches also provide cattle for slaughter from the following breeds:

Charolais

The cradle of origin of this aminal is in the region of Charolles in France, even if today it is spread all over the world for its hardiness. Cattle of this breed have a strong predisposition for meat production. The animals are massive, with highly developed muscle mass and they are of medium height. This breed is important for the purposes of cross breeding.

Limousine

Originally from Limousine, in the province of Limoges in France, but today, it spread throughout the world for its remarkable capacity to acclimatize. Cattle of this breed are robust, energetic, strong and rustic animals. It is an important breed for the cross breeding. The colour of the its coat bright tan, with lighter shades in the perineal and ventral areas. The breed is highly prized, for its flesh which is fine-grained and always particularly tender. The yield from this cattle is high due its light bone structure.

Cross breeds of Charolais and Aubrac:

This is a cross breeds of two French breeds. It is noted in particular for the rusticity of the Aubrac breed and the fast growth of the Charolaise breed. The coat is mostly dark gray and sometimes garnet red with black accents. The bone structure is light, the meat is fine grained and yield from this animal is high.

Cross breeding with Irish breed:

This is obtained by Crossbreeding Irish Angus with French breeds. The Irish Angus are morphologically rustic, have a high yield, but the flesh is of a coarser grain, and it is for this reason that they are often cross bred with French breeds. The coat is different depending on the breeds with which they are cross bred.

Cross breeding with Italian breeds:

The cattle most utilized by The Company’s supply chain are of Belgian breeds because they are profitable. The Sardis is also used because of the good quality of the Meat. The latter are obtained by cross breeding Italian cattle like Simmental or Brown Swiss Alps with French breeds.

Polish:

These are achieved by cross breeding various cattle breed such as, Simmental, baby-beef, etc. or sometimes with French breeds.

Transportation and Distribution

Transportation is instituted with the utmost respect for the well being of the animals. Furthermore, because the Ranches are located mainly in the rural Southern parts of Verona, Mantua and Cremona, it reduces to the minimum stress on the animals during transportation from the ranches to the Slaughter house. Moreover, the efficient distribution service allows the execution of every kind of request in quick time and it is functional to meet every needings. By means of Company refrigerated trucks, the National curriers, as well as territorial refrigerated warehouses locater in the Central and South of Italy, Vicentini Carni is able to offer the best distribution service as well.

Slaughter

Each operation is conducted in such a manner as to ensure the traceability and safety of the product. The facilities are modern and functional, and every person in charge is highly trained for the tasks they are required to perform. All the stages of production from the clasping, after the stunning, occur through the network of overhead rails that connect the slaughterhouse to the refrigerated cells, to the shipment room and to dissection plants. All the above mentioned phases in production are carried out in accordance to the set conditions for refrigeration. The Veterinary Service and the Heads of Internal Controls work together in order to achieve the highest standards of workmanship.

Dissection

Depending on customer requirements the Half’s or quarter Carcasses can be sectioned in various anatomical cuts which are then individually vacuum packaged and labeled in order to allow for traceability.

The system of traceability:

The tracking system is a process that allows the for reconstruction of the whole internal processes that food has undergone. Where beef is concerned, this process commences from the phase when the animal is still alive until every single cut of meat served on dining tables. In order to achieve these objectives it is necessary to register the flow of all activities carried out during the entire production cycle, from breeding until the sale of the product. Traceability is regarded as an essential principle and has an irreplaceable role of protecting the players in the industry, as well as the consumers. The instrument by which this is permissible is the use of labels which are affixed to each product. Vicentini Carni S.p.A. has availed itself of a disciplined manner of labeling which has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with code EN 075 ET. This allows the Company to provide its customers with optional information, which are aside from, and in addition those required by EC Regulation 1760/2000. This in turn allows the customers the opportunity to make informed choices as well as to further guarantee them of the quality of the products being purchased. Vicentini Carni S.p.A. is also ISO 22005: 2008 certified. This is for the traceability of the Agro-Food Industry, by which the Company aims to enhance its products and meet the needs of customers.

ISO 22005: 2008 Certification:

Thanks to the availability of the Certification, Vicentini Carni is able to authenticate each step of the continuous controls being carried out by Company Personnel.
Quality assurance was granted on the date of the UNI EN ISO 22005: 08 Certification (Certificate no. 27772 issued the 01/08/2011). In other words, the ability of tracking the product from the Phases of fattening the cattle on the ranches until the phase when the products are sold as Meat cuts or vacuum packed.

The following are all element of Traceability:

Breeding:

Farm of origin, identification of each animal, food purchases, self fodder, analytical reports on food and animal feed, food rations, medical treatment, detergents and sanitizers used in Farms, pest control;

Slaughter / Dissection:

Farm of origin, vehicle, identification of the individual animal, slaughter, dissection, storage, packaging, parameters for recording processes, detergents and sanitizers used in the slaughterhouse / dissection, pest control.

Voluntary labeling:

Through the Disciplinary Optional Labeling of Beef (Authorization no. IT075ET) Vicentini Carni is able to provide, in addition to basic information requested, also additional news. The measures are necessary to provide greater assurance of quality and traceability, not only for the project Filiera Vicentini Carni, but for any other meat slaughtered in the plant, for which the information required by same the Disciplinary voluntary labeling can be provided. Among the additional information entered. The following will be guaranteed, and which may be visible or absent:

  • Name and registered office of the Ranch
  • Fattening period in Italy
  • Name of the Slaughter House
  • Date of Slaughter
  • Commercial Classification
  • Category of Bovine
  • Name and place of Dissection
Obligatory Information:
  • Identification code of the carcass
  • Country of birth
  • Country / Countries of breeding
  • Country of Slaughter and the European stamp
  • Country of Dissection and European stamp (in the case of dissection)

Food Safety:

The safety of the products is the results of the attention and the care that Vicentini Carni employs at all stages of production. It has been possible to achieve this goal through a plan of self-control, consisting of pre-requisites that are aimed at general monitoring of the activities, structures, operators and equipment, as well as the HACCP plan, which evidences and describes all the operations and controls performed to ensure that products are not a risk to human health.

The procedures of self-control company - HACCP

The application of the HACCP system guarantees that the company can optimize production, through the application of sanitary and preventive actions, provided for, in specific procedures; all this leads to a continuous control both in terms of quality and food safety.

The system provides for the definition of production flows from which emerge any critical points that could create problems of hygienic nature. Through procedures that are constantly monitored with the supervisory system of HACCP, we guarantee quality and food safety.

An effective traceability system on every single cattle head ensures adequate information to the final consumer, about the product. This information will start from the origin of the product, until every single anatomical cut of the meat purchased. The efficiency of this process is ensured by constant internal audits.