Italiano
Tuscany: wild boar meat for food solidarity
Socially useful use of meat from wild boar culled in Tuscany, thanks to an initiative of the region that sees an agreement with Game Processing Centers (Cls) through the Asl for processing and the Food Bank and Caritas for distribution to people in need.
To collect adhesions for the processing of wild ungulate meat destined for charity through subsequent distribution by the Food Bank. This is the objective of the public notice available on the institutional websites of Tuscany's Local Health Authorities and intended for Game Processing Centers (Cls), which will subsequently be able to start the path for the charitable disposal of meat from wild ungulates slaughtered under regional control plans.
By its own resolution 961/2023, the region has provided for the disbursement of reimbursements of costs incurred by the Cls through the Asl, which are the recipients for the 2023/2024 hunting year (until May 31) of a total funding of 40 thousand euros: 18 thousand to the South East Asl; 11,000 to the North West; and an equal 11,000 to the Center.
"This project," says Vice-President and Agrifood Councillor Stefania Saccardi, "which I pioneered when I was in charge of regional health, allows for a socially useful use of the meat of culled wild boar. It gives us the opportunity to partially cope with the ungulate emergency and at the same time to distribute to people in food difficulties, a product with high nutritional value such as meat, in this case wild boar. The initiative is part of a circular economy, which allows us to optimize the resources of our territory with a goal that is not only environmental but social. I would like to thank The Food Bank and the Caritas network, which in the territory of the region will provide for the meat of slaughtered animals to materially reach people's tables."
"With the publication of the notice," says Health Councillor Simone Bezzini, "we have entered the operational phase of this initiative, which we hope, once again this year, will bring some relief to the lives of the families most in need. I think it is important to highlight how this solidarity project, which was created in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Hunting and Fisheries and the Tuscan hunting territorial ambits, has multiple positive repercussions, not only from the social ethical aspect, but also responding to hygienic and sanitary needs thanks. The meat, in fact, before being distributed will be inspected in the game processing centers by the veterinarians of the local health authorities, called upon to conduct direct action for prevention and early detection of any diseases that may affect wildlife, and thus guaranteeing the user a quality product that meets food safety standards. Due thanks to the Food Bank, which with its infrastructure and distribution network allows us, not only for this initiative, to intercept and support the essential needs of people in disadvantaged or marginalized conditions."
The meat will derive from a share of the animals slaughtered in accordance with regional legislation and which ATCs decide to allocate to the food charity initiative. In addition, the transfer of animals from regulated hunting and control activities is also envisaged by third parties: regional park authorities, wild boar hunting teams, ungulate management districts, AFVs and AAVs.
The processed carcasses will be entrusted for distribution to the Banco Alimentare della Toscana, which has a specific and peculiar organization and territorial network that allows the meat to be preserved while guaranteeing compliance with food safety objectives and distributed in order to support the essential needs of Tuscan families and communities.I bandi:
Source: Toscana Notizie, written by Chiara Bini
