Red meat slaughter - cattle

Flow diagram of the cattle slaughter process

Who is responsible for:

• Official controls

• Process steps and controls

Official controls= OV

Process steps and controls= FBO

List what the FCI include

• Animal ID

• Disease status and foodborne hazards status as part of HACCP

• Knowledge of residues

• Movement restrictions (TB or other disease) to holding area

Why does the hide cross-contamination during stunning increase?

Due to cattle contact with contaminated floor in stunning box and landing area

How is sticking/bleeding performed in cattle?

• Legs must be restrained due to involuntary kicking movements

• Hygienic cut using "two knife system" first open hide then cut blood vessels

• Neck cut: severing carotid and jugular veins (usually smaller abattoirs without hoisting equipment

or

• Thoracic (chest) cut: preferable, severing brachiocephalic trunk (in all abattoirs where animal is hoisted)

What are the main sources/routes of microbial contamination during slaughter and dressing?

What are the names for the process of cattle hide removal?

• De-hiding

• Skinning

• Flaying

What are the main foodborne pathogen in the beef chain and when is it highest on cattle hides?

• E. coli, Salmonella

• Highest on cattle hides at slaughter

What are the routes of transfer of microbial contamination from hide onto carcass during dehiding?

• Direct transfer

  • Via accidental in-rolling of hide

• Indirect routes

  • Via workers hands

  • Contaminated knives, equipment, aprons

  • Aerosols generated during manipulation

What are the three automated hide pulling methods?

• Upwards

• Downwards

• Sideways

What should you do to decrease pathogen transfer during cattle hide removal?

Equipment, tools and knives sanitation between carcasses and whenever they get contaminated

How do you detect contamination on a carcass? What are the disadvantages of this method?

• "Verifeye"

  

  • Based on spectroscopic imaging

• Disadv- depends on diet, amount of derivatives of chlorophyll varies

When and how is rodding/oesophagus tying performed?

• ASAP after stunning to prevent rumen spillage onto other carcass parts

• Oesophagus released and clipped with plastic or rubber- then pushed up with the rod to the diaphragm to seal it

• (Equipment and tool sanitation between carcasses necessary GHP)

How should head removal be performed?

• In a manner that avoids contamination with gut content

• Adequate washing but limit splashing and contamination of cheek meat

Who inspects the head post removal, what happens to each part if inspection is passed?

• Inspected by Meat Hygiene Inspector

• If passed:

  • Skull is specified risk material for BSE

  • Rest is fit for human consumption

What age cattle need to be BSE tested in UK?

Healthy: no testing

Emergency slaughter and sick at antemortem- Over 48 months

Fallen stock- Over 48 months

If imported to UK from other countries (^30,24,24)

What is bunging/rectum tying?

A process where a cut is made around the anus to free rectum from the carcass and then it is tied off and/or bagged to prevent faecal spillage

What is brisket opening?

Cutting through the sternum to open thoracic cavity to extract lungs and heart

What is evisceration?

A process to remove:

Red offal: heart, lungs, trachea, diaphragm, liver, kidneys

Green offal: stomachs, intestines and spleen

What is carcass splitting?

• Splitting carcasses in middle with chain saw

• Spinal cord removed afterwards (SRM)

What is the difference between the official controls of post mortem meat inspection in red meat and white meat?

What are health marks?

• Applied under responsibility of OV when meat deemed fit for human consumption

Explain how carcass pre-chill treatment (intervention) and chilling is used in abattoirs?

Interventions: in most abattoirs- most common knife trimming and steam vacuuming

Carcass washing with cold water: allowed but not recommended for beef and sheep

Chilling: regulatory mandated procedure

• <7°C red meat

• <4°C white meat

• <3°C offal

What is involved in carcass fabrication? What temperatures does it occur at?

• Cutting/boning

• After chilling meat enters cold chain until consumption or processing into products not requiring chilling

  • In boning hall- temp most be low (<12°C), hot water not used for cleaning

What is involved in packaging, storage and despatch?

• Packaging: aerobic, vacuum, modified atmosphere

• Storage before despatch: temperatures low enough to maintain: <7°C in meat, <3°C in offal

• Despatch: loading into refrigerated lorries