Humane Slaughter and Meat Inspection Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering livestock handling, transportation regulations, ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, stunning methods, and carcass processing procedures.

FSIS

Food Safety Inspection Services

USDA

United State Department of Agriculture

Lairage

Resting areas in packing plants where animals are contained until slaughter. The duration an animal remains here depends on travel time, where longer travel requires greater rest time.

Flight zone

An animal's "safety zone"; the animal will move if a human enters this zone.

Point of balance

An imaginary point on an animal's body (located near the shoulder) where, if approached from the front or rear, the animal will respond by moving forward or backward.

49 USC Sec 80502

Federal law stating that transported animals may not be contained in a vehicle for more than $28\,\text{hours}$ without being unloaded, given feed and water, and allowed to rest.

Ante-Mortem Inspection

An inspection conducted $12\text{--}14\,\text{hours}$ prior to slaughter by qualified veterinarians to detect signs of disease, injury, abnormalities, reflexes, fatigue, excitement, gait, posture, or evidence of cruelty.

U (Ante-Mortem Disposition)

Ante-mortem code signifying that an animal is unfit for slaughter, requiring it to be euthanized.

S (Ante-Mortem Disposition)

Ante-mortem inspection disposition directing plant personnel to handle the animal as suspect.

CU (Ante-Mortem Disposition)

Ante-mortem inspection classification indicating that an animal is conditionally unfit.

D (Ante-Mortem Disposition)

Ante-mortem directive indicating to destroy and dispose of the animal.

P (Ante-Mortem Disposition)

Ante-mortem directive instructing personnel to postpone slaughter and treat the animal.

Composting

A carcass disposal method that is extremely popular for poultry and represents the best method of managing biosecurity.

Rendering

A carcass disposal method where the animal carcass is converted into animal meal or byproducts, which can provide good biosecurity if done correctly.

Burial and Burning

Recognized methods for carcass disposal along with composting and rendering, with the best method depending on the animal, site options, and regulations.

Immobilization (Stunning)

The process of rendering an animal unconscious (brain dead) and insensible to pain in preparation for exsanguination.

Captive bolt

A mechanical stunning tool that immobilizes animals by eliciting physical trauma to the head.

Electrical stunning

A method where an electric current passes through an animal (inducing an epileptic-like seizure state in pigs) or where shackled poultry are partially submerged in an electrified saline solution.

$\text{CO}_2$ stunning

A chemical immobilization method where animals enter a chamber with $80\text{--}90\%\,\text{CO}_2$ ($85\%$ at the first stop, $90+\%$ at the second stop) causing loss of consciousness due to hypoxia as $\text{CO}_2$ competes with oxygen to bind hemoglobin.

Exsanguination

The removal of blood (also known as sticking), accomplished by severing the carotid arteries and jugular veins, which is essential for meat quality and done as quickly as possible after stunning.

Skinning

The act of removing the hide from the carcass after the feet are removed, which is pulled away mechanically in large plants.

Evisceration

The process of removing internal organs from the carcass while it hangs from a rail, involving loosening the rectum around the anus and separating the esophagus from the trachea.

Pluck

The thoracic internal organs removed during evisceration, consisting of the heart, lungs, trachea, and esophagus.

Viscera

The abdominal internal organs located below the diaphragm, consisting of the stomach and intestines.

Post-Mortem Inspection

The inspection of carcasses, parts, and internal organs of meat and poultry intended for human food to identify abnormalities or signs of sickness and disease.

Carcass splitting

The process of sawing the carcass in half down the center after internal organs have been removed (performed for beef and swine, but usually not for lamb).

Final trim

A visual inspection and cleaning process performed after splitting to remove physical contaminants (such as hair, bone, metal, and fecal matter), hemorrhages, and excess internal fat, followed by washing.

Hot water rinse

A microbial intervention step where high-temperature water ($>160^\circ\text{F}$) is sprayed onto the carcass to reduce bacteria.

Organic acid rinse

A microbial kill step for bacteria where an acid rinse using acetic, lactic, or citric acid at $1.5\%$ to $2.5\%$ concentration covers the entire carcass.

USDA inspector stamp of approval

A blue approval stamp placed in four locations (both shoulders and both rumps) on inspected raw meat, raw poultry, and processed meat (processed poultry is not required to be stamped).