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