Postmortem inspection for food safety

What are the roles of veterinarians in inspection?

- In-plant team leaders & supervisors of inspection team

- Ensure humane handling and slaughter

- Prevent diseased animals from entering food

supply

- FAD surveillance

- Prevent intentional food contamination (food

defense)

- Problem-solving within the inspection team, as

well as collaboration between inspection & industry

- Export Certification

What is the practice of handling carcasses and parts by employees and machinery in a manner that produces a clean and safe meat food product?

Sanitary dressing

What does Sanitary dressing prevent?

Prevent contamination of product with feces, urine, bile, hair, dirt, or foreign matter

Procedures lay foundation for an effective food safety system including designating ___ ____ ___ designed to prevent or reduce hazards to acceptable levels

critical control points

How does a small plant do Sanitary dressing?

1. Carcass being placed in position on pritch poles

2. removal of feet

3. hide removal

4. evisceration onto a viscera cart

5. splitting and washing carcass

6. wash split carcass

What is a Red meat slaughter inspection?

Trained line inspectors inspect every carcass & segregate normal from abnormal

if any carcasses or parts found with any lesion/condition that might render it unsafe for

human consumption, what must they do?

retained for veterinary disposition

Public health veterinarian (PHV) is NOT required to inspect every carcass/tissue

postmortem unless what TWO things happen?

1) inspector segregates it as abnormal

2) animal was tagged as suspect on antemortem inspection

What identifies carcass and all parts until final examination completed and

disposition made?

tagging systems

T/F FSIS regulations outline diseases and

conditions for which removal or

condemnation is required by law

True

These diseases and conditions are not

always of public health significance,

but do require what?

do require removal or

condemnation as adulterants.

What is the purpose of Red meat slaughter inspection ?

Purpose is to determine disposition,

What is being inspected on the head during red meat slaughter?

examine all surfaces, LN, masseters, and tongue

Why does these area of the head need to be observed?

they are looking for Acti, TB, eosinophilic myositis

What structures are being evaluated in the viscera?

LN, heart, bile ducts, liver, intestines, spleen

What is being evaluated in the carcass as a whole?

thoracic and abdominal and pelvic cavities for adhesions,

other lesions, evidence of contamination; outer surfaces, kidneys and diaphragm

What are the FOUR classes of Postmortem Dispositions?

• US Inspected and Passed

• US Passed Restricted

• US Retained

• US Condemned

What post mortem disposition is when any meat product that has been inspected and passed but cannot be released for human consumption until it has been subjected to a treatment?

US Passed Restricted

What are the FOUR things that should you do to "treat" US Passed Restricted meat?

- 1) Cooking, 2) Heating, 3) Refrigeration (freezing), 4) Use in Comminuted cooked meat food product

T/F PHV uses visual exam, incision, palpation, and smell

True

What are products are designated as edible or inedible?

US Condemned or Inedible Products

What are some examples of Inedible products?

- adulterated, uninspected, or not intended for use as food

- Bones, uncleaned intestines, lungs, repro organs, feet, hair, hide, horns, etc.

T/F Any/all condemned products/carcasses are also considered inedible

True

FSIS control of condemned and inedible products are based on what FIVE things?

- Identification (may look edible!)

- Custody

- Separation

- Destruction

- Documentation

What are the THREE things that you can do for destruction of US Condemned or Inedible Products?

incineration, rendering (tanking), or denaturing

What is a high temperature processing of animal tissues and carcasses to

separate the fat from the bone and protein?

Rendering

What are some sources that can supply the meat for Rendering?

slaughterhouses, restaurant grease, butcher shop trimmings, and

expired meat from grocery stores

What does rendering yield?

fat commodity and protein meal

What is the end use of rendering?

inedible products after rendering

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and generalized abcesses?

- Localized: US PASSED after trimming

- Generalized: US CONDEMNED

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and generalize CL?

- Localized: US PASSED after trimming

- Generalized: US CONDEMNED

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and generalize Eosinophilic myositis?

- Localized: US PASSED after trimming

- Generalized: US CONDEMNED

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and systemic Erysipelas "diamond skin"?

- Chronic/localized lesions: may PASS after

trimming

- Acute/systemic disease: US CONDEMNED

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and generalized ACTI?

- Localized: US PASSED after trimming

- Generalized: US CONDEMNED

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and generalized arthritis?

- Localized: US PASSED after trimming

- Generalized: US CONDEMNED

What is the difference in postmortem disposition between localized and generalized melanosis?

- Localized: US PASSED after trimming

- Generalized: PASSED with extensive trimming for appearance

When would a carcass be US PASSED if there is inflammatory process involved?

after trimming if localized

When would a carcass be US CONDEMNED if there is inflammatory process involved?

if generalized

When would a carcass be RETAINED if there is inflammatory process involved?

antibiotic residue testing

What are the TWO reasons that Cysticercosis could be US PASS RESTRICTED?

- cooking-(pork) after trimming if lesions not extensive

- freezing or heating-(beef) after trimming if lesions not

extensive

When is a carcass condemned with Cysticercosis?

generalized or if no heating/cooking facilities

If a carcass has septicemia or toxemia:

hemorrhages, petechiae, ecchymoses, lymphadenopathy, congestion, edema and pyemia, what would the postmortem diagnosis be?

CONDEMNED

If a carcass has Tuberculosis lesions, what would be the postmortem diagnosis be in beef USUALLY ?

US CONDEMNED

When can Tuberculosis lesions be US PASSED?

for cooking in other species if localized

T/F TB suspects are "Suspect" on antemortem

True

If a carcass is emaciated, what is the postmortem diagnosis? What might you see throughout the carcass?

- US CONDEMNED

- Will likely see serous atrophy of fat throughout carcass

If a carcass has icterus, what is the post mortem disposition? What do you need to differentiatate this from?

- US CONDEMNED

- Distinguish from yellow fat (due to carotenosis due to diet or

breed)

What part of the carcass is condemned if there are liver abcess or liver parasitic scars or liver cirrhosis, or liver flukes found?

liver only

When is a carcass with liver parasitic scars US PASSED?

after trimming if slight

When is a carcass with liver parasitic scars US CONDEMNED?

if generalized

If there is liver cirrhosis, what is the post mortem disposition of the liver only?

US CONDEMNED

If there is liver flukes, what is the post mortem disposition of the liver only?

US CONDEMNED

What is the only time the liver cannot be trimmed and used for animal food?

Liver flukes

When can tumors that are benign be US PASSED vs US CONDEMNED?

- US PASSED after trimming if localized

- US CONDEMNED if generalized

T/F Malignant tumors on a carcass is US passed if generalized

False, US CONDEMNED

What malignant tumor is US PASSED after trimming if localized?

Cancer eye (SCC, epithelioma)

When is Cancer eye (SCC, epithelioma) US CONDEMNED?

if generalized, damage extends

beyond orbit, cachectic

T/F If you are at the farm and you KNOW something will be condemned, do NOT advise producer to send it to the slaughterhouse

True

What is the postmortem disposition of Malignant lymphoma?

US CONDEMNED

What is a inherited metabolic disorder of skeletal muscle calcium kinetics that is brought on by stress, transport, handling, exercise, or excitement?

Pale Soft Exudative Pork (PSE)

What type of swine is Pale Soft Exudative Pork (PSE) typically seen in?

Leaner, heavier-muscled pigs are the most susceptible

What are the antemortem clinical signs of Pale Soft Exudative Pork (PSE)?

tremors, muscle rigidity , inability to walk, dyspnea,

hyperthermia, blotchy dermal hyperemia, death

What are the postmortem clinical signs of Pale Soft Exudative Pork (PSE)?

pulmonary edema, pale, soft muscles often with hemorrhages;

carcasses are blanched, wet, and may drip fluid

T/F PSE carcasses are blanched, wet, and may drip fluid

True

What is the postmortem disposition of Porcine Stress Syndrome (PSS)?

US PASSED

What are FOUR cases that the carcass will be condemned?

- Dead

- Dying

- CNS disease

- Non-ambulatory disabled cattle

Prohibition of use of SRMs ("specified risk materials") for human food is one of the BSE rules of slaughter. What does this mean?

you cannot use brain, spinal cord, trigeminal ganglia, eyes, vertebral column, and dorsal root ganglia of cattle > 30 months old; and distal ileum from cattle of any age

T/F There is a prohibition of air-injection pneumatic stunning devices and studies have shown that captive bolt stunning without air injection is safe

True

When are poultry products condemned? (just read)

- Avian leukosis complex

- Septicemia or toxemia

- Air sacculitis (generalized/severe)

- Inflammation (generalized/systemic)

- Parasites (generalized)

- Bruising (generalized/heavy infestation)

- Ascites (severe)

- Contaminated by oils, paints, scald vat water in air

sac, other substances that render carcass adulterated

- Overscalded carcasses

- Putrified or stinking

- Cadaver (died from reason besides slaughter, called

"red birds" because breathing when entered scalder)