Meat Inspection & HACCP

  • Functions of Meat Inspection

    • Detection and destruction of diseased and/or contaminated meat

    • Assurance of clean and sanitary handling and preparation 

    • Minimization of microbiological contamination of meat 

    • Prevention of false labeling 

    • Application of the inspection stamp 

  • Jurisdiction of Meat Inspection

    • Federal Government: meat is to be sold in interstate or foreign commerce

    • State Government: sold only in intrastate commerce

  • Acts Governing Meat Inspection

    • Wholesome Meat Act (1967)

      • “Equal To” Law

        • requires state inspection to be on par with federal inspections

      • Administered by USDA-FSIS

    • Texas Meat & Poultry Inspection Act (1969)

      • Administered by Texas Department of State Health Services

    • Talmadge-Aiken Agreement

      • Federally inspected but staffed by state employees

  • Exemptions within Inspection

    • Curtis Amendment: Custom slaughter/production of farm animals and game animals for farmers and their families

    • Farmers Exemption: Meat is to be used by the farmer for his own use, for his family and non-paying guests

    • Retail Exemption: Calendar year retail dollar limit set by FSIS, OR 25% of the dollar value of retail product is sent to hotels and restaurants 

  • Postmortem Inspection

    • US Inspected and Passed

      • 99% pass rate

    • US Inspected and Condemned

      • Postmortem ONLY, can include temporary US Retained product/carcass

    • Passed for Cooking

      • Viral - cook to certain temperatures for a specific amount of time 

    • Passed for Refrigeration

      • Parasitic – Hold at certain temperatures for x amount of days

        • more likely to be tossed

  • Product Inspection

    • Reinspection Privilege – to assure a previously acceptable cut, carcass, or product has not become sour, tainted, spoiled or adulterated 

      • Reasons for condemnation:

        • tainted, sour or putrid

        • unclean or contaminated

        • pork is prone to spoilage due to its high fat content, making it particularly sensitive to both bacterial contamination and the development of off-odors.

  • Imported Meat Products

    • All meats are inspected in country of origin and tested at the port of entry for the following: 

      • Cleanliness

      • Labeling 

      • Water Content 

      • Net Weight

      • Fat Percentages 

      • Wholesomeness 

  • Laboratory Determinations & Assays

    • Regional USDA lab and certified laboratories determine:

      • Fat concentrations and percentages

      • Water content 

      • Curing Agents 

      • Vegetable protein extenders

      • Meat Sources 

      • Chemical Residues

  • Condemned Product

    • Control & Restriction

      • Rendering: for inedible fats, greases, and oils

      • Tanking: animal feed & fertilizer

      • Incineration: burning

      • Chemical Denaturing: Kerosene or FD&C #3

  • Production & Carcass Internventions

    • Prevention of Microbial Contamination

      • Trimming is the first response when visible contamination is present

      • Steam vacuum for localized contamination 

      • Hide Washing 

      • Carcass Interventions 

        • Hot Water Wash 

        • Steam pasterurization 

        • Organic Acid Spraying 

        • Spinal Cord Removal (and other SRM’s)

      • Irradiation 

  • Spinal Cord Removal & Localized Steam Pasteurization

    • Spinal Cord Removal

  • HACCP

    • Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Systems

    • Utilized first by Pillsbury and NASA

    • HACCP Final Rule (1996)

      • Mandatory HACCP systems for all plants 

      • Microbiological testing (generic E. coli and Salmonella)

      • SSOP’s, GMP’s, and SOP’s 

        • SSOP: Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures

        • GMP: Good Manufacturing Practices

        • SOP: Standard Operating Procedures

    • Identified 3 types of hazards at every processing step in a facility (Biological, Physical and Chemical)

    • Principles:

      • Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis 

      • Principle 2: Determine Critical Control Points

      • Principle 3: Establish Critical Limits 

      • Principle 4: Establish monitoring procedures (EX: thermometers)

      • Principle 5: Establish corrective actions 

      • Principle 6: Establish verification procedures 

        • must be done by more than one person

      • Principle 7: Establish record keeping 

  • Food borne Illness

    • it is an illness transmitted to humans by contaminated food or beverage

    • Outbreak: incident when 2 or more persons share the same symptoms after ingestion of a food in common

    • Vulnerable population: children younger than 5 yo, elderly, immunocompromised people

  • Food Contaminants

    • Physical: metal shavings, glass, wood, dirt, fingernails, hair, bandages, and bones

    • Chemical: toxic metal poisoning, cleaners and sanitizers, food additives and allergens

    • Biological: bacteria, parasites, viruses, and/or toxins