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

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