AM & PM Inspection

Question 1

What is Food Chain Information (FCI), and why is it important?

Answer 1

FCI provides details about the animal’s health, treatment, and origin, ensuring food safety and animal welfare in the slaughter process.

Question 2

What are key certification issues for animals on the farm?

Answer 2

Fitness to travel, expiry of withhold periods for medication, disease status, and valid identification (e.g., passports for cattle).

Question 3

What are the main requirements for the design and operation of an abattoir?

Answer 3

Abattoirs must follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), ensuring proper layout, cleanliness, and efficient processing.

Question 4

Describe the best practices for stunning and slaughter.

Answer 4

Ensure humane stunning methods, follow hygienic practices for slaughter and carcase dressing, and ensure efficient chilling to prevent contamination.

Question 5

What is the purpose of ante-mortem inspection in the abattoir?

Answer 5

To assess the health and welfare of animals before slaughter and to identify any conditions that may render the animal unfit for human consumption.

Question 6

What steps should an Official Veterinarian take if they find pigs with severe tail-biting injuries?

Answer 6

Take detailed notes, report to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and determine if the affected pigs are suitable for human consumption based on the extent of systemic infection.

Question 7

What should be examined during a post-mortem inspection?

Answer 7

Organs and tissues should be assessed for abnormalities, differences between species, and signs of disease, with conditions categorized as aesthetic vs. harmful, acute vs. chronic, or localized vs. generalized.

Question 8

What conditions require whole carcass rejection versus partial trimming?

Answer 8

Systemic infections or severe abnormalities require full rejection, while localized conditions may only need trimming.

Question 9

What are some examples of common abnormalities found during post-mortem inspection?

Answer 9

Lesions from diseases, signs of infection, organ discoloration, and evidence of chronic or acute conditions.

Question 10

What are the legal requirements for ear tagging cattle?

Answer 10

Dairy cattle must have the first tag within 36 hours of birth and a second tag within 20 days. Beef cattle require both tags within 20 days.

Question 11

What should be done if a cow arrives at the slaughterhouse without an ear tag?

Answer 11

The animal cannot be slaughtered for human consumption until it is traceable. Contact the cattle movement service to determine if the cow can be identified.

Question 12

What are the welfare and safety considerations when transporting animals to the abattoir?

Answer 12

Ensuring animals are not stressed or injured, proper lairage facilities, and adherence to guidelines for different animal categories to prevent contamination and welfare issues.

Question 13

What are some parasites of concern during post-mortem inspection?

Answer 13

Taenia saginata (Cysticercus bovis), Taenia solium (Cysticercus cellulosae), Taenia ovis (Cysticercus ovis), and Trichinella spiralis.

Question 14

What is the public health relevance of Taenia solium?

Answer 14

It can infect the human brain, necessitating the rejection of the entire carcass.

Question 15

How do you control the risk of parasitic infections?

Answer 15

Prevent using human faeces as fertilizer, conduct thorough post-mortem inspections, and ensure infected animals are removed from the food chain.

Question 16

What lesions are you looking for in a bovine carcass that tested positive for bovine tuberculosis?

Answer 16

Swollen lymph nodes with pus, especially in the retropharyngeal area, lungs, and liver.

Question 17

What are the options for carcass suitability when bovine tuberculosis is identified?

Answer 17

Localized infections may allow partial condemnation, but systemic infections require the whole carcass to be rejected.

Question 18

What additional steps are needed if a bovine is positive for a tuberculin test?

Answer 18

A thorough ante and post-mortem inspection, and any evidence of TB-like lesions may require carcass detention.

Question 19

Identify this disease at AM

Answer 19

Ringworm - dermatophytosis

Question 20

Identify this disease

Answer 20

Taenia multiceps - Coenuro cerebralis (gid)

Question 21

what is the issue and solution?

Answer 21

Dirt carcases
Should have been clipped/washed/stayed overnight

Question 22

what is the issue and solution?

Answer 22

Dirty pigs into scalding tanks
Must be rinsed before evisceration

Question 23

Identify this disease

Answer 23

Melanosis in cattle lung - reject lung

Question 24

Identify this disease

Answer 24

Pneumonia - reject lungs

Question 25

Identify this disease

Answer 25

Hyatid cysts (larval stage of echinococcus granulosus) - reject organ

Question 26

Identify this disease

Answer 26

Cysticercus tenuicollis (larval stage of taenia hydatigena) - reject liver

Question 27

Identify this disease

Answer 27

Ascaris suum (milk spot) - reject liver

Question 28

Identify this disease

Answer 28

Cysticercus ovis - reject heart - reject whole carcase if 3 or more anatomical sites affected

Question 29

Identify this disease

Answer 29

Fasciloa hepatica (liver fluke) - reject liver

Question 30

Identify the issue

Answer 30

Contamination, trim affected tissue

Question 31

Identify this disease

Answer 31

bTB (ND) - inform APHA

Question 32

Identify this disease

Answer 32

Bacterial necrosis - reject organ (liver)