Ante-Mortem Inspection

Question 1

What are the main legislations involved with antemortem inspection?

Answer 1

Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 2006
EC 853/2004 Duties of Food Business Operator
EU 2019/627 Duties of Competent Authority
EU 2019/624 Qualification of Official Veterinarian
EC 1099/2009 Duties of Animal Welfare Officer

Question 2

How does the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 2006 affect the slaughter process?

Answer 2

Animals must be fit for the intended journey
Able to move independently without pain, not pregnant (last 10% of gestation), neonates, no protruding viscera
Vehicle must be fit to transport the animals
Ramp angles, construction & maintenance (pig <20, cattle & sheep <26.5)

Question 3

How does The Disease Control (Transport) Order 2003 affect the slaughter process?

Answer 3

Animals can only remain in lairage for a maximum of 48hrs
Pigs cannot be move from slaughterhouses

Question 4

What is the purpose of the antemortem inspection?

Answer 4

Identify fitness for slaughter
Identify notifiable disease
Identify welfare issues
Identify animals requiring specific tests
Ascertain cleanliness of animals
Confirm identity of animals

Question 5

What happens if an animal is slaughtered without an antemortem inspection?

Answer 5

It’s automatically deemed unfit for human consumption
& be rejected

Question 6

How do you identify animals fit for slaughter?

Answer 6

Not a clinical exam (but can be isolated but further examination)
Be aware that the animals are stressed (transport stress, unfamiliar environment, isolation, mixing)
Observe each animal moving & at rest (not poultry)
Identify neurological, respiratory, alimentary tract, locomotor & external abnormalities

Question 7

What laws are involved in identifying notifiable diseases?

Answer 7

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (England) Order 2006
The Swine Vesicular Disease Regulations 2009
The Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (England) Regulations 2010

Question 8

What laws are involved in identifying welfare issues?

Answer 8

Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 2006 (‘WATO’)
EC 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing
Welfare of Animals (at the time of killing) Regulations 2015 (‘WATOK’)

Question 9

What are some examples of welfare issues seen in the abattoir process?

Answer 9

Thermal stress (poultry)
Prolapse (cattle & pigs)

Question 10

If an animal scores 2 for cleanliness (1-4 scale), What do they look like?

Answer 10

Dry/damp
Light contamination with dirt/dung
Small amounts of loosely adherent straw/bedding

Question 11

If an animal scores 3 for cleanliness (1-4 scale), What do they look like?

Answer 11

Dry/damp
Significant contamination with dirt/dung
Significant amounts of adherent straw/bedding

Question 12

If an animal scores 4 for cleanliness (1-4 scale), What do they look like?

Answer 12

Very wet
Very heavily contaminated with dirt/dung
Very heavily clagged (clegged)
A lot of bedding adherent to the coat

Question 13

If an animal scores 1 or 2 for cleanliness (1-4 scale), what happens to them?

Answer 13

Considered safe for slaughter with no further precautions

Question 14

If an animal scores 3 for cleanliness (1-4 scale), what happens to them?

Answer 14

Retained in lairage on clean bedding to clean/dry
Clipped to remove contaminated areas of wool/hair
Killed in the lairage & carcass disposed
Slaughtered with a reduction in line speed to allow special care to be taken

Question 15

If an animal scores 4 for cleanliness (1-4 scale), what happens to them?

Answer 15

Not slaughtered
Killed & disposed

Question 16

What happens if an animal’s identity is not ascertainable?

Answer 16

They are killed separately + Declared unfit for human consumption

Question 17

How are cattle identified?

Answer 17

Ear tags
Passports

Question 18

In England & Wales, sheep moving to slaughter require an Animal Movement Licence. What details are included in this?

Answer 18

Addresses of holdings from, and to which the sheep are moving
Date of movement
Number of sheep that document covers
Retained for at least 3 years
Copy sent to Local Authority within 3 days

Question 19

How are pigs identified?

Answer 19

Eartags - stamped or printed (not handwritten), metal or plastic (must be heat resistant)
Tattoo - on the ear, must carry herdmark
Double slapmark - permanent ink mark of herdmark on each front shoulder

Question 20

How is movement of pigs recorded?

Answer 20

Requires Animal Movement Licence (AML2)
Electronic notification only
Keeper to notify move online using eAML system, or in advance of move through a BPEX bureau service

Question 21

Who is in charge of identifying animals fit for slaughter?

Answer 21

Official Veterinarian (OV)

Question 22

Who is in charge of identifying notifiable diseases?

Answer 22

Official Veterinarian (OV)

Question 23

Who is in charge of identifying welfare issues?

Answer 23

Official Veterinarian (OV)
Animal Welfare Officer (AWO)

Question 24

Who is in charge of identifying animal that require specific tests?

Answer 24

Official Veterinarian (OV)

Question 25

Who is in charge of assessing the cleanliness of animals?

Answer 25

Food Business Operator (FBO)

Question 26

Who is in charge of confirming the identity of animals?

Answer 26

Food Business Operator (FBO)