Antemortem Inspection

Question 1

How has slaughter numbers changed over time?

Answer 1

-^ sheep
^ pigs
V cattle
4000 horses

Question 2

When were vets introduced to abattoirs?

Answer 2

After BSE

- before then meat inspectors

Question 3

How have foodborne infection numbers changed over time?

Answer 3

• salmonella decreasing

- campylobacter increasing (need vax)

Question 4

What 4 legislations do abattoirs work under?

Answer 4

> EU regs

• general food hygiene
• specific hygiene animal origin food products
• official controls of animal origin
• microbiological criteria foodstuffs

Question 5

Objectives of AM inspection

Answer 5

• detect any condition that could adversely affect human or animal health
• OV making decisions as to whether the animals can be slaughtered for human consumption
• determine if welfare has been compromised
• determine use of tests for disease diagnosis or residues of vet medicines or contaminants

Question 6

Who has responsibilities at the abattoir am

Answer 6

> FBO 
- farmer 
- abattoir manager or owner
> FSA
- OV
- meat hygiene inspector

Question 7

What is CCIR ?

Answer 7

> collection and communication of inspection results (firms part of the communication between farmer and abbattoir)
> animal health reports FCI 
- herd health plans 
- vax and worming 
- management and husbandry 
- Tx records 
- welfare 
*economic impact on production, animal health and welfare*
> feedback from PM = CCIR 
- data production system 
- health status of farm 
- disease surveillance 
- animal welfare 
* targeted risk based inspection*

Question 8

Responsibilities FBO

Answer 8

• animal ID
• FCI availability
• animal not coming from area subject to restrictions (TB, brucella, BSE, avian influenza)
• cleanliness of animal
• animal health
• animal welfare

Question 9

What happens to the animal with the wrong ID (passport does not match ear tag etc.)

Answer 9

• farmer has 48 hours to provide correct ID

- kept at abattoir (34hr+ need food, always water)

Question 10

Can pigs be returned to the farm if rejected from abattoir?

Answer 10

NO NEVER

- cows and sheep can be

Question 11

Aspects to consider wrt animal ID and passport

Answer 11

> traceability (animals movement and health status)
food safety and disease control
- horses easy to falsify d/t lots of companies providing passports
- sheep and pigs hard to ear tag (slap marks etc)

Question 12

What should you do if you suspect notifiable disease?

Answer 12

Contact APHA

Question 13

Options if abnormailities detected antemortem

Answer 13

• rejected (slaughter and disposed)
• detained and more detailed PE
• slaughtered early(welfare) or end(minimise contamination)
• contact APHA if notifiable dz suspected

Question 14

Decisions that can be made based on FCI

Answer 14

• unfit for human consumption if delayed or indicating health risks
• animal ID not available or suspicious fraud -> total condemnation
• animal welfare emergency slaughter

Question 15

If animal id not available or suspicion of fraud what happens?

Answer 15

Total condemnation

Question 16

Which tumour is notifiable?

Answer 16

EBL

Question 17

Which dz conditions can still be sent for slaughter despite illness?

Answer 17

• ringworm (zoonotic risk to handlers but not consumers)
• mastitis
• laminitis (should only have been transported to abbattoir if weight bearing)
  > thin old dairy cows (normal standard BCS, farmer won’t get much money but is ok not indicative of dz)
  > cf. beef where v BCS indicator of disease : SUSPECT ANIMAL need to check meat carcasse after slaughter

Question 18

Define a suspect animal

Answer 18

• clinical signs zoonotic infection
• clinical signs of disease or disorder to make meat unfit for human consumption
• signs of fatigue or stress
• suspect illegal or unauthorised substance use

Question 19

How can emergency slaughter animals be processed at abbattoir

Answer 19

Needs FCI and health certificate

• cannot have residues of drugs (NB ALWAYS withdrawal period with farm species even if not specified in drug data sheets)
• cannot be killed with pentobarbital
• cannot be dead before you see it!! (Ie. Died in calving etc. NOT ALLOWED)

Question 20

What to look for at AM inspection?

Answer 20

> general 
- emactiation 
> behaviour
- CNS abnormalities
- exhaustion 
> trauma
> deformation 
- hernia
- neoplasia (EBL NOTIFIABLE) 
> discharge
> abnormal feaces

Question 21

What are the challenges of AM inspection?

Answer 21

• time and visual inspection only
• subclinical infections
• unspecific signs