Meat inspection (1-3) Flashcards
What is the traditional meat inspection?
Sensory/organoleptic inspection (sight, smell, touch)
What can NOT be detected on the traditional meat inspection?
microbial pathogens
T/F: There are meat and poultry inspection acts mandating traditional meat inspections be performed
TRUE
The inspector is required to physically examine all carcasses
What is the goal of risk based meat inspections?
To reduce the burden of dz in the population
Which approach is currently applied to meat inspections?
Risk based
What are the steps of the risk based meat inspections?
- ID and evaluate foodborne dz risks
- Develop risk management strategies
- Measure effectiveness (Dz burden) and adjust as needed?
How are foodborne dz risks prioritized and targeted?
Prioritized by their dz burden
Target those risks with the greatest burden of dz
What are examples of risk management strategies applied to risk based meat inspection?
Good hygienic practices, inspection, HACCP, and other controls
*aimed at reducing the burden of dz in a population
In order to reduce the burden of dz caused by a pathogen, you must target the ______
Vehicle
What are 5 food control components for meat safety?
- food law and regulations
- control management
- Inspection services
- Laboratory services
- Information, Education, Communication, and Training
What entities are involved in Control Management for meat safety?
- USDA-FISIS (Veterinary services)
- State Departments of Health/Agriculture (***for intra-state products)
These also are responsible for inspection services
What are the roles of the veterinary services of the USDA-FSIS in meat safety?
- management: policy development, risk assessment, standard setting and auditing
- On farm food safety programs: health of animals and hygienic rearing conditions
- Meat inspection programs: direct inspection, supervision and auditing, HACCP etc
- Certification of animals products for international trade
What are four objectives of meat inspection?
Protect public health
Consumer confidence
Surveillance for animal health problems
Improved access to international export markets
What does FEDERAL meat inspection do?
- ensures that animals used for food products are free of foodborne pathogens
- Clearly label foods that pass inspection
- Minimize contamination during processing
- Monitor for drug residues and pathogens
What are some labeling requirements associated with meat inspection?
- everything must be labeled: carcasses, parts of carcasses, or containers/pots etc containing meat
- labels must be readily visible - they may be stamps, paper labels or tags
- Inspectors will mark: inspected and passed (for meats), Inspected for wholesomeness (poultry), or inspected and condemned
- Labeling must refelt the presence of any chemical additives to the meat
USDA inspection legends are ______ for meats and poultry.
_______ ink is used on carcasses for visibility
Circular
Purple
- the number in the stamp is unique to the processing plant
- Poultry - plant number is preceded with a P
USDA inspection legend for egg products is a _______ shape
Shield
What chemical additives may you see on a meat label? Why are they added to the meat?
Polyphosphates: used to maintain water holding properties
Nitrates/Nitrites: preserves red color of meat. Also bacteriostatic at levels greater than 40ppm
USDA inspected facilities have residue/microbiological monitoring programs in place that include what kinds of testing?
Culture for pathogenic microbes
Tests for antibiotic residues
Tests for pesticides
To confirm identity of meats in mixed products
What is the purpose of Residue and microbio testing in USDA inspected facilities?
Quality control
Confirm sanitation
Check for adulterants in the meat
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system created to do what?
Prevent contamination of food during processing
- ID places in the process of making foods where hazards can occur
- ID those hazards
- implement procedures to prevent them
- measure to ensure effectiveness
When did HACCP become mandatory for meats and seafood?
after 1996 when the rule was published. Implemented by 2000
T/F: HACCP is an option for most other foods (besides meats and seafood)
TRUE
HACCP is required for meat, seafood, and _____ processing facilities
juice
T/F: HACCP can apply to a limited number of steps in the food production chain
FALSE
can apply to almost any
What are the 7 steps of HACCP?
- analyze hazards
- ID critical control points
- establish preventative measures with critical limits for each point
- Establish procedures to monitor the critical control points
- Establish corrective actions to be taken
- Establish procedures to verify that system is working
- Establish effective record keeping to document the HACCP system
From where does E.coli O157:H7 enter meat plants?
What is this an example of in the HACCP steps?
In the cattle GI tract
This is an ex of analyzing hazards
E.coli O157:H7 has potential exposure hazard at the point where cattle GIT is removed from the carcass within the meat plant.
What is this an example of in the HACCP steps?
Step 2. Identifying critical points in the process where the potential hazard can be controlled
*these are points at which intervention is feasible and likely to significantly diminish or eliminate risk
Cooking and refrigerating meat, would fall under what step in the HACCP system?
step 3. Establishing preventative measures
(preventative steps taken that can be measured for evaluation purposes)
Ex: establishing limits for the minimum cooking temp and time required to reduce or eliminate microbes
Performing a culture of a carcass post processing, for E.coli, would be an example of which step in the HACCP system?
Step 6. Verifying the system is working
T/F: The more critical point steps that are identified and modified for prevention, will increase chances for a successful HACCP system
FALSE
Many people make mistakes in identifying the steps in critical control points - making too many steps - which will lead to more mistakes and failures
The federal meat inspection act (FMIA) requires inspection of all meat sold from _________.
Livestock
Includes: cattle, sheep, swine, goats, equids
*foods must be sanitary, free of pathogens, not adulterated, and properly labeled
What level of inspection must meat undergo if it is intended to sell between states or be exported?
Federal inspection
state inspection is required for intrastate only
What are the regulations placed on meats that are imported into the US?
Foreign importers must have standards equivalent to US law or demonstrate equivalent risk (USDA can visit the importing country to evaluate inspection process there)
What are exceptions for FMIA?
If you slaughter your own animals for your own consumption - no profit
Retail dealers/stores that do not slaughter, with greater than 75% sales to retail customers
Individuals who purchase meat or meat products outside the US for their own consumption (not exceeding 50lbs)
T/F: Meat from species other than livestock, do not fall under FMIA rules
TRUE
deer, elk, rabbits, alligator etc
Meat from species other than livestock fall under generic rules by the FDA - stating all food sold commercially must be from an approved source. Who approves the source?
Each state decided how to define “approved source”. - Regulations will vary state to state
Is poultry covered by the FMIA?
No
Poultry is covered by the PPIA
What livestock animals are vulnerable to suffocation when being transported?
Pigs
What animals are most commonly bruised during transportation?
Sheep and pigs
Bruised tissue can be trimmed from the carcass, if extensive the entire carcass is condemned
What animals have the most pronounced “shrinkage” due to transport? What is the pathogenesis of the process?
Most pronounced in pigs (then sheep> cattle)
weight loss or shrink: breakdown of fatty and muscular tissue, loss of water holding capacity of tissue
T/F: Microbial shedding is typically not increased due to transportation stress in livestock
FALSE
What are two specific transportation stress effects on meat?
- Dark firm dry (DFD): occurs in all livestock, but most commonly in cattle. = PRE mortem depletion of muscle glycogen
- Pale Soft Exudative (PSE): can occur in all livestock, but most commonly in swine. = POST mortem depletion of muscle glycogen
What is the glycogen metabolism activity in the muscle postmortem?
*in well fed, un-stressed animals, they will have a lot of glycogen stored in the muscle before slaughter..
After slaughter: metabolism continues in the muscle cells. Glycogen is converted to lactic acid which lowers the pH of muscle and tenderizes the meat
What is the cause for DFD meat?
Chronic stress prior to slaughter combined with adrenaline –> will cause a glycogen depletion in muscles.
The reduction in lactic acid causes HIGH pH. Muscle fibers will become swollen and tightly packed (firmer consistency and dark color)
T/F: Typically DFD will affect an entire carcass
False
not all the carcass is affected. The carcass will be downgraded and passed for human consumption
What methods can help reduce dark firm dry meat?
Ensure adequate muscle glycogen (proper feeding prior to transport, food/water q12 in transport etc)
Reduce glycogen consumption (reduce stress)
Manage implants (in cattle)
When is it more common to see DFD meat?
In the summer due to the heat
What is the pathological process that occurs to cause pale soft exudative pork?
Rapid postmortem intracellular glycolysis causes accumulation of lactic acid. Low muscle pH and body heat denature myofiber proteins. Proteins will lose water-binding ability –> making the meat moist and exudative
When is PSE meat more common?
In warm weather months
*more heat = more damage
Is PSE condemned or downgraded?
CONDEMNED
Is PSE in swine usually an acute or chronic process?
Acute. Due to high stress pre-slaughter
T/F: There is a heritable susceptibility to PSE
TRUE
There is a recessive gene = encodes for the malignant hyperthermia response to stress (this affects the survival of the pig and meat)
T/F: There is not genetic testing available for PSE in breeding stock
FALSE
Can pigs without the PSE gene develop stress related pork quality problems?
YES
*usually the condition is less severe and will require higher stress
T/F: Slaughter plants that fall under the FMIA require animals to be examined and inspected on the day of, and before, slaughter
TRUE
What are the benefits to inspecting individual live animals prior to slaughter?
Helps keep ill animals out of the food chain
Helps reduce contamination of the abattoir
What is the antemortem inspection procedure?
Observe animals at rest, observed them in motion, Determine if an animal is normal or abnormal (take temp prn), Suspect and condemned animals must be ear tagged as such
What happens to animals that a tagged suspect or condemned during the antemortem inspection?
suspect are segregated for careful postmortem
Condemned = NOT FOOD
What problems may be noted in animals at rest during the antemortem inspection?
Fractures and downer animals Labored breathing Excessive excitability Severe depression Tumors/lumps/bumps Cancer (eye) Injection site reactions Actinomycosis
What problems may be noted in animals in motion during the antemortem inspection?
lameness
non-ambulatory
ataxia/incoordination
circling
Who performs the antemortem inspection?
Public heath veterinarian (PVH)
The PVH will make a disposition of animals at inspection, directed by criteria that are found in the meat and poultry inspection regulations
What does the term subject to inspection mean?
Animal is bought by plant operator, subject to passing inspection. Seller is only paid for those parts passing inspection
What does the term disposition mean? (in context of the antemortem inspection)
Refers to the ultimate handling of a carcass or its parts according to current regulations
What does the term suspect animal mean? (in context of the antemortem inspection)
Animal suspected of having dzs or conditions that would make part or all of the carcass unfit for food. A detailed PM inspection is needed