PM Inspection Flashcards
What are you looking for during a post-mortem inspection?
Diseases
Residues or contaminants
Contamination
Animal welfare concerns
Carcasses unfit for human consumption
What are the legislations regarding post-mortem inspections
2017/625 and 2019/627
- purpose, procedures and decisions
H2: Regulation (EC) 853/2004
- FBO standards
Who performs PM inspections?
Meat hygiene inspector
OV (emergency slaughter or unusual conditions)
What separate sections undergo a post-mortem inspection?
Head
Carcase
Offal:
- green (stomach, intestines)
- Red (lungs, heart, liver)
Describe the PM inspection procedure in pigs
Visual inspection procedures (if normal at AM)
Further inspection procedures (if marked or AM or during PM)
What findings during a visual inspection of a pig during PM would lead to further inspection?
multiple abscesses
enlarged lymph nodes (suspect TB)
anaemia
badly bled
contamination with gut content
emaciation
oedema
erysipelas (skin infection)
generalised TB
Tumours
Melanosis (hyperpigmentation)
Jaundice
What are the possible outcomes of a PM inspection?
OV/MHI can:
- pass meat as fit for human consumption
- declare the meat as unfit for human consumption
- detain the meat for further examination
Which parts of the cattle head should always be checked post-mortem?
Lymph nodes (esp. retropharyngeal) - commonly find bovine TB
Masseter muscle - check for cysticercus bovis
What is the outcome of finding taenia saginata/cysticercus bovis in a cattle head post-mortem
If generalised - condemnation
If localised - partial rejection plus freezing
Describe the lesions typically found post-mortem as a result of bovine TB
Cream/yellow
granulomatous calcified/purulent material
Retropharyngeal l.n., lungs, bronchial and mediastinal l.n.
If bovine TB is detected PM who should be notified?
APHA (notifiable disease)
What is the outcome of a actinomycosis (lumpy jaw) found post-mortem?
head is rejected
What is the outcome of a actinobacillosis (wooden tongue) found post-mortem?
tongue rejected
Describe the appearance of the fat found on normal hearts post-mortem
Swine - soft and greasy due to olein
Bovine and ovine - crispy due to stearin
What are common PM findings that would lead to rejection of the heart?
Pericarditis
Endocarditis
C.ovis (T.ovis)
C.bovis (T.saginata)
C.cellulosae (T.solium)
What are some common findings PM that would cause lungs to be rejected?
Pneumonia
Pleurisy
Lungworm
Abscesses
Describe the normal appearance of swine lungs
2-3 L lobes
3-4 R lobes
Marked surface lobulation
Accessory bronchus to R lobe
Describe the normal appearance of ovine lungs
Indistinct lobulation
3 L lobes
4 R lobes
Describe the normal appearance of bovine lungs
3 L lobes
4 R lobes
3 main bronchi
distinct lobulation
Describe the normal appearance of swine liver
5 lobes
clearly demarcated polyhedral lobules with interlobular connective tissue
leathery surface
teardrop shaped gall bladder
Describe the normal appearance of bovine liver
3 lobes (L, R, caudate)
renal impression at base of caudate lobe
hepatic lymph nodes surround portal opening
pear shaped gall bladder
Describe the normal appearance of ovine liver
3 lobes
cigar shaped gall bladder
What are common PM findings on the liver of pig that would cause it to be rejected?
Milk spot (A.suum)
abscesses
hydatid cysts (hydatidosis)
fasciola hepatica (distomatosis)
C. tenuicollis
necrosis
What are common PM findings on the liver of cattle and sheep that would cause it to be rejected?
abscesses
fasciola hepatica (distomatosis)
C. tenuicollis
hydatid cysts (hydatidosis)
necrosis
bTB
Describe the normal appearance of swine kidneys
Bean
flat and elongated
10+ renal papillae
renal pelvis
Describe the normal appearance of bovine kidneys
R side held tight to body, L loose
Red/brown
15-20 lobules
Describe the normal appearance of ovine kidneys
R side held tight to body, L loose
Red/brown
What are some common findings PM that would cause kidneys to be rejected?
congenital cysts
nephritis
ASF/CSF - ND (african/classic swine fever)
Describe the normal appearance of swine spleen
tongue/strap shaped
omentum attached to longitudinal ridge
Describe the normal appearance of bovine spleen
flat and oval outline
blue/red
attached to rumen
Describe the normal appearance of ovine spleen
flat and oval/triangular
attached to rumen
What PM findings could cause a spleen to be rejected
rare
TB lesions (granular nodules)
abscesses
haemorrhage
hydatid cyst
What is the outcome of offal found with peritonitis?
full rejection of carcass
What are common conditions found PM on carcasses?`
arthritis
skin lesions (erysipelas)
contamination
In what situations are arthritic joints rejected?
if synovial fluid contains pus
What conditions cause full carcase condemnation?
Emaciation
Jaundice
Fevered (septicaemia/toxaemia)
Dead on arrival, Dead in lairage, unborn
Generalised oedema
Pyemia (sepsis)
abnormal colours
no AM (ante-mortem)
What are the findings of an emaciated carcase?
Shrunken
pale/wet muscles
prominent connective tissue
scare/soft/slimy fat
enlarged/watery lymph nodes
Apart from disease, what can cause jaundice of a carcase?d
grass fed
What does a septicaemic carcase look like?
dark red
At what age must a sheep spinal cord be removed?
12 months
Who is allowed to health mark carcasses?
OV
MHI/FBO (if under OV supervision)
