Veterinary Public Health Flashcards
In food safety, what is meant by primary and secondary prevention?
Primary prevention is insuring a healthy, pathogen free animal on farm, while secondary is everything that comes after.
What is the difference between quality assurance and quality control?
Quality assurance is a corporate oversite - a statement of their goals/objectives.
Quality control is the daily in-plant activities to ensure overall corporate QA goal is achieved
What is the role of SAFEMEAT?
A body of representatives from government and industry providing oversight and direction on meat safety systems through the production chain - farm, feedlot, saleyard, transport, processing and distribution. It promotes best practice management systems and ensures that when red meat is bought from Australia, the buyer can be confident in the safety and quality of their choice.
How can the claims made on the NVD be backed up?
Being accredited through LPA and hence be open to auditing and consequences for providing false/misleading information on the NVD
What types of vendor declaration are there?
- Two commodity vendor declarations (blended multivendor or non-blended grain and oilseed grower / trader)
- Two by-product vendor declarations (ex grower/by-product trader, ex food processor/manufacturer)
- Two fodder vendor declaration (hay, silage, straw, stubble)
What are the benefits of participating in an assurance scheme?
If attributes are valued by consumers - price premium
Security of market access / import penetration
Source of improved management
What are quoted as being farmer perceptions of being part of an assurance scheme?
More paperwork, outside interference, additional costs, means of off farm purchasers to force down prices, no incentives
What is the difference between a Waybill and an NVD?
A waybill is legally required and provides traceability. It must accompany the stock being moved.
A national vendor deceleration (NVD) is voluntary (although most use) and is used for residue declaration and compliance.
A combined NVD/Waybill (Pigpass for swine) is an acceptable be an alternative.
What is ‘water deprivation’
A continuous period without access to water and includes time off water during mustering, yarded, empty out time, transport and unloading etc without water. If max time off water is reached, a spell is mandatory before starting another journey.
What is ‘salvage slaughter’ and how does it differ from ‘emergency slaughter’?
Salvage slaughter is an on-farm procedure for diseased/injured animals - these animals should not make it to an abattoir.
Emergency slaughter is used to prevent undue suffering of animals that have been afflicted with a disability during transport, unloading or yarding. May be possible to consider some for human consumption
Casualty slaughter does not require immediate slaughter but is prioritised for slaughter as soon as practical on day of arrival
What is a ‘restricted slaughter’ and an ‘Australia suspect’?
A restricted slaughter is applied to an animal that has passed for slaughter subject to conditions specified by the vet/meat inspector. It is also called a “suspect animal” and if in a export plant an “Australia suspect”
Often, this is animals have a condition that at PM might result in condemnation of the carcase/parts of carcase if the condition is systemic, acute or malignant.
Often sent through at end of shit to prevent contamination of those passed for unconditional slaughter
What is the FAO cleanliness score and what is its relevance to ante mortem inspection?
Category 1 - No evidence of adherent faecal material and very limited amounts of loose straw/bedding
Category 2 - Light covering of dried faecal material and limited amounts of loosely adherent straw/bedding
Category 3 - Animals with significant amounts of straw/bedding/dirt over large areas of predilection sites
Category 4 - animals with heavy amounts of adherent dirt/faeces on fore/hindlimbs and/or on predilection sites and/or significant amounts of straw/bedding attached to hide or between areas of dried faecal material. Hair clipping may be practiced before animals are permitted for slaughter
Category 5 - Heavy amounts of adherent dirt/faeces on predilection sites. Balls of adherent dirt/feces may be evident on underside of abdoment. Rejected for slaughter and returned to premises of origin or subjected to hide clipping
Why might some animals be withheld from slaughter?
Is/suspected of being with WHP, heavily soiled and require extra cleaning, exhausted animal, have abnormality that require test, that can be treated, will recover with time, stress etc. Require a new antemortem before slaughter.
Why might some animals be rejected for slaughter?
Dying, diseased, immature, pyrexia etc
Especially if current, on-going, systemic issues.
Discuss the concept that vets are required for ante mortem inspection –are they?
Meat safety inspector - not necessarily a vet. Must be a vet in an export plant
It is important that cattle or pigs should be able to see light coming up from under the restrainer conveyor because it aids entrance. True or false?
False - light coming up from under the restrainer conveyor may cause balking at the entrance. Lighting over the top of the conveyor will help induce cattle to raise their heads for the stunner.
• Which of the following is an indicator of a poor mechanical stun? –Animal collapses immediately –Ventral deviation of the eyeball –No corneal reflex –No rhythmic breathing
–Ventral deviation of the eyeball
The eyes should remain fixed
In the first 5 seconds following the stun of a pig by a head-only electrical stun, what can indicate insufficient current had been applied?
Blinking in first 5 seconds in pigs, squealing/bark. Note - stuck within 20 s
List four signs of the tonic phase of an effective electrical stun?
Immediate collapse No rhythmic breathing Forelimbs extended, hindlimbs tucked into the body fixed, dilated pupil Head raised
Explain how you would audit stun success
% stunned correctly on the first attempt. Should be >95% with a captive bolt and >99% for electrical
Explain how you would audit welfare at an abattoir
% stunned correctly on the first attempt. Should be >95% with a captive bolt and >99% for electrical
Vocalisation % - should be less than 3% in cattle or less than 10% in pigs
Slipping %, Falling %, Use of prodder
What is the maximum stun to stick interval for cattle following a nonpenetrating captive bolt?
30 seconds
If a particular electrical stunning method persistently leads to interrupted stunning, suggest three ways it can be improved.
- Improve presentation of animal so electrodes are easier to place accurately and firmly
- Improve equipment to reduce electrical resistance of animal and electrodes
- Minimise stress/excitement
- Animals should not remain restrained for long periods and should be stunned at an even rate
What causes ‘blood splash’?
Excessive stun to stick interval - high pressure in vessels for extended time. Ineffective stunning (double/triple/quadruple stunning). Preslaughter excitement/stress.
Rapid sticking, under 20 seconds for pigs, is imperative with penetrating captive bolts. True or false?
False - non reversible, no immediate rush from a welfare perspective. Want to do it moderately soon due to hygiene however
According to Industry Welfare Standards, 5% is not. True or false?
False, acceptable is
Very exceptionally, in order to meet certain religious requirements, it is permitted in Australia to perform a neck stick without pre-or post-stunning in cattle and sheep. True or false?
True - Aus state/territory meat-inspection authorities can approve abattoir - only 1500 animals a year
Explain why the proximal-distal position of a neck stick in cattle can be problematic in terms of welfare.
Cut must be as high up as possible so to cut occipitovertebral anastomosis. Sheep do not have this anatomosis & this is why they do not have to be stunned following the out if neck vessels are completely severed
What is ballooning?
Trauma to the carotids can cause the proximal & distal ends of the carotids to withdraw & partially seal. “False aneurysm” This partial blockage delays the fall in central & cerebral arterial pressure & a maintenance of sensibility → unacceptable
