Key features include:

• Fully updated new edition, in a refreshed design with colour photographs and illustrations throughout. 
• Includes new content on meat hygiene inspection covering the components of an integrated food safety management system as well as animal health and welfare controls in the ‘farm to fork’ system.
• A practical approach to health and safety in meat processing is outlined by identifying the hazards and then describing how these can best be controlled.
• With contributions from veterinary and industry experts, this edition is both a valuable teaching aid and a practical reference for veterinarians and all food business operators and their staff.
  
  
  
  Table of Contents
  Contributors xi

  Preface xiii

  Acknowledgements xv

  1 The food animals 1

  Dietary factors 2

  World livestock production 3

  UK meat plants and throughputs 4

  Cattle 4

  Breeds 4

  Systems of beef production 6

  Growth promoters 7

  Definitions 7

  Sheep 7

  Definitions 9

  Pigs 10

  Pig breeds 10

  Pig breeds in the United Kingdom 11

  Pig production 11

  Pig meat production 13

  Glossary of terms 13

  Additional facts 13

  Goats 13

  Poultry 14

  Definitions 14

  Rabbits 15

  Deer 16

  Handling of deer 17

  References 17

  Further reading 17

  Form animal welfare council 17

  2 Anatomy 19

  Descriptive terms 19

  Osteology and arthrology 19

  Bones 19

  Digestive system 21

  Tongue 21

  Stomach 22

  Mucous membranes 22

  Intestines 23

  Liver 24

  Pancreas (gut sweetbread) 25

  Respiratory system 26

  Lungs 26

  Pluck 26

  Circulatory system (heart, arteries, capillaries and veins) 26

  Heart 26

  Portal circulation 27

  Spleen (melt) 27

  Lymphatic system 28

  Haemal lymph nodes 28

  Lymph nodes of the ox 29

  Nodes of the head and neck 30

  Nodes of the chest and forequarter 30

  Nodes of the abdomen and hindquarter 31

  Lymph nodes of the pig 33

  Head and neck 33

  Other nodes 33

  Urogenital system 34

  Urinary organs 34

  Genital organs 34

  Kidney 34

  Reproductive system 34

  Uterus 34

  Udder 36

  Endocrine system 36

  Thymus 36

  Adrenal (suprarenal) bodies 36

  Testicles (testes) 37

  Collection and yield of glands 37

  Skin 37

  Horns 37

  Muscular system 37

  Connective tissue 38

  Fat 38

  Determination of age by dentition 38

  Teeth 38

  Determination of sex 39

  Cattle 39

  Sheep 40

  Pigs 41

  Horse and ox differentiation 41

  Debasement of food

  (adulteration and substitution) 41

  Food tampering 43

  References 43

  Further reading 43

  3 Meat establishment construction and equipment 45

  Site 45

  Environmental statement 45

  Submission of plans 46

  Area size 46

  Facilities 47

  Equipment design 50

  Pest control 51

  Small abattoir units 51

  Lairage 52

  Cattle lairage 52

  Sheep lairage 52

  Pig lairage 52

  Deer lairage 53

  Clipping or cleaning of livestock 53

  Manure disposal 53

  Slaughterhall 53

  Stunning area 53

  Bleeding area 54

  Cattle carcase dressing 54

  On-the-rail dressing 55

  Sheep slaughterhall 56

  Pig slaughterhall 57

  Singeing and scraping 58

  Refrigeration accommodation 58

  Detained meat room 59

  Condemned meat room 60

  Hide and skin store 60

  Gut and tripe room 60

  Red offal room 60

  The edible fat room 61

  Cutting rooms 61

  Equipment wash 61

  Fresh meat dispatch area 61

  Vehicle washing 62

  General amenities for personnel 62

  Veterinary office 62

  Treatment of effluent 62

  Pollution parameters 63

  Treatment 63

  Preliminary treatment: Screening, solids and grit removal 63

  Secondary treatment 64

  Further reading 65

  4 Preservation of meat 67

  Physical changes in stored meat 67

  Chemical changes in stored meat 68

  Water activity or water availability (aw ) 68

  Meat curing 68

  Salt 68

  Ingredients used in curing 69

  Production of bacon and ham 69

  Cutting 70

  Application of the pickle 70

  Production of cooked hams 71

  Traditional dry-cured bacon 71

  Alternative dry cure 71

  Smoking 71

  Common defects in cured meat 71

  Micro-organisms on cured product 72

  Refrigeration 72

  Mechanical refrigeration 72

  Chilling of meat 73

  Freezing of meat 75

  Freeze-drying or lyophilisation 76

  Storage of fresh meat 76

  Vacuum packing 76

  Modified atmosphere packing 76

  Refrigerated meat transport and storage 76

  Changes in frozen meat 77

  ‘Weeping’ or ‘drip’ 77

  Durability of frozen meat 78

  Effect of freezing on pathogenic micro-organisms and parasites 78

  Heat: Thermal processing 78

  Traditional canning methodology 79

  Treatment of food to be canned 79

  Canning operations 80

  Canning of meats 82

  Foods packed in glass 82

  Spoilage in canned foods 82

  Types of spoilage 83

  The public health aspect of canned foods 85

  Other methods of meat preservation 86

  Antioxidants 86

  Preservatives 86

  Irradiation 86

  Infrared radiation 86

  Ultraviolet radiation 86

  Ionising radiation 86

  High pressure 87

  References 87

  Further reading 88

  5 Plant sanitation 89

  Reasons for cleaning and disinfecting plant 89

  ‘Scotoma effect’ or ‘factory-blindness’ 90

  The chemistry of cleaning 90

  The soil 91

  The substrate: Materials of construction 91

  Energies of cleaning 92

  Chemical and physical reactions of cleaning 92

  Detergents: Design and choice 95

  Principles of disinfection 95

  Biocidal active components 95

  Disinfectants: Design and choice 97

  Hygiene equipment and application methods 97

  Manual cleaning 98

  Foam cleaning 98

  Foam and disinfectant application equipment 98

  Gels 99

  Spray 100

  Fogging 100

  Knife and cutting tool disinfection during processing 100

  Machine washing 102

  Cleaning-in-place (CIP) 102

  Rinse systems 104

  Contamination and re-contamination 105

  Air 105

  Water 106

  People 106

  Surfaces 106

  Cleaning procedures 106

  The cleaning sequence 106

  Monitoring of hygiene 108

  Training 110

  Safety 110

  Effluent and external odour control 110

  Conclusion 111

  Note 111

  References 112

  6 From farm to slaughter 113

  Production of clean, healthy livestock 113

  Clean livestock 115

  Healthy livestock 117

  Safe use of animal medicines 117

  Safe disposal of animal waste 117

  Animal welfare on the farm 119

  Assessment of an animal’s welfare 119

  Transportation of livestock 122

  Loading and unloading 122

  The journey to slaughter 123

  EU transport legislation 123

  Protection during transport 123

  Means of transport 123

  Space allowances 123

  Duties of transporters 123

  Feed, water and rest periods 123

  Treatment of sick animals 124

  Travel documentation 124

  Loss of weight during transport 124

  Transport mortality 125

  Lairage construction 126

  Animal husbandry in the lairage 127

  Moving animals within the lairage 127

  Social stress 128

  Watering 128

  Fasting 128

  Resting of animals prior to slaughter 129

  Pre-slaughter handling and meat quality 129

  Stress and the animal 129

  Stress and meat quality 130

  Pre-slaughter feeding of sugars 131

  Traumatic injury 131

  Time of bruising 131

  Rough handling 132

  Presence of horns 132

  Temperament 132

  Stunning box design 132

  Mixing of animals 133

  Breed 133

  Incentives and education 133

  References 133

  Further reading 134

  7 Humane slaughter 135

  Pre-slaughter handling/restraint 136

  Cattle movement and restraint 136

  Pig movement and restraint 137

  The slaughtering process 137

  Assessment of unconsciousness at

  slaughter 137

  Methods of stunning 138

  Percussive stunning 138

  Head sites for percussive stunning 140

  Water jet stunning 142

  Carbon dioxide and other gas mixtures 142

  Electrical stunning 144

  Effect of stunning on meat quality 146

  Slaughter of minor species 146

  Slaughter of deer 146

  Slaughter of ostriches 147

  Slaughter of rabbits 147

  Other methods of slaughter 147

  Slaughter of poultry 148

  Electrical stunning of poultry 148

  Assessment of unconsciousness in

  electrical water bath stunned poultry 149

  Stunning/killing poultry with controlled atmospheres 149

  Percussive stunning of poultry 150

  Other methods of slaughter 150

  Effects of stunning on poultry meat quality 150

  Pithing 150

  Bleeding 151

  Cattle 151

  Sheep 151

  Pigs 152

  Efficiency of bleeding 153

  Slaughter without pre-stunning 153

  Shechita – Jewish religious slaughter 153

  Muslim methods of slaughter 156

  Slaughter of poultry without stunning 157

  References 157

  Further reading 158

  8 Meat hygiene practice 159

  Meat and animal by-products 159

  Hygienic production 159

  Sources of contamination 159

  Outer integument – hide, hair, fleece or skin 159

  Gastrointestinal tract 160

  Stunning and sticking 160

  Physical contact with structures 160

  Operatives 160

  Equipment and utensils 161

  The slaughter hall environment 161

  Vermin and pests 161

  Chemical contamination 162

  Methods of reducing contamination 162

  Dealing with the dirty animal 162

  Clipping cattle on line 163

  Protecting the meat from the worker 163

  Good hygiene practice 165

  Layout and flow lines 167

  Dressing techniques – Removal of hide/fleece/hair 167

  Preventing contamination from the gastrointestinal tract 170

  Post-slaughter decontamination 172

  Water 172

  Trimming 173

  Chemical treatments 173

  Bacteriophages 174

  Ultraviolet and pulsed high-intensity light 174

  Outputs of the slaughterhouse 174

  Treatment of edible co-products 175

  Fats 175

  Edible fat rendering 176

  Stomach and intestines 176

  Bones 177

  Hides and skins 177

  Animal by-products 178

  Category 1 178

  Category 2 179

  Category 3 (can be used for pet food) 180

  Materials for technical uses 181

  Hygiene requirements for animal by-product processing establishments 183

  Rendering processes 183

  References 184

  9 Meat inspection protocols 185

  The case for change 185

  The holistic approach 187

  Integrated Food Safety Assurance 187

  Farm to fork 187

  Food chain information 187

  Ante-mortem inspection 188

  Ante-mortem inspection procedure in the slaughter establishment 189

  Practical ante-mortem procedure 190

  Emergency slaughter animals 191

  Emergency slaughter: The decision on farm 191

  Emergency slaughter: The decision

  at the slaughter establishment 192

  Post-mortem inspection 192

  Facilities for post-mortem inspection 192

  Carcase identification and traceability 193

  Traditional post-mortem inspection 194

  Traditional post-mortem inspection of cattle 194

  Traditional post-mortem inspection of calves 196

  Traditional post-mortem inspection of sheep and goats 196

  Traditional post-mortem inspection of pigs 196

  Traditional post-mortem inspection of equines 197

  Traditional post-mortem inspection of poultry 197

  Decisions at post-mortem examination 198

  Common post-mortem findings 203

  Abscesses 203

  Omphalophlebitis 204

  Arthritis 204

  Oedema 204

  Pneumonia and pleurisy 205

  Endocarditis 206

  Pericarditis 207

  Pyelonephritis 207

  Bruising 208

  Pigmentation 208

  Haematogenous pigments 209

  Bile pigments 209

  Porphyrin 210

  Lipofuscin (‘wear-and-tear pigment’, pigment of brown atrophy, lipochrome, haemofuscin) 211

  Xanthosis (xanthomatosis, osteohaematochromatosis, brown atrophy) 211

  Tumours 211

  Classes of tumours 212

  Causes of tumours 212

  Effect on host 212

  Nomenclature of neoplasms 212

  Judgement of neoplasia 213

  Poor condition/emaciation 213

  Contamination 215

  Parasitic conditions 215

  Ascaris suum 215

  Echinococcus granulosus: Hydatidosis and hydatid cyst 215

  Taenia hydatigena (known as Cysticercus tenuicollis in larval stage) 216

  Taenia ovis (previously known as Cysticercus ovis) 216

  Fasciola hepatica: Liver fluke 216

  Paramphistomiasis 216

  Sarcocystis 216

  Courses of action 217

  Utilisation of post-mortem data 218

  Control of hygienic production 218

  Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) 219

  Implementation of an HACCP system 219

  Worldwide food safety standards 221

  References 222

  Further reading 222

  10 Poultry production, slaughter and inspection 223

  Production of poultry 223

  Poultry feedingstuffs 225

  Poultry flock health 226

  Catching and crating 226

  Reception and unloading 227

  Pre-slaughter inspection 228

  Shackling 228

  Stunning and slaughter 229

  Scalding and defeathering 230

  Defeathering 231

  Evisceration 232

  Chilling 235

  Ante-mortem health inspection 237

  Post-mortem inspection in the plant 240

  Decision of the official veterinarian at the post-mortem inspection 241

  General contamination 242

  Guidelines on trimming poultry 242

  Coliform infections 243

  Salmonellosis 243

  Campylobacteriosis 244

  Chlamydiosis (psittacosis/ornithosis) 245

  Miscellaneous conditions 245

  Dead on arrival 245

  Bruising and fractures 245

  Breast blisters and hock burn 246

  Ascites 246

  Slaughter liver or cholangiohepatitis 246

  Fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) 246

  Vices 246

  Contamination 247

  Decomposition 247

  Barking 247

  Diseases of the female reproductive system 247

  Oregon disease 247

  Over-scald 247

  Fevered carcases 247

  Septicaemia 247

  Insufficient bleeding 247

  Emaciation 247

  Viscera absent 247

  References 248

  Further reading 248

  11 Exotic meat production 249

  Rabbits 249

  Slaughter 249

  Inspection 250

  Post-mortem judgements in rabbit meat inspection 250

  Zoonoses 251

  Guidelines on contamination, missing viscera and trimming 252

  Farmed deer 252

  Handling and slaughter 252

  Park deer 254

  Wild deer 254

  Killing 254

  Ostriches 255

  Restraint 256

  Stunning 256

  Dressing 256

  Changes after slaughter 257

  Commercial squab production 257

  Further reading 257

  12 Food poisoning and meat microbiology 259

  Part 1: Food poisoning 259

  Types of food poisoning 259

  Surveillance of food poisoning 259

  Laboratory reports of enteric infections 260

  Outbreak surveillance 261

  General considerations 261

  Food-borne pathogens 261

  Part 2: Meat microbiology 267

  Bacteriological examination of carcases 267

  Part 3: Meat decomposition and spoilage 271

  Assessment of decomposition 277

  Further reading 278

  13 Controls on veterinary drug residues in the European Union 279

  Legal framework 279

  Licensed veterinary medicines 279

  Hormones and ß-Agonists 280

  Prohibited compounds 280

  Unauthorised and unlicensed compounds 281

  Regulatory limits: MRLs, MRPLs and RPAs 281

  The National Residue Control Plan in EU member states 282

  Compound groups 282

  Sampling levels for each species 282

  Relationship between species and substance to be analysed 283

  Testing procedures and performance characteristics 284

  Testing procedures 284

  CCα and CCβ 285

  Sampling of imported food 285

  Legal basis for sampling of imports from third countries 285

  Frequency of sampling of imports from third countries 285

  Interpretation of non-compliant results 285

  The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) 285

  Legal basis and description of the RASFF 285

  RASFF notification types 286

  Notification basis 286

  Action taken 286

  Distribution status 286

  Actions taken following infringements 286

  Analytical methods: Technical aspects 287

  Method specificity 287

  Performance characteristics 288

  Method validation 288

  Proficiency testing 289

  References 289

  14 Health and safety in meat processing 291

  Accident statistics 291

  UK legislation 291

  General duties 292

  Key topics requiring risk assessment 293

  Being struck by hand tools

  including knives 293

  Musculoskeletal disorders 294

  Slips, trips and falls 298

  Contact with machinery 298

  Transport 301

  Falls from a height 301

  Substances/microorganisms 302

  Zoonoses 303

  Specific control measures for zoonoses 303

  Animals 310

  Noise 310

  Cold environment 311

  General requirements 312

  References 316

  Index 319
  
  

  Author Information 
  David S Collins, MVB, DVPH(MH), MRCVS