Meat processing strategies in disease

scarce situation

S.V.S. Malik, D.B. Rawool, Pankaj Dhaka, Manesh Kumar, Jess Vergis

Division of Veterinary Public Health, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar

ICAR Winter School : “Advances in Value Addition and Quality Evaluation of Meat and Poultry Products
20 Sept. 2016 – 10 Oct. 2016 organized at LPT Division 6.09.2016
"How safe is your food”
Farm to plate
 Meat : Central component of human diet
Meat  rich nutrient matrix microbes

Intensive A.H practices  mass

production

Rapid international trade & import

Booming meat processing establishments Foodborne

illnesses

Introduction of competitive private sector

WHO 2016
 Zoonoses: An Overview
Zoonoses: (“zoon” = animal; “Noses”= Diseases):
Diseases/Infections that are naturally transmissible
from vertebrate animals to humans

217 Viruses & Prions

538 Bacteria & Rickettsia

1,415 - Pathogenic to
humans 307 Fungi

Zoonotic - 868 (61%) 66 Protozoa

287 Helminths
175 - Emerging diseases
132 (75%)- Zoonotic
(Taylor et al., 2001)
 Burden/Costs attributed to Zoonotic diseases

Microbes causes 25% of total 57 million deaths/yr

Major proportion- developing world (Chugh, 2008)

Zoonoses cause …..

In Low income countries - 10 % of the total DALYs lost
In High income countries - 0.02 % of the total DALY
lost
(Grace et al., 2012)

You can have data without information, but you cannot have information without data- Daniel Moran
 Recent major economic losses
BSE:- $2.4 billion loss to export Loss of 2% GDP in East Asia (Newcomb, 2004)
(Parker & Henry, 2002)

Since 2003, >145 mn birds culled

due to H5N1 -
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But what to do in disease scare situation ??

 Foot and Mouth diseases

• In countries free of FMD  diseased animals are prohibited to be admitted in abattoir.

• If FMD is suspected on PMI the carcass and viscera are condemned.
• Countries where this disease is present  Judgement should be in accordance with current
animal health requirements.
Important points:
• To prevent the spread of the virus in the abattoir, the equipment & room should be
disinfected with 2 % NaOH (caustic soda)
• Vehicle & abattoir personnel should pass through a footbath with 1 % solution of NaOH.
• The virus of FMD can survive in meat and meat products for a considerable length of time.
In Quick freezing virus remains infective for about 6 months.
In salted meat at 4°C, the virus is still infective in bone marrow & lymph nodes for 6
months.
 Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza
(H5N1)

Total condemned of carcasses

• Most appropriate is to burn or incinerate the dead / sacrificed birds.
• The most common practice in the recent outbreaks has been to bury in deep
pits,
cover with calcium hydroxide followed by at least 40 cm layer of soil.
• Infected farm premises/area should invariably be disinfected by spraying
disinfectants like 2% Sodium Hypochlorite or 4% Formalin.
 Bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Carcass must be condemned

•  The infectious agent is distinctive for the high temperatures at which it remains
viable,
over 600 °C (about 1100 °F). This contributed to the spread of the disease in
the United
 Bovine Tuberculosis

• Carcass of animal affected with T.B requires additional PMI of L.N, joints, bones &
meninges.
• Codex judgement recommendations for cattle and buffalo carcasses:
 Carcasses are condemned: where an eradication scheme has terminated or in cases of
residual infection or re-infection in final stages of eradication
 Carcass of a reactor animal without lesions may be approved for limited distribution.
 Heat treatment of meat is suggested during early and final stages of an eradication
In some countries, the carcass is approved if inactive lesions (calcified and/or encapsulated) are
observed in organs and without generalization in lymph nodes of carcass.
 Anthrax

• Condemnation of the carcass and its parts by burning.

• Use 10% formalin or 5% lye solution (NaOH), or another acceptable
disinfectant
 Brucellosis
•In acute abortive form, cattle carcasses
are condemned. Pig, sheep, goat & buffalo
carcasses require total condemnation. 
• Heat treatment may be recommended in
some areas for these species due to
economic reasons.
• Affected part of the carcass, udder, genital
organs & corresponding lymph nodes must
be condemned.
• Reactor animals should be carefully handled
during slaughter and dressing procedures.
• Hygroma lesions should be sprayed with
1%
lactic acid at meat inspection
 Rabies

• Must not allow for slaughter, should be identify during

AMI
• Avoid contact with suspected animal and must consult to
vet.
 Cysticercosis

Light infestation: small number of dead or degenerated

Totally
cysticerci, the carcass is treated either by boiling or
condemned
freezing process
Heavily infected: if lesions are discovered in two of the
usual inspection sites - masseter muscles, tongue,
oesophagus, heart, diaphragm or exposed musculature
 Important Parasitic infections
• Hydatid disease:
 Carcass showing emaciation, edema and muscular involvement
is condemned and destroyed.
 Otherwise the carcass is approved.
 Affected viscera and any other tissue are also condemned &
destroyed. Burying of carcass is not sufficient, since dogs may
retrieve the affected organs.

Trichinosis:
 Carcass affected with trichinosis is condemned
 Meat hygiene:
Safety from Farmers gate to Consumers plate

This is an expert supervision of all meat products

with the object of providing wholesome meat for
human consumption & prevent any danger to public
health.

1
• Foodborne pathogens

2
• Zoonotic Diseases

3
• Chemicals/drugs etc
Steps to control the risk of contamination
in meat processing plants
 Stress Free Transport

POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED:
• Free from stress
• Avoid long journey
• No loss of weight
• Absence of disease & injury
• Avoid sudden stop/start of vehicle
• No fast cornering
• No unnecessary delay
• Fed & water before transport
• Portable ramps fitted for emergency offloading
• Never mix horned / hornless animals

Ref: (FAO Guidelines for humane handling, transport & slaughter of livestock)
 Effects of Transport

• Stress
• Bruising- Most insidious
& production waste

• Trampling

• Suffocation •Live weight loss

•Transit tetany/shipping
• Heart failure fever
• Respiratory tract
• Heat stroke bacteria & viruses
• Pasteurella hemolytica
• Sunburn • Mycoplasma :
synergistic action
• Viruses
 Pre-slaughter care and Handling

• To improve the meat quality.

• To ensure animal welfare
• To increase the efficiency of slaughter
• To reduce preslaughter mortality

• Avoid stress: stress causes certain conditions like

PSE and DFD.
• Fasting: prevent carcass contamination by
accidental incision of intestinal tract.
• Resting: necessary to ensure normal physiological
changes in the muscle after slaughter.
• Feeding of sugars: increases the glycogen level in
muscle.
 Ante-Mortem Inspection (AMI)
of animals
Ante-mortem means - before death
• Inspection of live animals and birds
prior
to being slaughtered
AMI has 3 concerns
1. Public health
2. Animal health
3. Animal welfare

• This inspection is performed by a veterinarian or

by a meat Inspector under veterinary supervision

• AMI should be done within 24 hours of slaughter

and repeated if slaughter has been delayed by over a day
 Major objectives of AMI

• To screen all animals destined to slaughter

• To separate diseased and suspected animals for further
detailed examination
• To ensure that animals are properly rested and that proper
clinical disease diagnosis and judgments, is obtained
• To reduce contamination on the killing floor by separating
the dirty animals and condemning the diseased animals if
required by regulation
• To identify reportable animal diseases and to identify sick
animals and those treated with antibiotics,
chemotherapeutic
agents, insecticides and pesticides
• To make P.M.E. more efficient, accurate, less laborious
• To detect diseases, whose identification difficult during
P.M.E.
• To ensure that injured animals or those with pain/suffering
 Ante-mortem dispositions

• FIT for slaughter: Free from the diseases and conditions, fit for
human food, to be released for slaughter
• Suspect/detained:
Question whether the animal is affected by a disease or condition
described in regulations.
To segregate those animals with abnormal signs into the suspect pen
• Delayed/postponed: Exhaustion, Trasit fever
• UNFIT for slaughter (Condemned):
Immature animals
Advanced pregnancy
Recent parturition
Infectious and contagious diseases:
Anthrax, Rabies, BQ, FMD, Swine fever, tetanus etc.
 Post Mortem examination (PME)

“Post-mortem”– after death

• Inspection of carcass & offal after slaughter Judgment of PME
• Supplement AMI in identifying diseases • A- Fit for consumption/Passed
• T-Total condemnation
public • D-Partial condemtion
or animal health significance • K-Conditionally passed
• I-Inferior quality
• Identification of residues/contaminants • L-Distribution restricted
• Monitoring animal and public welfare to
remove meat that is unfit for human
consumption
 RENDERING

• Refers to recovery of fat from animal material by heating .

• Processing of carcass with heat or steam so as to obtain a nearly sterilized
material
without loss of nutrients.
• Type ΙΙ waste (Animal matter such as inedible offal's, tissues, meat trimmings,
waste
Raw material
& bones etc.) primarily processed by rendering & alsoRAWinclude
MATERIAL dead/ fallen
animals.
Types of Rendering
Fat
FAT
1) Wet rendering
WATER
Water
2) Dry rendering
Bone
BONE&&
Meat
MEAT MEAL
meal

Steam
STEAM

Batch type Wet Rendering Plant

 METHODS OF DISPOSAL OF
CONDEMNED MATERIAL

Condemned Material :-
Rejected/unfit carcasses, carcasses parts, seized meat, offal's,
suspected material etc.  unfit for human consumption.

Methods of Disposal :-
A. Incineration or Burning
method
B. Burial method
 Decontamination of meat
• Helps
minimizing initial spoilage
microflora
• Extend shelf life of meat
 Reduction on initial microbial load of meat by carcass washing
with
 Sanitizing agents –chlorine, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, lysozyme
 Organs acids – acetic adics, lactic acids, propionic acids
 Salts – trisodium phosphate, potassium sorbate, sodium acetate
 There are various decontamination procedures available like
washing of carcass for example,
– CAPER - Carcass Acquired Pathogen Elimination Reduction, USA
– ‘Deluge’ system, Australia.
– Advanced promising non-thermal and thermal technologies
• Microwave, gamma, electron and X-ray irradiation
• High hydrostatic pressure (HHP)
• Active packaging, ohmic heating, microwave & radiofrequency, steam pasteurization
 Hurdle Technology
(Combined method/ combined preservation/ Barrier technology)

It advocates the deliberate combination or intelligent mixing of existing or/and novel

preservation techniques in order to establish a series of preservation factors/hurdles
that act synergistically towards prevention of growth of microorganisms.
 Hurdle Technology

Potential hurdles used in preservation of foods: >60 hurdles

1. Physical hurdles: High temp., low temp., U.V. rays, microwaves, radiations
2. Physico-chemical hurdles: aw, low Ph, low Eh, CO 2, L-P system

3. Microbially derived hurdles: Competitive flora, protective cultures,

bacteriocins
4. Miscellaneous hurdles: Melanourin, free fatty acids, chlorine
 What is HACCP?
• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system, is a systematic
preventive approach to food safety and pharmaceutical safety
that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as
a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection.

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HACCP system is solely related to FOOD SAFETY

not PRODUCT QUALITY
 HACCP:- Farm to fork approach
Prerequisite program to implement HACCP: Provide basic environmental & operating
conditions that are necessary for safe and wholesome food production.
Three major programs needs to be implemented are:
• cGMPs:- Current Good Manufacturing practices
• SSOPs:- Sanitation Standard Operating Practices
• GHP:- Good Hygienic Practices
Steps in HACCP:
Assemble the HACCP team:
 Knowledgeable
 Committed
 Experienced
 Trained for GMP, SSOP, GHP, HACCP
Construct the flow chart:
 Details of the products
 Details of the procedures step by step
 Equipments available
 Working conditions
 Constantly updated and adjusted
On-site confirmation of flow chart
 7 basic principles of HACCP:
1. Hazard analysis
• What are the hazards? How they to be prevented?
Based on:
Literature, practical knowledge, flow chart
2. Determine CCPs: When/where hazards can be prevented/eliminated/reduced
ICMSF recognize:
• CCP1: To ensure elimination of hazard &
• CCP2: To minimize a hazard
3. Establish critical limits:
Parameters to control CCPs
Based on experience, literatures & regulations
4. Monitoring of CCPs: 
How & Who control the CCPs
Rapid results to adjust the process, if necessary
5. Corrective actions: In case of any deviation 
6. Verification: Review of flow chart/critical limits/ monitoring system records
Detailed analysis of finished products
7. Effective record keeping & documentation of:
Control charts, CCPs monitoring records, Corrective actions, Responsible staff
Food Traceability System

(Adapted from Huss et al., 2004)

Thank you very much for
your kind attention !!