THE NEED, OBJECTIVES AND

APPLICATIONS OF MEAT HYGIENE

Need of meat inspection…
 Concept is not new
 Oldest records in history---Food edicts of

ancient Egyptians
 Adopted and extended to Israelites
 Islamic laws are similar to Mosaic and

Egyptians
 Ancient Rome – Official inspection – Meat

markets – Unfit meat thrown in River

 In Aachen (1385), special inspectors were
employed to inspect meat
 In Regensburgh (1434), a citizen prisoned on
attempting to sell measly meat
 In Bavaria (1615), the regulations prescribed
(No calf under 3 weeks old should be
slaughtered) + ante mortem and postmortem
examinations)
 The first official mention of a veterinarian in
connection with meat inspection, is found in
1761 with a question if Flesh of diseased
animals is safe or not ?
 Napoleon established public slaughter houses
in Paris in 1807
 New York City 1891; Establishment of meat
inspection services
 The biological investigations concerning
muscle cysticerci and trichinae (pork worm),
really formed the first portions of the
foundation of meat inspection and proper
necropsy practice as we know it today.
◦ (https://images.app.goo.gl/MZuWXrSSLaNqWswW7)

 Knowledge of veterinary anatomy, physiology,

pathology, virology, bacteriology,
parasitology, meat technology and sanitary
engineering need to be reviewed
Components of the procedure..
 ante-mortem and post-mortem examination
 construction and equipment of the
establishment
 the storage, processing and handling of the

products
 veterinary supervision of public and private

abattoirs
 meat markets (wholesale and retail shops)
 meat canning plants
OLD SLAUGHTER HOUSE …LAHORE

have you visited the new one?

Where?
What is capacity of that?
The chief purpose of an efficient meat
inspection service is,

 To protect man from the dangers to which

he would be exposed as a result of eating

meat if inspection were either non-existent

or inadequate.
The most important object of Meat inspection
would be

“To prevent diseased or otherwise un-

wholesome meat or meat products from being

marketed or offered for sale for human

consumption”.
Possible Objectives may also
include….
 To detect outbreaks
 To enforce the use of humane methods of
slaughter of food animals
 To protect the honest butcher or meat retailer
from unfair competition
 To prevent substitution, for example, a foetal
calf for a marketable calf
Possible Objectives…
 To ensure that flesh and organs that have been
condemned shall be disposed off
 To protect man from zoonotic diseases
 To assist in establishing and fostering a large meat
export trade
 To ensure that all meat intended for human
consumption shall be prepared, stored and marketed
under hygienic conditions
5th lecture
 Important highlights of Punjab Animal
Slaughter Act