Modernization of meat inspection in EU
2012
Berzins, A., Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga (Latvia);Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Inst. of Food and Environmental Hygiene
The main aim of meat inspection is to assure consumers, producers and processors about the safety and hygiene of meat. Public health hazards have to be checked within meat inspection procedures and as much as possible controlled through all food chain, including checks on live animals (ante-mortem inspection), carcass, offal, abattoirs, equipment, personnel and transportation. Thus, more integrated approach to ensure meat safety is essential. Meat inspection is important control part in the food chain to monitor various animal diseases as well as welfare standards and their implementation at the abattoir. Traditional practices in many countries involve sensory checks, including sight, touch and incision to detect any presence of gross lesions, bruises or broken bones. However, these are not always suitable for detecting food-borne pathogens such as Campylobacter, Salmonella or pathogenic E. coli strains, or contamination by chemical substances such as steroids or veterinary drug residues. Based on scientific knowledge and the needs from industry, competent authorities and all the Member States, the European Commission decided that meat inspection practices have to be modernised in the EU.
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