HYGIENIC CARCASE DRESSING

Our Ref PJS/ILC/32

17 February 1997

To all OVSs and MHIs

Dear Colleague

HYGIENIC CARCASE DRESSING

Background

One of the main objectives in creating the Meat Hygiene Service was to achieve an overall improvement in hygiene standards in British abattoirs.

OVSs have overall responsibility for hygiene standards and all MHIs are responsibilities for hygiene as well as meat inspection.

Concerns have been expressed from a variety of sources that hygiene standards are poor in some British abattoirs. These comments are of very serious concern to the MHS most especially in the light of the recent outbreaks of E coli food poisoning.

MHS operational instructions

The MHS Operations Manual contains a great deal of advice and instructions for MHS staff on maintaining and improving hygiene standards. I am writing to you now to remind you of one particular section in Chapter 18: SECTION A - Meat paragraph 4 "Strategic use of the health mark". For ease of reference this states:

4.    Strategic use of the health mark

Most cases of meat-borne disease in humans are caused by pathogenic micro-organisms which are transferred onto the meat from the animal's gut or skin. The most significant effect you can have in minimising the risk to consumers is to ensure that visibly contaminated meat is not passed as fit for human consumption. It follows that the single most important and most effective means of enforcing the hygiene regulations is to ensure that visibly contaminated meat is not health marked.

Trim, hang-back, divert or detain visibly contaminated meat - the health
mark must not be applied to such meat.

Visible contamination on meat must be removed before the meat is re-presented to you for your reassessment before you apply the health mark. Advice on acceptable methods for removing visible contamination is contained in Chapters 6 and 7.

Evidence of significant pathology must not be removed before the carcase and offals are inspected (Schedule 9(1)(1)(p) of the Fresh Meat Regs). Therefore, apart from very limited exceptions as detailed in Section 7 Chapter 5 of the Operations Manual, carcases must not be washed before inspection.

Inspection facilities

In order to allow MHS staff to comply with these operational instructions, OVSs must ensure that MHIs are provided with adequate facilities and adequate time for inspection.

• Line speeds must be commensurate with the number of the MHS staff present. If necessary, line speeds must be slowed and/or extra staff must be requested.

• Regional offices can provide light meters should you need to check the lighting at inspection stations which must be at least 540 lux.

• Adequate facilities (stands, steps, rise and fall platforms etc) must be provided to enable you to examine carcases properly.

Conclusion

• MHIs and OVSs must not apply the health mark to carcases presented for inspection with visible signs of contamination.

• Carcases must not be washed before carcase inspection.

OVSs must discuss the contents of this letter with the other members of the team, with plant occupiers and (if necessary through plant management) with the slaughter staff so that all involved are very clear of the requirements and the consequences of any failures to comply with hygiene standards.

Peter Soul
Head of Operations

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This page was last updated 9 April 1997