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Lis Alban - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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assessing the value of bacteriological examination as a diagnostic tool in relation to Meat Inspection in cattle
International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2021Co-Authors: Elvetia Kogka, J V Petersen, Marianne Halberg Larsen, Maybritt Kiel Poulsen, Camilla Thougaard Vester, Lis AlbanAbstract:Abstract In Denmark, lesions indicating acute generalised infection identified at Meat Inspection will result in total condemnation. An official bacteriological examination (BU) protocol can be used for slaughtered animals with lesions such as endocarditis and endophlebitis as an assisting diagnostic tool to confirm whether the condition is local or generalised. If local, the carcass can be approved after condemnation of the relevant organs. The BU involves cultivating samples from the spleen and muscle. The aim of this study was to assess the value of the BU protocol. The study was conducted from February to May 2019 at a Danish cattle abattoir. Three groups of slaughtered cattle were included: 24 cases consisting of cattle with endocarditis and endophlebitis, 25 control animals consisting of cattle fully approved at Inspection and 16 animals condemned at Inspection due to endocarditis and endophlebitis with complications. Samples were taken from the heart, liver, kidney, lung, spleen and muscles of each animal. The BU protocol was used for cultivation. Different types of colonies were identified using MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. One or more samples with bacterial growth were found in all condemned animals – in 16 out of the 24 case animals and in two out of 25 control animals. In all three groups, Trueperella pyogenes was the most frequently isolated bacterium (60%) followed by Fusobacterium necrophorum (10%). For the case animals, the organ most commonly found with bacterial growth was the liver (46%), followed by the lung (38%) and the kidney (38%), while 96% of the muscle samples were negative. For the condemned group, bacterial growth was found in 75% of the spleen samples, 56% of liver and lung samples, and 50% of the muscle samples. A statistical analysis of the samples from cases and controls showed strong pair-wise associations for the presence of bacteria between organs, but no pair-wise associations between presence of bacteria in the muscle and any of the organs. Hence, if bacteria are found e.g. in the liver, they are likely to be found in other organs, but not in the muscle. In total, 20 of the 24 case animals were fully or partly approved in accordance with the current rules for judgement. It was concluded that the BU protocol using spleen and muscle samples would be suitable as a diagnostic tool for the judgement of slaughtered animals in cases where there is doubt about the stage of the lesions observed.
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modernising Meat Inspection of pigs a review of the danish process from 2006 2020
Food Control, 2021Co-Authors: Lis Alban, J V Petersen, Anne Kristine Baekbo, Tanja Ostergaard Pedersen, Amanda Brinch Kruse, Goncalo Pacheco, Marianne Halberg LarsenAbstract:Abstract In 2004, the European Union legislation allowed to change Meat Inspection of finishing pigs, raised under controlled housing conditions, pending use of risk assessment of the effect of the proposed changes. This paper summarises the process undertaken in Denmark, where a series of national risk assessments and epidemiological investigations were undertaken, in a stepwise approach to address specific needs due to trade requirements. The initial focus was to examine the visual-only Inspection (VOI) in lieu of the traditional Inspection method, which involves incisions and palpations of various organs. The objective was to understand what would be missed, how often, and what the consequences might be, if incisions and palpations would no longer be undertaken routinely. Next, the microbiological burden of pigs previously suffering from generalised diseases was evaluated. The work was undertaken in collaboration among the academia, industry, and veterinary authorities. The OIE (Office International des Epizooties, now World Organisation for Animal Health) approach to risk assessment was used, which involves steps of hazard identification, release assessment, exposure assessment, consequence assessment, and risk estimation. To inform the results of assessment, samples were collected from abattoirs and subjected to laboratory investigation. Furthermore, slaughterhouse statistics, literature, and expert opinion were used. It was concluded that VOI could safely replace traditional Inspection, although some cases of endocarditis and embolic pneumonia would be missed. Today, VOI is in place for finishing pigs that are raised indoors. The information collected in this study has resulted in an update of the mandatory septicaemia-Inspection at the rework area. Moreover, the Danish legislation has been updated; replacing mandatory de-boning of prior septicaemia cases with an own-check program involving targeted focus on predilection sites for abscesses during cutting.
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from traditional Meat Inspection to development of Meat safety assurance programs in pig abattoirs the european situation
Food Control, 2019Co-Authors: Sava Buncic, Lis Alban, Bojan BlagojevicAbstract:Abstract The main goal of the present paper is to overview, using the example of pigs/pork, the developments in official Meat Inspection in the European Union that occurred from 2000 onwards. The developments aim at transition from traditional, macroscopic examination of slaughtered animals to a risk and Meat-chain based, comprehensive Meat safety assurance system. The scientific reasoning for those developments and the generic framework of a modernised system as proposed by the European Food Safety Authority, as well as the current status and future perspectives of related changes, are considered. Also, the main factors hampering the implementation of the changes in practice and possible directions for further work needed to overcome them are outlined.
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comparison of alternative Meat Inspection regimes for pigs from non controlled housing considering the cost of error
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2018Co-Authors: Rikke Koch Hansen, Lisbeth Harm Nielsen, Mahmoud El Tholth, Barbara Haesler, Alessandro Foddai, Lis AlbanAbstract:Denmark has not had cases of bovine tuberculosis (bovTB) for more than 30 years but is obliged by trade agreements to undertake traditional Meat Inspection (TMI) of finisher pigs from non-controlled housing to detect bovTB. TMI is associated with higher probability of detecting bovTB but is also more costly than visual-only Inspection (VOI). To identify whether VOI should replace TMI of finisher pigs from non-controlled housing, the cost of error – defined here as probability of overlooking infection and associated economic costs - should be assessed and compared with surveillance costs. First, a scenario tree model was set up to assess the ability of detecting bovTB in an infected herd (HSe) calculated for three within-herd prevalences, WHP (1%, 5% and 10%), for four different surveillance scenarios (TMI and VOI with or without serological test, respectively). HSe was calculated for six consecutive 4-week surveillance periods until predicted bovTB detection (considered high-risk periods HRP). 1-HSe was probability of missing all positives by each HRP. Next, probability of spread of infection, Pspread, and number of infected animals moved were calculated for each HRP. Costs caused by overlooking bovTB were calculated taking into account Pspread, 1-HSe, eradication costs, and trade impact. Finally, the average annual costs were calculated by adding surveillance costs and assuming one incursion of bovTB in either 1, 10 or 30 years. Input parameters were based on slaughterhouse statistics, literature and expert opinion. Herd sensitivity increased by high-risk period and within-herd prevalence. Assuming WHP=5%, HSe reached median 90% by 2nd HRP for TMI, whereas for VOI this would happen after 6th HRP. Serology had limited impact on HSe. The higher the probability of infection, the higher the probability of detection and spread. TMI resulted in lowest average annual costs, if one incursion of bovTB was expected every year. However, when assuming one introduction in 10 or 30 years, VOI resulted in lowest average costs. It may be more cost-effective to focus on imported high-risk animals coming into contact with Danish livestock, instead of using TMI as surveillance on all pigs from non-controlled housing.
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the food safety value of de boning finishing pig carcasses with lesions indicative of prior septicaemia
Food Control, 2016Co-Authors: Anne Kristine Baekbo, J V Petersen, Marianne Halberg Larsen, Lis AlbanAbstract:Abstract The primary purpose of Meat Inspection is to protect the public health by ensuring that no Meat unfit for human consumption enters the market. EU Regulation 854/2004 specifies that lesions indicative of a generalised condition should result in the condemnation of the carcass. However, the correct procedure concerning carcasses with lesions indicative of a prior septicaemia is not specified. In Denmark, such carcasses are de-boned to avoid the presence of abscesses in the muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the food safety value of this specific use of de-boning. Retrospective data from 1 year, in the form of Meat Inspection lesion codes for all finishing pigs slaughtered, at the seven largest Danish abattoirs were obtained from the Danish Slaughterhouse Database. These data revealed some differences between abattoirs in the proportion of carcasses sent for de-boning (min: 0.14%; max: 0.29%; P
Maria Fredrikssonahomaa - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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variation of reported Meat Inspection findings of slaughter pigs in finland
Safe Pork, 2019Co-Authors: Maria Fredrikssonahomaa, M Rahkio, Riikka LaukkanenniniosAbstract:Meat Inspection data can be used for animal health and welfare monitoring (Horst et al., 2019; Stark et al., 2014). However, the reported Meat Inspection findings can vary between slaughterhouses due to various reasons. The variation can be related to slaughterhouse arrangements such as slaughter line speed and light, lesion coding and recording methodology, but also personnel inspecting the carcasses (Horst et al., 2019). In Finland, abscesses, arthritis, milk spots, pericarditis, pleuritis and pneumonia of slaughter pigs are monitored in Meat Inspection (MAF 6/EEO/2012). According to the decree, the slaughterhouse operator is obliged to deliver the data to the pig producer from each batch. In addition, the official veterinarian has to notify the regional state administrative agency responsible for the animal welfare control of the farms where the proportion of arthritis, abscesses or tail bites exceed twice the mean of the slaughterhouse. The aim of this study was to assess the variation of these reported Meat Inspection findings in pig slaughterhouses in Finland.
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assessment of the feasibility of serological monitoring and on farm information about health status for the future Meat Inspection of fattening pigs
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2019Co-Authors: Elina Felin, Mari Heinonen, Elias Jukola, Outi Halli, Maria FredrikssonahomaaAbstract:Current macroscopic Meat Inspection cannot detect the most common pork-borne pathogens (Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica and Toxoplasma gondii). Furthermore, food chain information (FCI) may not provide sufficient data for visual-only Inspection, which is supposed to be the common way of Inspection of pigs in the European Union. Our observational study aimed to evaluate the serological monitoring and the clinical evaluation of on-farm health status of pigs and assess the feasibility of these data as part of the FCI in Meat Inspection. We studied the serological status of Salmonella spp., Yersinia spp. and T. gondii in pigs during the fattening period. Additionally, we evaluated the association between on-farm health status and Meat Inspection findings. On 57 indoor fattening pig farms in Finland, we collected blood samples (mean of 20 pigs/farm) and assessed the on-farm health (coughing, tail biting, lameness) at the end of the fattening period. We visited 34 of these farms also at the beginning of the fattening for sampling and on-farm health evaluation of the same pigs. Meat Inspection results were obtained after slaughter for all 57 farms. Salmonella seroprevalence was low at the end of the fattening period: it was 17.6%, 10.6% or 1.9%, with the cut-off values of OD15% (recommended by the test manufacturer), OD20% (used by Danish monitoring programme) and OD40% (used by German monitoring programme), respectively. The overall seroprevalence of Salmonella spp. and Yersinia spp. increased significantly (P < 0.001) during the fattening period (from 8.1% to 17.2% and from 30.3% to 72.3%, respectively), while the seroprevalence of T. gondii remained low (<1%). The within-farm seroprevalences of Salmonella spp. and Yersinia spp. differed significantly between the farms and this farm-level serological data could be used as FCI for risk-based decisions to improve food safety. Such potentially feasible decisions could include additional carcass testing, carcass decontamination, carcass processing, slaughtering arrangements and improved biosecurity measures at the farm. However, risk mitigation targets and procedures must be carefully adjusted for each pathogen regarding also economic aspects. Tail biting observed on farm was associated with partial carcass condemnations and arthritis at slaughter. This information could be included in the FCI and used when making decisions regarding Meat Inspection procedure: visual-only or additional Inspections.
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sow mortality is associated with Meat Inspection findings
Livestock Science, 2018Co-Authors: Mari Heinonen, Maria Fredrikssonahomaa, Paula Bergman, Annamaija Virtala, Camilla Munsterhjelm, Anna Valros, Claudio Oliviero, Olli Peltoniemi, Outi HalliAbstract:Abstract Sow Meat Inspection (MI) and mortality data are important sources of information for use in herd health work. This observational study examined whether MI results of sows associate with sow mortality in Finnish sow herds. We also described some MI findings of sows to create basic references in order to encourage their use in herd health work. The project was widely advertised to farmers of sow herds and practicing veterinarians. Ten herds joined the project voluntarily and 36 other herds after they were contacted by the researchers. MI data (carcass weight, lean Meat percentage, arthritis, abscesses, liver condemnations, milk spots, organ condemnations, pleuritis, pneumonia, shoulder ulcers, tail biting, whole carcass condemnations, partial carcass condemnations and kg of Meat condemned) were made available by the three largest slaughterhouses in Finland, and sow mortality data were obtained from the National Swine Herd Register for 39 of the study herds for the year 2014. The mean herd size of participating herds was 529 females with a standard deviation of ± 479 and mean annual mortality 9.0% ± 5.2%. As much as 22.8% of the 7437 slaughtered sows had at least one MI finding. Heavy carcasses were less likely to have at least one MI finding. A median (range) of 1.8% (0–7.2) and 11.8% (0–34.6) of the sows were recorded to have a whole and partial carcass condemnation, respectively. The most common MI findings were abscesses (5.7%, 0–16.3), shoulder ulcers (3.6%, 0–22.9) and arthritis (2.1%, 0–13.3). In individual carcasses, abscesses were associated with arthritis, shoulder ulcers and pneumonia, which was indicative that these animals most likely had a systemic infection. Pneumonia findings were associated with pleuritis. At the herd level, the increase of sow mortality by 1% was associated with an increased percentage of slaughtered females with at least one MI finding 0.8% (P = 0.01). If sow mortality increased by 1%, the odds ratio for the herd having more than a median percentage of pleuritis was 1.3 (95% confidence interval; 1.01−1.57, P = 0.04) compared to the situation of the herd having less than a median percentage of pleuritis. Also, if sow mortality increased by 1%, the percentage of partial carcass condemnations of females increased by 0.4% (P = 0.08). These results suggest that high mortality was associated with an increase of some MI findings. MI results of sows should be used in herd health follow-up of sow health.
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current food chain information provides insufficient information for modern Meat Inspection of pigs
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2016Co-Authors: Elina Felin, Elias Jukola, Saara Raulo, Jaakko Heinonen, Maria FredrikssonahomaaAbstract:Meat Inspection now incorporates a more risk-based approach for protecting human health against Meat-borne biological hazards. Official post-mortem Meat Inspection of pigs has shifted to visual Meat Inspection. The official veterinarian decides on additional post-mortem Inspection procedures, such as incisions and palpations. The decision is based on declarations in the food chain information (FCI), ante-mortem Inspection and post-mortem Inspection. However, a smooth slaughter and Inspection process is essential. Therefore, one should be able to assess prior to slaughter which pigs are suitable for visual Meat Inspection only, and which need more profound Inspection procedures. This study evaluates the usability of the FCI provided by pig producers and considered the possibility for risk ranking of incoming slaughter batches according to the previous Meat Inspection data and the current FCI. Eighty-five slaughter batches comprising 8954 fattening pigs were randomly selected at a slaughterhouse that receives animals from across Finland. The mortality rate, the FCI and the Meat Inspection results for each batch were obtained. The current FCI alone provided insufficient and inaccurate information for risk ranking purposes for Meat Inspection. The partial condemnation rate for a batch was best predicted by the partial condemnation rate calculated for all the pigs sent for slaughter from the same holding in the previous year (p<0.001) and by prior information on cough declared in the current FCI (p=0.02) statement. Training and information to producers are needed to make the FCI reporting procedures more accurate. Historical Meat Inspection data on pigs slaughtered from the same holdings and well-chosen symptoms/signs for reporting, should be included in the FCI to facilitate the allocation of pigs for visual Inspection. The introduced simple scoring system can be easily used for additional information for directing batches to appropriate Meat Inspection procedures. To control the main biological public health hazards related to pork, serological surveillance should be done and the information obtained from analyses should be used as part of the FCI.
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effects of centralizing Meat Inspection and food safety Inspections in finnish small scale slaughterhouses
Food Policy, 2015Co-Authors: Niina Kotisalo, Jenni Luukkanen, Maria Fredrikssonahomaa, Janne LundénAbstract:Abstract The official control of small-scale slaughterhouses has received criticism for inconsistent Meat Inspection fees and for the poor quality guidance and cooperation with food business operators (FBO) in Finland. The official control including both Meat Inspection (ante and post mortem) and food safety Inspections (verification of FBO’s self-Inspection) of small-scale slaughterhouses was centralized from municipalities to the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) in 2011 to address these perceived shortcomings. This study aimed to investigate the early effects of the centralization of Meat Inspection and food safety Inspections, specifically the standardization of Meat Inspection fees and the quality of Meat Inspection services. In March all small-scale slaughterhouses (n = 52) received a questionnaire on the effects of centralizing Meat Inspection. We interviewed 12 small-scale slaughterhouses on site and the official veterinarians of ten of these small-scale slaughterhouses by phone. The results showed that introducing a Meat Inspection fee structure based on fixed hourly taxation that includes a fixed travel expense, can lead to more standardized fees. The variation in Meat Inspection fees after centralization was significantly smaller (Levene’s test, p = 0.013) than before. Moreover, after centralization, Meat Inspection fees and the number of slaughtered animal units per year showed no significant correlation. Meat Inspection fees decreased for the majority of FBOs, which was expected because of the government subsidies the FBOs received. The majority of FBOs perceived the guidance as good both before and after centralization, and both FBOs and official veterinarians assessed their cooperation as good. The availability of official veterinarians to perform ante and post mortem Inspections posed no problem for most FBOs. However, 50% of the FBOs interviewed stated that the official veterinarian had performed no food safety Inspections after centralization, which can negatively impact food safety. The majority of the official veterinarians stated that the guidance they received from the NFSA improved after centralization, but they still urged more guidance on interpreting food safety requirements and performing food safety Inspections.
Pierre Dorny - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries
Parasites & Vectors, 2019Co-Authors: Marina Meester, Maria Vang Johansen, Sarah Gabriel, Pierre Dorny, Arno Swart, Huifang Deng, Annika Roon, Chiara Trevisan, Madalena Vieira-pinto, Joke GiessenAbstract:Background Taenia solium , a zoonotic tapeworm, is responsible for about a third of all preventable epilepsy human cases in endemic regions. In Europe, adequate biosecurity of pig housing and Meat Inspection practices have decreased the incidence of T. solium taeniosis and cysticercosis. Pigs slaughtered at home may have been raised in suboptimal biosecurity conditions and slaughtered without Meat Inspection. As a result, consumption of undercooked pork from home slaughtered pigs could pose a risk for exposure to T. solium . The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of human T. solium exposure from Meat of home slaughtered pigs, in comparison to controlled slaughtered pigs, in European countries. A quantitative microbial risk assessment model (QMRA) was developed and porcine cysticercosis prevalence data, the percentage of home slaughtered pigs, Meat Inspection sensitivity, the cyst distribution in pork and pork consumption in five European countries, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Romania and Spain, were included as variables in the model. This was combined with literature about cooking habits to estimate the number of infected pork portions eaten per year in a country. Results The results of the model showed a 13.83 times higher prevalence of contaminated pork portions from home slaughtered pigs than controlled slaughtered pigs. This difference is brought about by the higher prevalence of cysticercosis in pigs that are home raised and slaughtered. Meat Inspection did not affect the higher exposure from pork that is home slaughtered. Cooking Meat effectively lowered the risk of exposure to T. solium- infected pork. Conclusions This QMRA showed that there is still a risk of obtaining an infection with T. solium due to consumption of pork, especially when pigs are reared and slaughtered at home, using data of five European countries that reported porcine cysticercosis cases. We propose systematic reporting of cysticercosis cases in slaughterhouses, and in addition molecularly confirming suspected cases to gain more insight into the presence of T. solium in pigs and the risk for humans in Europe. When more data become available, this QMRA model could be used to evaluate human exposure to T. solium in Europe and beyond.
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assessment of routine Inspection method for diagnostic of porcine cysticercosis in south east benin by using Meat Inspection records and ag elisa test
International Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 2014Co-Authors: N Korsak, Claude Saegerman, E Azagoun, Souaibou Farougou, Sarah Gabriel, Pierre DornyAbstract:In South East Benin, control of porcine cysticercosis is carried out by using Meat Inspection. To assess routine Inspection method for diagnostic of porcine cysticercosis, two studies were carried out. The study 1 was conducted by using data collected from seizures records from 2006 to 2011. The most important organ condemned was tongue (0.54%, 95% CI: 0.48-0.60) and the most important proportion of carcasses seized was 0.74%. Prevalence of porcine cysticercosis estimated with Meat Inspection records was 0.87% (95% CI: 0.79-0.94). The study 2 was performed on thirty-six pigs and did not revealed porcine cysticercosis by tongue examination. Nevertheless, a case of porcine cysticercosis was observed at Meat Inspection and 72.22% of collected sera were tested positive by Ag-ELISA (26 positive on 36). The sensitivity and the specificity of Meat Inspection as performed by veterinary inspectors was (0.058, 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.307) and (1.00, 95% CI: 0.791 to 0.995), respectively and no relationship was observed between Meat Inspection diagnostic and Ag-ELISA. This study suggests permanent training of veterinary inspector and implementation of traceability system for efficient control of porcine cysticercosis.
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spatial distribution and risks factors of porcine cysticercosis in southern benin based Meat Inspection records
International Research Journal of Microbiology, 2013Co-Authors: S E Goussanou, Claude Saegerman, E Azagoun, Souaibou Farougou, Sarah Gabriel, Pierre Dorny, T M Kpodekon, A K I Youssao, Nicolas Praet, Nicolas Korsak KoulagenkoAbstract:Porcine cysticercosis, which is widely distributed in Africa, causes financial losses and diseases among humans. To control the disease in an area, it is important to know the geographical distribution. In this study, spatial distribution of porcine cysticercosis in southern Benin was performed. By using the number of partial organ seizures at Meat Inspection, the study has revealed high risks of porcine cysticercosis in administrative districts of Aplahoue, Dogbo, Klouekanme and Lokossa. The proportion of seizures ranged from 0.06% for neck muscles to 0.69% for tongues. Spatial analysis of carcass seizure frequencies revealed Akpro Misserete, Avrankou, Dangbo, Porto-Novo, Ifangni and Aguegues as the most likely clusters (P<0.001) for porcine cysticercosis distribution. The risk factor found to be associated with the porcine distribution was the Taenia solium cysticerci positive testing using lingual examination by butchers and retailers. Catching of pig within the Zou and Mono department and pigs directly purchased by the butcher were found protective factors for distribution of porcine cysticercosis in southern Benin.
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validation of Meat Inspection results for taenia saginata cysticercosis by pcr restriction fragment length polymorphism
Journal of Food Protection, 2007Co-Authors: Dirk Geysen, Kirezi Kanobana, Bjorn Victor, Richar Rodriguezhidalgo, Jean De Borchgrave, Jef Brandt, Pierre DornyAbstract:Bovine cysticercosis is a zoonosis caused by the larval stage (cysticercus) of the human tapeworm Taenia saginata. Infected cattle is an important food safety issue besides an economic concern. Humans get infected by eating raw or undercooked Meat containing viable cysticerci. Visual Meat Inspection of bovines is the only public health measure implemented to control transmission to humans, but it lacks sensitivity and objectivity. It may underestimate the prevalence of the disease by a factor 3 to 10. Furthermore, the success of the method depends on the expertise of the Meat inspector as well as on the stage of development of the cysticerci. The focus of this study was to develop and explore the usefulness of a PCR assay as an objective alternative to evaluate the Meat inspector's visual Inspection results. Hereto, a PCR was developed for the detection of T. saginata DNA in muscle lesions. Based on the laboratory classification of lesions, almost 97% of viable cysts were confirmed by PCR, while for dead cysts, the percentage was approximately 73%. Taken together, these data demonstrate the difficulties of visual Meat Inspection and their objective interpretation, emphasizing the need to improve current assays to strengthen the control of bovine cysticercosis.
Jan Tind Sorensen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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data from routine Meat Inspection is a poor indicator of the prevalence of tail lesions in undocked pigs
Porcine Health Management, 2020Co-Authors: Hanne Kongsted, Leslie Foldager, Jan Tind SorensenAbstract:We investigated the prevalence of tail lesions in batches of undocked slaughter pigs in herds just before delivery to an abattoir. At the abattoir, dehaired and scalded carcasses were submitted to routine Meat Inspection which included recording of tail lesions. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between clinically and abattoir- detected tail lesions in undocked pigs. During visits in 15 label-production herds, 2346 slaughter pigs from 24 batches were examined. Tail lesions were registered as mild healed, mild unhealed or severe. The median prevalence of the three categories in batches was 13, 9 and 6%, respectively. At the abattoir, tails were evaluated by public inspectors. Between 0 and 10% of pigs within batches (median: 1%) were registered with tail lesions at the abattoir. A linear regression model was used to compare the proportions of severe tail lesions registered in each batch within the herds with the proportions registered at the abattoir. We applied a leave-one-batch-out internal cross-validation on the model in order to explore a systematic relationship. The mean absolute difference between the predicted and the observed proportion was 9%-points. The coefficient of determination (r2) was 0.006. Our results indicate that there is no systematic relationship between clinically and abattoir-registered tail lesions in undocked pigs. Thus, abattoir registrations as carried out in the present study did not mirror the clinical situation properly. If Meat Inspection recordings should be used to reflect tail lesions in the herds, efforts must be undertaken to ensure a positive correlation between the two. Thus, abattoir registrations used as an indicator of tail bite prevalence in herds are currently not reliable.
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a comment on the paper a comparison between lesions found during Meat Inspection of finishing pigs raised under organic free range conditions and conventional indoor conditions by alban et al 2015
Porcine Health Management, 2016Co-Authors: Jan Tind SorensenAbstract:This is a critical comment on a paper published in Porcine Health Management in 2015, presenting a comparison between lesions from Meat Inspection at one abattoir on slaughter pigs classified in to two different production forms: organic/free-range conditions and conventional indoor conditions. The conclusion made by the paper that 13 lesion types has a higher prevalence in organic/free-range pigs and 4 lesion types occurred less frequently in organic/free-range finishers compared to conventional finishers is correct except that 5 (instead of 4) lesion types occurred less frequently in organic/free-range finishers. However, these five types of lesions represent 74 % of all lesions recorded among conventional indoor, conventional free-range and organic pigs in one slaughter house from October 1 2012 to September 26 2013.
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assessing animal welfare in sow herds using data on Meat Inspection medication and mortality
Animal, 2015Co-Authors: K M Knagerasmussen, Jan Tind Sorensen, Tine Rousing, Hans HoueAbstract:This paper aims to contribute to the development of a cost-effective alternative to expensive on-farm animal-based welfare assessment systems. The objective of the study was to design an animal welfare index based on central database information (DBWI), and to validate it against an animal welfare index based on-farm animal-based measurements (AWI). Data on 63 Danish sow herds with herd-sizes of 80 to 2500 sows and an average herd size of 501 were collected from three central databases containing: Meat Inspection data collected at animal level in the abattoir, mortality data at herd level from the rendering plants of DAKA, and medicine records at both herd and animal group level (sow with piglets, weaners or finishers) from the central database Vetstat. Selected measurements taken from these central databases were used to construct the DBWI. The relative welfare impacts of both individual database measurements and the databases overall were assigned in consultation with a panel consisting of 12 experts. The experts were drawn from production advisory activities, animal science and in one case an animal welfare organization. The expert panel weighted each measurement on a scale from 1 (not-important) to 5 (very important). The experts also gave opinions on the relative weightings of measurements for each of the three databases by stating a relative weight of each database in the DBWI. On the basis of this, the aggregated DBWI was normalized. The aggregation of AWI was based on weighted summary of herd prevalence’s of 20 clinical and behavioural measurements originating from a 1 day data collection. AWI did not show linear dependency of DBWI. This suggests that DBWI is not suited to replace an animal welfare index using on-farm animal-based measurements.
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evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of routine Meat Inspection of danish slaughter pigs using latent class analysis
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2010Co-Authors: Marianne Bonde, Nils Toft, Peter T Thomsen, Jan Tind SorensenAbstract:Two groups of observers, regular Meat inspectors and two veterinary researchers, respectively, conducted independent veterinary Meat Inspection of organs of slaughter pigs from organic or conventional production systems slaughtered at one abattoir in April 2005. A total of 3054 pigs (899 organic and 2155 conventional) were examined. The observed pathological disorders were grouped in four categories; respiratory disorders (RESP), parasitic disorders (PAR), intestinal disorders (INT) and heart disorders (HEART). Using a latent class model, the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of Meat inspectors and researchers were estimated without the assumption of an available gold standard. The Se for the regular Meat Inspection was found to be 0.92, 0.16, 0.24 and 0.49 for RESP, PAR, INT and HEART, respectively. The Se for the researchers was found to be 0.81, 0.96, 0.91 and 0.68 for RESP, PAR, INT and HEART, respectively. The Sp for the regular Meat Inspection was found to be between 0.98 and 1.00 for the four categories. The Sp for the researchers was found to be 0.83, 0.94, 0.76 and 0.99 for RESP, PAR, INT and HEART, respectively. The low Se of ordinary Meat Inspection for parasitic, intestinal and heart disorders will cause a significant underestimation of the prevalence of diseases reported to the pig producers. Based on our results the true prevalence of diseases (conventional vs. organic slaughter pigs) was (in %): 42 vs. 16, 5 vs. 51, 5 vs. 12 and 9 vs. 5 for RESP, PAR, INT and HEART, respectively.
Sava Buncic - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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from traditional Meat Inspection to development of Meat safety assurance programs in pig abattoirs the european situation
Food Control, 2019Co-Authors: Sava Buncic, Lis Alban, Bojan BlagojevicAbstract:Abstract The main goal of the present paper is to overview, using the example of pigs/pork, the developments in official Meat Inspection in the European Union that occurred from 2000 onwards. The developments aim at transition from traditional, macroscopic examination of slaughtered animals to a risk and Meat-chain based, comprehensive Meat safety assurance system. The scientific reasoning for those developments and the generic framework of a modernised system as proposed by the European Food Safety Authority, as well as the current status and future perspectives of related changes, are considered. Also, the main factors hampering the implementation of the changes in practice and possible directions for further work needed to overcome them are outlined.
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a qualitative risk assessment for visual only post mortem Meat Inspection of cattle sheep goats and farmed wild deer
Food Control, 2014Co-Authors: A Hill, V Horigan, K A Clarke, T C M Dewe, Katharina D C Stark, Sarah J Obrien, Sava BuncicAbstract:The UK Food Standards Agency is currently funding research to build the evidence base for the modernisation of Meat Inspection. This includes an assessment of the risks to public health and animal health/welfare of moving to a visual-only post-mortem Meat Inspection (PMMI), where routine mandatory palpation and incision procedures are omitted. In this paper we present the results of a risk assessment for a change from current to visual-only PMMI for cattle, sheep/goats and farmed/wild deer. A large list of hazard/species pairings were assessed and prioritised by a process of hazard identification. Twelve hazard/species pairings were selected for full consideration within the final risk assessment. The results of the public health risk assessment indicated that all hazard/species pairings were Negligible with the exception of Cysticercus bovis in cattle, which was judged to be of low-medium increased risk for systems not conforming to criteria as laid down by EC Regulation 1244/2007, compared to systems that do conform to Regulations for visual-only PMMI. Most hazard/species pairings were concluded to pose a potential increased risk to animal health/welfare, including Mycobacterium bovis (very low – low increase in risk, but with considerable uncertainty), Fasciola hepatica (negligible – very low) and Cysticercus bovis (very low – low). Due to low feedback rates to farmers, the real risk to animal health/welfare for F. hepatica and C. bovis, including animals in non-conforming systems under visual-only PMMI, is probably negligible. That then leaves M. bovis as the only confirmed non-negligible animal health and welfare risk.
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a risk and benefit assessment for visual only Meat Inspection of indoor and outdoor pigs in the united kingdom
Food Control, 2013Co-Authors: A Hill, Adam Brouwer, Neil Donaldson, Sarah L Lambton, Sava Buncic, Ian GriffithsAbstract:The current system of post-mortem Meat Inspection, using typical macroscopic Inspection techniques, is ineffective in identifying the most common foodborne illness hazards, e.g. Salmonella and Campylobacter. Therefore, there is a need to adopt a more appropriate, risk-based approach to Meat Inspection. One specific example of modifying traditional Inspection techniques to represent a more cost-effective approach to Meat Inspection is the allowance in EC Regulation 854/2004 for pigs that have been reared under controlled housing conditions since weaning to only undergo a visual Inspection. However, the definition of controlled housing excludes outdoor pig production, and hence the United Kingdom (UK) has yet to introduce this method of Meat Inspection into abattoirs because of the associated complications of having a large outdoor UK pig herd. Therefore, in the context of the UK Food Standards Agency's programme of work to modernise Meat hygiene Inspection, we have conducted a qualitative risk assessment to assess the comparative risks to public and animal health from allowing visual-only Inspection of both indoor and outdoor pigs. In order for visual-only Inspection to be of higher risk than traditional Meat Inspection, the sensitivity of detection of a hazard must significantly decrease under visual-only Inspection. In addition, for outdoor pigs to pose a greater risk than indoor pigs, the hazard must be more prevalent in the former than the latter. From a large number of hazards originally identified as worthy of investigation, only one (porcine tuberculosis) was considered to be of significant public or animal health risk and would be less likely to be detected through visual-only Inspection. Despite higher rates of porcine tuberculosis in outdoor pigs than indoor pigs, the relatively small number of additional heads/carcasses that are infected and would be missed by including outdoor pigs in visual-only Meat Inspection (compared to traditional Meat Inspection) would pose a negligible risk to public health and a negligible/very low risk to animal health/welfare. Hence, we concluded that the overall risk from all hazards to public health by transferring to a visual-only Inspection method was assessed as negligible for all pigs.
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a study of haptoglobin levels in groups of cattle and pigs with and without abnormalities at Meat Inspection
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 2011Co-Authors: Bojan Blagojevic, Dragan Antic, Miroslav Ducic, Sava BuncicAbstract:Abstract A total of 96 bovines originating from 36 farms and 97 pigs from five farms were slaughtered in two multispecies abattoirs and subjected to official Meat Inspection and haptoglobin (Hp) testing using a single radial immunodiffusion method. No direct correlation between Hp level and specific postmortem abnormalities was found at individual cattle/pig level. However, at animal group level, the mean of Hp values (in both cattle and pigs) were statistically significantly higher in animals with abnormalities than in those without. The study indicated that the mean Hp value in groups of cattle or pigs can be useful as an overall objective indicator of the overall status of cattle/pig batches when analyzing the food chain information as a part of the antemortem Inspection at abattoirs, but related specific Hp criteria are currently missing. Because of the large variability and nonspecific nature of Hp-related responses in cattle and pigs, establishing a single, reliable cutoff Hp value differentiating b...