risk based meat inspection in 1905, but not in 2005? truls nesbakken professor norwegian school of...
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Risk based meat inspection in 1905, but not in 2005?
Truls Nesbakken
Professor
Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
Dept. of Food Safety and Infection Biology
A litte about…. The history of meat inspection The new EU regulation Zoonotic agents - possibility for intervention
in the meat chain The Nordic project Some future possibilities
in relation to research
Gro Harlem Brundtland former director-general in WHO
”We need to accept that the systems we use in Europe to ensure food safety are not as good as we have come to believe.
To improve these systems and re-establish consumer confidence, we must reassess them all the way from the farm to the table”
The meat inspection in 2005
Why should you go to the doctor if he only examined you for diseases that occurred 100 years ago?
In a tabloid context, meat inspection might be described in the same way. The meat inspection of today has a focus on a disease panorama that was relevant long time ago
Accordingly, the important zoonoses of today are not detected and the consumer has not an optimal defence against these diseases
The background for the classic meat inspection – The German Scientific Breakthrough (1850-1900)
Pathology, Parasittology• Trichinella• Tapeworms • Echinococcus
Microbiology• Tuberculosis• Robert Koch• Louis Pasteur
Risk based meat inspection in 1905 (Robert von Ostertag)
Inspection Palpation Incision
• Lymph nodes• Muscles• Organs
Specific investigation• Trichinella
Bovine tuberculosis - history in Norway, still a problem in UK
Salivary gland Lymph node
The compulsory procedure of incisions of the submaxillary lymph nodes (EU commission)
This lymph node contains Yersinia bacteria in about
15% of all slaughter pigs in Norway
Slaughter hygiene (pigs): Contamination of carcasses with Salmonella due to meat inspection procedures (The Netherlands)
5-35 % of contamination due to meat
inspection and the procedures after this
position
Agent Herd level
Meat inspection
Slaughter De-boning
Processing
Salmonella +++ - ++ - +
E. coli O157:H7 +? - ++ - +
Yersinia enterocolitica
+++ - ++ - +
Campylobacter (poultry)
+++ - - - ++* (freezing)
Listeria monocytogenes
- - - - ++
Toxoplasma gondii
+ - - - ++* (freezing)
Tapeworms – intermediate stadium
++ ++ - + +
Trichinella (+) +++ - - ++* (freezing)
Possibility for intervention / reduction of zoonotic agents in the meat chain
CODEX:”Young” Oceania against ”old” Europe
A basic disagreement about who and how meat inspetion shold be performed and the degree of official inspection and control Australia <:::::::::::::::::::::> Austria/Germany
- Industrial quality - Official employees
systembased on
HACCP
- Audits - Inspection
- Dynamic - Static
The new EU regulation – Hygiene 3
A risk based meat inspection based on scientific evidence
Meat inspection based on the zoonotic panorama in the region
The official veterinarian has a central role ”Food chain information”
EU – post - mortem inspeksjon
Visual post mortem inspection (pm) of pigs from integrated production systems
Other animal species might be assessed in relation to future visual pm
Possibility for dispensation for trichinella tests of pigs from integrated production systems under particular circumstances
Some scientific aspects in relation to protection of the consumer against zoonoses….
Categorisation as a system for control with zoonotic agents
Animals carrying zoonotic agents might be picked out by• Serological or bacteriological testing of
flocks at herd level• Serological testing in the abattoir• Historical data based on such tests
One example of categorisation in the Nordic countries
The Danish salmonella program based on serology of slaughter pigs:• The level of salmonella in fresh meat
has dropped from 2.3 % in 1996 to 1.4% in 2004,
• Prevalence of salmonellose in humans caused by pig related salmonella has dropped from about 20 per 100.000 people in 1993 to 3.8 in 2003.
Modern meat inspection in a Nordic context (2002-2006)
The Nordic countries Represents more than 20 mill. people:
• Sweden• Denmark• Norway• Finland• Iceland
• Mainly small farms, but also big farm units (in particular pig production in Denmark)
• No animal markets and animal auctions
Project organisation
Funded by the Council of Nordic Ministers In the steering group, each of the Nordic countries is
represented by• one person from the authorities• one person from the organisation of the
slaughterhouses The steering group has pointed out two abattoirs in
each of the Nordic countries• to carry out projects by the meat inspection units
in co-operation with the slaughter houses
Steering group meeting in Oslo 25.-26.8.2005
Ron Dwinger from the EU Commission paid us a visit
Vision
A risk-based* meat inspection based on a sustainable Nordic primary production with healthy animals providing safe meat to healthy consumers (visionary meat inspection)
* containing any performance objective, performance criterion or process criterion developed according to risk analysis principles.
Vision (cont.)
Such a vision may result into a risk-based meat inspection based on:• Risk management of animals according to
important zoonotic agents• audits • delegation of rational and reasonable tasks to the
industry with the goal that food safety aspects and consumers confidence are not compromised
• cost effectiveness
The overall objective
To investigate and test solutions to achieve an efficient and risk based meat inspection in the Nordic countries
The specific objectives
At Nordic level, evaluate practical and relevant ways of
Risk assessment of important Nordic zoonosesFood chain informationStaffing of meat inspection
The specific objectives (cont.)
To propose new and relevant training programs for both veterinarians and technicians working in meat inspection to achieve relevant qualifications according to the new regulations,
Argue for a change in the legislation towards a visionary meat inspection system, and more based on employees from the industry and audits from the authorities
The specific objectives (cont.) Argue for a change of the legislation towards
a real risk-based meat inspection also comprising cattle, sheep and lambs (and not only pigs),
Communicate results from the project to the authorities in the Nordic countries, the Nordic meat industry and the EU Commission during the whole project period.
Examples of specific projects running
Risk assessment on specific zoonotic agents in a Nordic context
Food chain information• Theoretical• Practical
Relevant number of veterinarians and technical personnel in meat inspection units
Professional qualifications
Examples of specific projects running…(cont.)
Ante mortem inspection at herd level? (Norway)
Improvement of the quality of slaughter pigs (Finland)
Categorisation of herdsbased on historical data…Toxoplasma in lamb as an example (Norway/Iceland)
…and we hope to use this one…:
When a Member State adopts national measures implementing a pilot project to try out new approaches to hygiene controls on meat in accordance with paragraphs 3 to 7, the Member State shall communicate the results to the Commission as soon as they are available.
The Commission shall then consider proposing general measures in with paragraph 1.
The European and global aspects
EU• EFSA• 6th og 7th Framework programs…
Codex – WHO – WTO Veterinary Public Health
The future meat inspection system
From farm to table
Flexible and dynamic
Protects the consumer
Based on risk assessment
A meaningful work
Based on cost-benefit
Questions about the project?
….please, send an e-mail to the co-ordinator: [email protected]