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Amendment 4: Industry Standard/Industry Agreed Standard 5

Date: July 2009

1 Background

Industry Standard 5 “Slaughter and Dressing” was first issued in 1993. This is the fourth amendment. This document can be located at the following internet address: http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/animalproducts/meat/meatman/is5/index.htm

NZFSA in association with the industry has undertaken an evaluation of bobby calf processing in New Zealand. The review made a number of recommendations that could assist industry to minimise the contamination of bobby calves during slaughter and dressing. NZFSA and industry have agreed that these recommendations will be issued as guidance for the 2009 processing season. At the end of the season a review will be undertaken to determine if the recommendations should remain as guidance or if some or all should become procedures.

2 Amendment Details

Section 21.1 of IS5 is amended by adding the following words at the end of that section

“The following guidance is provided on dressing of bobby calves with further explanation in italics.

1. Companies are strongly encouraged to use an effective rectal bung and preferably as soon as the procedure can be carried out.
The physical requirements of an ideal rectal bung are that it should not be possible to puncture the colon (as the white plastic cone has occasionally been reported to do), is flexible and compressible, absorbent, easy to insert and cheap. Fourteen premises used a plastic cone (either singly or in combination with another type) but none of the bung types used in New Zealand met all of the above criteria and companies are encouraged to use the foam rubber bung (2 x 7cm²) that is in standard use in Australia.

2. The tail should be left entire until after the hide puller and then removed entirely prior to the ringing station.
If for some reason the company wishes to shorten the tail by cutting through the hide and there is any possibility of the tip of the tail being handled or contacting the carcass, then the tail must be shortened further (tipped) after the hide puller before any contamination can occur. Very few premises save the tail as an edible product, with most that do, collecting it as pet food (dog chews).

3. The weasand should be isolated and clipped prior to the Y cut.

4. If the forelegs are not shortened prior to the scales, premises should ensure that contamination of the knuckles on the forelegs during the shifting from the wide to narrow spreaders is minimized.

5. The pizzle should be clipped after the hide puller so that contact between the hide and a section of the pizzle that may eventually contact the carcass can be avoided.
The weasand clip appears to be slightly larger than ideal to completely occlude many pizzles and the most effective clip was the plastic butterfly (wing) clip.

6. A ringing hook should be used so that any contact between the ringer’s hand, the anus and the carcass is eliminated.

7. Trimming should be done using tweezers.

8. Rectal contents should be contained by bagging after careful ringing and exteriorization of the anus, followed by replacement into the rectal cavity.
If the bagging procedure is adopted, it must be done in an effective and hygienic manner. This procedure was viewed at one Australian premises (chain speed 8.5 per minute) and by using a plastic bag and rubber band the distal rectum was effectively sealed.

9. The bung set should be left attached to the colon.
A full bladder can cause problems with the weight causing the bung set to contact the brisket and forelegs. Best practice would be to remove the bladder prior to pulling the bung set out, then leave the bung set attached to the colon.
Wrapping the bung set in a paper towel or minding the bung set also appears to decrease the likelihood of carcass contamination although compared to bagging the bung set after exteriorisation, the bung set still has to be taken back through the rectal cavity after ringing for it to be wrapped or minded, with the attendant risk of contamination of the rectal cavity.

Note: An example of “minding the bung” is for the bung set to be carefully held and passed onto the guttie by a slaughterman positioned to receive the bung set from the opener after he has pulled it free of the pelvic cavity.

10. Steam vacuum intervention on the forequarters and concentrated on the areas exposed by opening Y cuts appears to have the best hygienic outcome and should be encouraged.
Processors are encouraged to concentrate on the forelegs, axillae and brisket areas. “

3 Implementation

Immediate

Amendment authorised by:

(Signed)

Judy Barker
Assistant Director (Production and Processing)
New Zealand Standards
New Zealand Food Safety Authority