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Administrative Manual

11 Appendix 1: Wild Animal (Including Live Possums) and Game Estate Animal Sanitation Guidelines

11.1 Introduction

All killed mammals and live possums must be handled appropriately to ensure the animal material remains fit for intended purpose. The requirements for the recovery and presentation of wild mammal material (including live possums) are described in clauses 43 to 47 of the Animal Products (Specifications for Products Intended for Human Consumption) Notice 2004. The requirements for recovery and presentation of game estate animal material are described in clauses 49 to 54 of the Animal Products (Specifications for Products Intended for Human Consumption) Notice 2004. Compliance with these specifications is mandatory and further, is considered good sanitary practice. It will help to ensure that risks from chemical and biological hazards are minimised.

11.2 Wild Animals and Game Estate Animals

11.2.1 Overview

Gutting operations need to be conducted in such a manner that contamination of the raw material by spilling of intestinal content is minimal. Care in handling carcases to prevent contamination by chemicals and other potentially harmful materials from the environment should be a consideration. Product must be placed under refrigeration within specified times to help prevent spoilage. These guidelines will help suppliers to meet requirements.

11.2.2 Signs of Disease or Illness

Animals must show no signs of being sick or dying prior to being killed. Only healthy animals that have been killed by or under the direct supervision of a certified supplier or certified game estate supplier are eligible for processing. For example an animal that dies as a result of drowning while being hunted is not eligible for processing.

11.2.3 Signs of Being Farmed

Animals, other than game estate animals, showing any signs of having been farmed must not be presented for processing (unless a specific approval has been granted e.g. farmed animals gone feral, escaped animals). Signs of being farmed may include brands, ear marks, ear tags and holes in the ear, consistent with having been tagged.

11.2.4 Shooting

Where at all possible, gut shots should be avoided, as these can result in damage to the digestive tract and considerable contamination of the carcass. Non-fragmental ammunition should be used as this minimises the risk of bullet fragments remaining in the product and the degree of damage to the carcass and subsequent down grading of product. The use of shot guns is also discouraged due to the degree of damage these may cause resulting in downgrading of product. Animals killed with a shot gun are more difficult to process, often requiring extensive trimming and resulting in considerable wastage.

11.2.5 Bleeding

Animals should be bled as soon as possible after killing. When bleeding animals it is important that the major blood vessels in the neck are opened. If animals are not adequately bled or bleeding is delayed, it may result in spoilage of the animal due to increased risk of microbiological growth in the meat and dark colouring, making it unsuitable for processing. At times there may be pooling of blood in the chest cavity, if possible this should be drained out when the pluck is freed.

11.2.6 Evisceration (large animals)

This should be done as soon as possible after the animal has been bled.

• Open up the skin first by cutting outwards away from the carcass so hair is not left on the underlying tissue. Open the abdomen with a cut extending from the navel to the front of the aitch bone (pelvis).

• If possible wash hands and knife at this time with clean water, before opening the abdominal muscle.

• Cut into the abdominal muscle taking care not to puncture the paunch/stomach, intestines, bladder or uterus (especially if pregnant) avoiding spillage of content. Keep opening cuts to the minimal size to permit the evisceration process to be completed with a degree of ease. Avoid excessive cuts into the pelvic muscle as this may result in gapping of the muscle increasing the risk of contamination.

• Hygienically remove the:

• paunch/stomachs and intestine including the bung (rectum and anus); and

• bladder; and

• female reproductive organs (uterus). In the male leave the pizzle and testicles attached to the carcass.

• Leave the kidneys in the carcass. This can be done by either leaving them in situ, or by freeing them but leaving them attached to the pluck.

• Free the pluck (heart, lung and liver). This can be done by cutting around the skirt (diaphragm) as close as possible to the ribs but leaving it attached to the pluck and leaving a muscle attachment to the brisket area. Clear the weasand (windpipe and oesophagus) at the thoracic opening (neck/chest) and pull though with the pluck. The partially freed pluck may then be hung on the outside of the carcass allowing quicker cooling of the chest cavity.

• Clean hands and knife when they become heavily contaminated preferably in clean running water.

11.2.7 Evisceration (small animals)

• Open up the skin first by cutting outwards away from the carcass so hair is not left on the underlying tissue. Open the abdomen with a cut extending from the navel to the front of the aitch bone (pelvis). The cut size should be kept as small as possible.

• If possible wash hands and knife at this time with clean water, before opening the abdominal muscle.

• Hygienically remove the paunch/stomachs and intestine including the bung (rectum and anus).

• Leave the kidney, heart, lungs and liver attached to the carcass.

• Clear the neck by removing the windpipe.

• Clean hands and knife when they become heavily contaminated preferably in clean running water.

11.2.8 Washing

The specifications state that wild and game estate mammals must not be washed. This is because although washing a carcass may make it look cleaner, the water tends to spread contamination throughout the carcass, while high moisture levels promote microbiological growth increasing the risk to product.

11.2.9 Skin and Head

Leave the skin (hide) on the carcass as this protects the carcass from gross contamination. The head and ears should remain attached to the carcass. If for any reason the head is removed (e.g. for ease of transport), the head must be positively identified with the carcass and the ears should remain attached to the hide on the carcass. When dressing around the head and throat area it is important to make certain that the head glands are not removed as these are required for post-mortem examination.

A special exception to the requirement to leave the skin (hide) on the carcass is the ‘caping’ of game estate animals. When this happens the skin is removed from the shoulders forward for the purposes of producing a ‘trophy’. The carcass must be protected from any contamination and all parts of the carcass required for post-mortem examination must be present.

11.2.10 Cooling

It is important that the carcase temperature is lowered as quickly as possible, without freezing, to minimise microbiological growth and spoilage. There is little biological growth in air temperatures of less than 10°C and meat temperatures of less than 7°C.

For large animals, the specifications require carcasses to be subject to chilling within 10 hours of killing and to arrive at the processing premises within 24 hours of being shot. If a listed animal material depot is used, this time period may be extended out to 96 hours provided the carcasses have been subject to chilling within 10 hours of killing. It should be noted that only animal material depots that are listed with the NZFSA may be used for the temporary holding of mammal material prior to delivery to the primary processor. The aim of the hunter should therefore be to get the carcass to the processing premise or listed animal material depot as soon as possible after it has been killed. Avoid leaving carcasses in the open sunlight prior to delivery for processing; this becomes significant during the summer due to the risk of the carcass heating-up and the potential for product to be blown by flies.

For rabbits, hares and wallabies, the carcasses should be placed under refrigeration within 4 hours of being killed (if the ambient temperature is above 10°C) or within 12 hours of being killed (if the ambient temperature is at all times below 10°C).

11.2.11 Handling During Transportation

Care should be taken when transporting carcasses to make certain they are not contaminated by agricultural chemicals and things such as aviation gas. Special care needs to be taken if hunters or their vehicles are also used for transporting material used in vermin control programmes. These vehicles need to be thoroughly cleaned or not used for transportation of carcasses, due to the risk of contamination of the meat. The specifications prohibit the use of chemicals that could affect the suitability of the carcasses for processing. For this reason fly sprays may not be used on carcasses.

Carcasses are best transported in the hanging position to facilitate cooling. Avoid piling carcasses on top of one other because this may inhibit cooling and increase the risk of contamination between carcasses. Make certain that refrigeration facilities are not over-loaded as this may also affect cooling efficiency.

It is important that carcasses are always held and handled hygienically in accordance with the Animal Products (Specifications for Products Intended for Human Consumption) Notice 2004 so as to be fit for intended purpose.

11.3 Live Possums

Possums differ in the hygiene and sanitation requirements from other wild animals, as these animals are caught and held live, prior to processing.

11.3.1 Signs of Disease or Illness

Possums should show no signs of being sick or dying prior to being caught. Only healthy possums that have been caught by the certified supplier are eligible for slaughter and processing.