TD 03/165 Inspection procedures for the head and head meats of cattle (including calves)

Judy Barker, Assistant Director (Animal Product Standards)

1

Background

1.1

Recent scientific work has shown that a number of traditional post mortem meat inspection procedures for cattle are not justified in terms of food-borne disease.

This amendment describes new post mortem inspection procedures for the head and head meats of adult cattle and calves. These new procedures are applicable to all markets.

The new inspection procedures result in considerable changes in good hygienic practice (GHP) for dressing of heads. Where head meats are not saved for human consumption, inspection and GHP requirements are markedly reduced.

Existing bovine heart inspection requirements (refer 1.2), inserted for ease of reference, remain unchanged unless otherwise specified in this amendment.

This TD specifies criteria for post-mortem inspection under regulation 123 of the Meat Regulations 1969 and regulation 112 of the Game Regulations 1975.

1.2

Heart inspection procedures for adult cattle

The following are the existing routine heart inspection procedures;

• View and palpate all external surfaces of the heart and view and palpate the pericardium.

• Open the heart by cutting through the wall of the left ventricle, the interventricular septum and the atrioventricular orifices.
• View the internal surface of the heart and muscular surfaces exposed by the incisions. Palpate the internal surface of the heart and muscular surfaces exposed by the incisions.
• Make one incision from the base to apex into each of the cut surfaces of the interventricular septum.
• Make one incision parallel to these into each side of the internal surface of the left ventricle about 10 to 20 mm from the base of the septum.
• Make the incisions at least 75 mm long and sufficiently deep for adequate inspection (but not so deep as to penetrate the outer surface of the heart).

2

Routine inspection procedures for the head and head meats of adult cattle

2.1

If neither the tongue nor masseter muscles are saved for human consumption:

• View eyes, including surrounding tissue

• Incise and view atlantal, parotid, retropharyngeal and submaxillary lymph nodes

The head must be removed from the carcass in a manner that allows inspection of lymph nodes. Flushing of the oropharynx may be required to clear ingesta so that inspection activities can be carried out.

2.2

When the tongue is saved for human consumption:

• Apply procedures referred to in section 2.1

• The tongue must be clean prior to presentation for inspection

• View and palpate tongue

The ventral aspect of the head must be skinned so that the tongue can be removed in a hygienic manner. Inspection and hygienic removal of the tongue may require flushing of the oropharynx.

The tongue must be washed prior to leaving the slaughter floor.

 2.3

When the tongue and masseter muscles are saved for human consumption:

• Apply the inspection and hygienic procedures in section 2.1 and 2.2

• View and palpate masseter muscles

The lateral aspect of the head must be skinned sufficiently to enable inspection and removal in a hygienic manner. Cross contamination, such as water transfer between the skin and meat, must be avoided.

Flushing of the oropharynx may be required for hygienic removal of the internal masseter muscles.

The masseter muscles shall be excluded from the human food chain if xanthosis is detected.

 3

Procedures when a suspect C bovis cyst is detected under routine inspection

3.1

Inspection procedures

Where suspect C bovis cyst(s) is/are found during routine post mortem inspection of the head and/or any other part of the animal, the following additional inspection procedures are required:

• After the external and internal (medial part only) masseter muscles have been dropped or removed from the head, make two deep incisions into the external masseter and one deep incision into the internal masseter, and view and palpate all exposed muscle surfaces.

• After the tongue has been dropped or removed, view and palpate. Then make a ventral longitudinal midline incision through the suspensory muscle of the tongue, and view.

• View, palpate, and incise the heart according to the following additional procedures;

make two additional incisions, each parallel to and midway between the edge of the heart and the incision that was made into the internal surface of the ventricle. These incisions should be equal in depth and extent of the routine incisions but should not penetrate the outer surface of the heart.

3.2

Suspect lesions shall be submitted in accordance with Manual 16 section 4.2

4

Procedures when an animal is submitted from a Taenia saginata Suspect List farm

4.1

Cattle from farms on the suspect list shall only be slaughtered in premises capable of freezing or heat-treating product, or capable of ensuring product security where these processes are applied at another premises.

4.2

Additional procedures to those specified in section 3 (for the round and the foreleg) are required for all slaughtered animals from farms that are on the T. saginata suspect farm list if the product is intended for export.

These additional procedures include;

• Make an incision into each inside round exposing the musculature cross-section.

• Make a transverse incision into each forelimb commencing 5 or 8 cm (2 or 3 inches) above the point of the olecranon and extending to the humerus.

The cuts in the round and in the foreleg are made on a slope to facilitate viewing the cut surfaces.

Cuts surfaces shall be viewed.

4.3

Suspect lesions shall be submitted in accordance with Manual 16 section 4.2

4.4

A farm will remain on the Suspect List until post mortem inspection outcomes and an epidemiological investigation/information indicate that infection has been eliminated.

5

Disposition of product

5.1

Where the carcass or offals are found to have C bovis the options in 5.2 and 5.3 are available.

5.2

Where a carcass or offals are found to have a suspect C bovis lesion on post mortem inspection the operator must either;

1. Exclude the carcass and offals from the human food chain by rendering, or
2. Detain the carcass and/or offals pending laboratory confirmation, if appropriate identification and storage facilities are available, or
3. Process the carcass and offals by freezing at -12^oC or colder for a minimum of 20 days or heating to a core temperature of 56^oC for more than one second

If option b) is selected for the carcass the offals may be subject to either option a) or c).

5.3

Where a carcass or offals are found to have T. saginata confirmed by the laboratory the operator must either;

1. Exclude the carcass and offals from the human food chain by rendering, or
2. Process the carcass and offals by freezing at -12^oC or colder for a minimum of 20 days or heating to a core temperature of 56^oC for more than one second

If option b) is selected for the carcass the offals may be subject to option a).

5.4

Notwithstanding sections 5.2 and 5.3, carcasses that are heavily infested with C bovis lesions (riddled) at post mortem inspection shall be condemned (rendered).

5.5

Where a suspect cyst is confirmed as C bovis, all edible product from that animal, unless excluded from the human food chain, shall be frozen or heat-treated before release to the New Zealand market.

Meat and offals from animals with suspect C bovis lesion(s) shall not be exported unless the lesion(s) is/are confirmed as negative for C bovis.

6

Listing of Taenia saginata suspect farms

6.1

Farms that have supplied animals that are confirmed to have C bovis may be placed on the Taenia saginata suspect farms list by NZFSA. This list shall be made available to MAFVA and to operators that slaughter bovine animals as appropriate.

7

Operator responsibilities in the boning room

7.1

The operator shall ensure that boning room personnel receive training in therecognition of C bovis suspect cysts and shall detain any cuts with suspect cysts for examination by an animal products officer or official assessor.

Individual cuts of meat with suspect or confirmed cysts shall not be saved for human or animal consumption unless processed by freezing at -12^oC or colder for a minimum of 20 days or heating to a core temperature of 56^oC for more than one second.

7.2

Training material shall be approved by NZFSA.

7.3

Before implementation of this TD, the operator shall apply to MAFVA premises staff for approval to operate in accordance with the TD. The approval shall be given in writing once MAF VA are satisfied that that boning room staff have been trained and that the requirements of this TD will be met.

8

Inspection procedures for the heads of young calves

8.1

When the tongue is not saved for human consumption:

•  No inspection of the head or tongue is required

The head may be hygienically disposed of prior to post mortem inspection of the carcass.

 8.2

When the tongue is saved for human consumption:

• View the tongue
• The tongue must be clean prior to presentation for inspection

The operator shall remove the tongue from the head in a hygienic manner, and present it for inspection on the viscera table.

The ventral aspect of the head must be skinned so that the tongue can be removed in a hygienic manner. Inspection and hygienic removal of the tongue may require flushing of the oropharynx.

The head may be hygienically disposed of after the tongue has been placed on the viscera table.

The tongue must be washed prior to leaving the slaughter floor.

8.3

When the brain is saved for human consumption:

• No head inspection is required

The operator must remove the brain from the head in a hygienic manner. Cross contamination, such as water transfer between the skin and brain must be avoided. The head shall be completely skinned unless an exemption is given in writing by the Director (Animal Products).

8.4

Dispositions

Refer Manual 16 for bobby calf dispositions.

9

Implementation

9.1

The provisions of this TD become operative once the requirements of section 7 of this TD have been met (ie upon approval of the training material and implementation of each bovine slaughter premises training programme).

10

Revocations

10.1

Sections 4 and 5 of Technical Directive 02/124 no longer apply once the provisions of this TD become operative in accordance with section 5 of this TD.

Manual 16 Appendix 3 head inspection procedures for cattle and bobby calves are revoked as replaced by this TD.

Manual 16 Appendix 4 Dispositions relating to T. saginata are revoked as replaced by this TD.

11

Definitions

Animal products officer and official assessor have the same meaning as in the Animal Products Act 1999.

Confirmed means confirmed by an accredited laboratory using a method approved by NZFSA.

Epidemiological information means non-detection of the cysts of T. saginata in a total of 350 slaughter animals introduced to a Suspect Farm (or group of farms) after detection of the initial case on the farm, or other epidemiological information demonstrating that the infection has been eliminated.

Operator means the operator of a risk management programme registered under the Animal Products Act 1999 or the licensee of a premises licensed under the Meat Act 1981.

Premises means a premises operating a registered risk management programme under the Animal Products Act 1999 or a premises licensed under the Meat Act 1981.