8. ANTE-MORTEM AND POST-MORTEM INSPECTION OF MEAT
(Official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption)
In the framework of revising food hygiene law (‘hygiene package’), the European Union has established a Community framework for official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption and the laying down of specific rules for fresh meat, bivalve molluscs, milk and dairy products. The following text is a summary of the part of the Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29April2004 laying down specific rules for the organization of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption and can be found at the websites of the European Union: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/food_safety/veterinary_checks_and_food_hygiene/f84003_en.htm.
COMMUNITY ESTABLISHMENTS
The competent authorities approve establishments that comply with Community regulations on hygiene of food. Food business operators must provide the competent authority with all the assistance needed in carrying out the control, notably as regards access to premises and the presentation of documentation or records. The official controls include audits of good hygiene practices and HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), as well as specific controls whose requirements are determined by sector (fresh meat, bivalve molluscs, fishery products, milk and dairy products).
FRESH MEAT - Official veterinarian
Appointed and authorized by the competent authority, the official veterinarian will have solid professional qualifications, recognized by having passed an aptitude test covering all the subjects for which he is competent. He will audit:
· the permanent application of good hygiene practice (maintenance of plant structure and equipment, plant hygiene, staff hygiene, training, processing of animal by-products not intended for human consumption, etc.);
· the procedures based on the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system, notably in the following areas: compliance of products of animal origin with microbiological criteria, absence of excessive quantities of prohibited substances, contaminants or chemical residues, absence of physical hazards, such as foreign bodies, absence of patho-physiological abnormalities or changes, absence of contamination.
The inspection tasks of the official veterinarian concern the following aspects:
· food chain information giving health data concerning animals which have been sent or will be sent for slaughter.
· ante-mortem inspections (except for wild game). Within 24hours of arrival at the slaughterhouse and less than 24hours before slaughter, all animals must undergo ante-mortem inspections. The official veterinarian verifies the existence of any sign indicating that the welfare of the animals has been compromised or signs of any condition which might adversely affect human or animal health.
· animal welfare during transport and during slaughter.
· post-mortem inspections. Carcasses and offal of slaughtered animals are subjected to visual inspection and mandatory incisions. With a view to a definitive diagnosis, or to detect the presence of an animal disease or other factors rendering the meat unfit for consumption, the official veterinarian may conduct an additional examination and take samples for scientific analysis in the laboratory. Adequate precautions must be taken to avoid contamination during examination.
· specified Risk Material. In compliance with Community legislation on transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSEs), specified risk material is sampled, separated and, where appropriate, marked.
· laboratory testing. The official veterinarian takes samples to detect the possible presence of zoonoses, TSE, other diseases or unauthorized substances.
· health marking for stock cattle, and large farmed and wild game. After completion of the post-mortem inspection, meat fit for consumption must be health-marked in ink or by hot branding. This mark is oval, legible, indelible, and readily visible to the controlling authorities, showing the name of the consigning country and the approval number of the establishment. The nature and content of this marking must follow specific provisions, depending on the type of meat and the type of packaging.
The results of inspections must be recorded in writing and incorporated in the relevant databases. Whenever a problem is identified, this information must be communicated to the operator of the meat establishment, the competent authority and the persons responsible for supervising the holding of provenance of the animals. The official veterinarian shall take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent the possible spread of the infectious agent.
Responsibilities and frequency of controls
The national authority shall guarantee appropriate official supervision in meat establishments. The nature and intensity of the official supervision shall be based on a regular assessment of the risks to human and animal health and the animal welfare aspects. At least one official veterinarian should be present throughout both the ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, although some flexibility may be applied in the case of some establishments slaughtering or processing game.
In order to carry out official inspections, a certain number of professional qualifications are required. The veterinarian must also pass a test organized by the competent authority, confirming candidates’ knowledge in all the areas relating to their work (in particular national and Community legislation on health, good hygiene and farming practices, HACCP principles, and relevant aspects as regards epidemiology and TSEs). Moreover, each veterinarian must have 200hours of practical training before being allowed to work on their own.
When carrying out inspections, the official veterinarian may be assisted by official auxiliaries placed under his authority. Auxiliaries, whose tasks are clearly defined, must first have received training (at least 500hours of theoretical training and 400hours of practical training) which must be approved by an aptitude test covering all the subjects for which they are competent.
Moreover, Member States may authorize staff of poultry and rabbit slaughterhouses to carry out certain inspection activities normally carried out by official auxiliaries. The staff in question must have received specific prior training.
Phrases and expressions
Subjects and authorities /ˈsʌbdʒɪkts/ /ɔːˈθɒrətiz/ Subjekty a úřady
food business operator /fuːd ˈbɪznəs ˈɒpəˌreɪtə(r)/ provozovatel potravinářského
podniku
official veterinarian /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l ˌvet(ə)rɪˈneəriən/ úřední veterinární lékař
national authority /ˈnæʃ(ə)nəl ɔːˈθɒrəti/ vnitrostátní orgán
official auxiliaries /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l ɔːɡˈzɪliəriz/ úřední pomocní veterinární
pracovníci
competent authority /ˈkɒmpɪtənt ɔːˈθɒrəti/ příslušný orgán
controlling authority /kənˈtrəʊlɪŋ ɔːˈθɒrəti/ kontrolní orgán
meat establishment /miːt ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/ masný závod
stock cattle /stɒk ˈkæt(ə)l/ chovný dobytek
large farmed and wild game /lɑː(r)dʒ fɑː(r)md… waɪld ɡeɪm/velká farmová a volně žijící zvěř
operator of the meat establishment /ˈɒpəˌreɪtə(r).../provozovatel zařízení k produkci masa
holding of provenance of the animals /…ˈprɒvənəns…/hospodářství odkud zvířata pocházejí
Inspection /ɪnˈspekʃ(ə)n/ Prohlídka, kontrola
audits of good hygienic practices /ˈɔːdɪts… ˈpræktɪsiz/ audity správné hygienické praxe
regular assessment of the risks /ˈreɡjʊlə(r) əˈsesmənt…/ pravidelné posuzování rizik
reveal deficiencies or irregularities odhalit nedostatky nebo nesrovnalosti
/rɪˈviːl dɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nsiz ɔː(r) ɪˌreɡjʊˈlærətiz/
extra controls at the operator’s expense mimořádné kontroly na náklady provozovatele
/ˈekstrə kənˈtrəʊlz… ɪkˈspens/
carry out the control /ˈkæri aʊt ðə kənˈtrəʊl/ provádět kontrolu
responsibilities and frequency of controls povinnosti a četnost kontrol
/rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti ənd ˈfriːkwənsi…/
official supervision /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l ˌsuːpə(r)ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/ úřední dohled
farming practices /ˈfɑː(r)mɪŋ ˈpræktɪsiz/ zemědělská praxe
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Analýza rizik a kritických bodů
/ˈhæzə(r)d əˈnæləsɪs ənd ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)l kənˈtrəʊl pɔɪnt/
physical hazard /ˈfɪzɪk(ə)l ˈhæzə(r)d/ fyzické nebezpečí
food chain information /fuːd tʃeɪn ˌɪnfə(r)ˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ informace o potravinovém řetězci
ante-mortem inspection /ænti ˈmɔː(r)t(ə)m…/ prohlídka před porážkou
undergo ante-mortem inspection /ˌʌndə(r)ˈɡəʊ…/ podrobit se prohlídce před
porážkou
animal welfare /ˈænɪm(ə)l ˈwelfeə(r)/ dobré životní podmínky zvířat
post-mortem inspection /pəʊst ˈmɔː(r)t(ə)m…/ prohlídka po porážce
carcasses and offal /ˈkɑː(r)kəsiz… ˈɒf(ə)l/ jatečně upravená těla a vnitřnosti
visual inspection /ˈvɪʒʊəl ɪnˈspekʃ(ə)n/ vizuální kontrola
mandatory incisions /ˈmændət(ə)ri ɪnˈsɪʒ(ə)n/ povinné řezy
definite diagnosis /ˈdef(ə)nət ˌdaɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs / konečná diagnóza
additional examination /əˈdɪʃ(ə)nəl ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ další vyšetření
scientific analysis in the laboratory /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk əˈnæləsɪs…/ vědecká analýza v laboratoři
unfit for consumption /ʌnˈfɪt fə(r) kənˈsʌmpʃ(ə)n/ nevhodný k lidské spotřebě
fit for consumption /fɪt fə(r) kənˈsʌmpʃ(ə)n/ vhodný k lidské spotřebě
specified risk material /ˈspesɪfaɪd rɪsk məˈtɪəriəl/ specifikovaný rizikový materiál
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy přenosná spongiformní encefalopatie
/trænzˈmɪsəb(ə)l ˈspʌndʒɪˌfɔːm enˌsefəˈlɒpəθɪ /
laboratory testing /ləˈbɒrət(ə)ri ˈtestɪŋ / laboratorní testy
unauthorized substances /ʌnˈɔːθəraɪzd ˈsʌbstənsɪz/ nepovolené látky
health marking /helθ ˈmɑː(r)kɪŋ/ zdravotní označení
in ink /ɪn ɪŋk/ inkoustem
by hot branding /baɪ hɒt ˈbrændɪŋ/ výžehem
approval number of the establishment schvalovací číslo provozovny
/əˈpruːv(ə)l ˈnʌmbə(r)… ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/
consigning country /kənˈsaɪnɪŋ ˈkʌntri/ zasílající země
Vocabulary practice
1. Word formation. Fill in the chart with the proper form of the word and translate the new word.
Verb / Noun / Czech translation1. approve
2. comply
3. establish
4. recognize
5. appoint
6. inspect
7. consume
8. revise
9. maintain
10. require
11. sample
12. detect
13. supervise
14. conduct
15. declare
16. spread
17. avoid
18. complete
19. assist
20. produce
2. Fill in the defined term. The first letter has been given.
an animal that has a soft body with no bones and is usually covered by a hard shell / m………………..a place where fish are bred / f………………….
a law or rule that stops people from doing something / p………………….
the fact of something not existing or not being present / a…………………..
the killing of animals, usually for their meat / s…………………..
a careful examination of something, especially one done to find the amount, size, or effectiveness of something / a…………………..
done by people in authority / o…………………..
the organs of animals that are eaten as food / o…………………..
someone whose job is to operate a machine or piece of equipment / o…………………..
able to be read / l……………………
permanent / i…………………….
a small amount of a substance that is used for scientific or medical tests / s……………………
the body of a dead animal / c……………………
relating to things that you can see / v……………………
an organization or institution that controls something, often a public service / a……………………
something done to protect people or things against possible harm or trouble / p…………………...
a medical examination of a dead body / p……………………
3. Match a line in A with a line in B.
subjected to / in integrated production systemsconsidered fit / after the post mortem inspection
beef raised / for slaughter for human consumption
chilled immediately / with poor animal welfare conditions
determine the evolution / and prevalence of TSE
take place / condition observed
in accordance with professional rules and / under suitable lighting
consistent / under satisfactory hygienic conditions
stored after post mortem inspection / pre-slaughter and post mortem inspection
the animals / on the day of slaughter
given the pathological / in question are slaughtered separately
4. Complete these lines with some of the phrases from exercise 3.
o All animals were ……………………………………………. and found free from the diseases in question.
o Not all pieces were ……………………………………………. following an ante-mortem inspection in accordance with Community legislation.
o In December, the EFSA adopted an opinion on Revision of meat inspection for ……………………………………………..
o Fresh meat intended for intra-Community trade must be …………………………………………….and kept at a constant temperature.
o Our plan is to ……………………………………………. in our country or region thereof.
o The mortality rate is ……………………………………………..
o Where the post-mortem inspection is necessary in order to make a diagnosis, the official veterinarian shall request that ……………………………………………..
5. Translate the following sentences into English.
Prohlídka po porážce u mladého skotu zahrnuje vždy prohmatání mízních uzlin.
______
Majitel musí při veterinárních prohlídkách po porážce spolupracovat v požadovaném rozsahu.
______
Čerstvé maso určené pro obchod musí být chlazené ihned po vyšetření po porážce.
______
Ostatní zvířecí odpad, včetně drobů, byl zpracován pod úředním dozorem.
______
Označení zdravotní nezávadnosti jatečně upravených těl bude bezpodmínečně nutné.
______
Praktická příprava je uskutečňována v jatkách, bourárnách a mrazírenských skladech.
______
Grammar practice – Conditionals
Key points:
· zero conditional – describes common or permanent truths, scientific facts, etc.
if *= když
if-clause / result clauseIf + present tense / present tense
If the meat constitutes a danger to human health, / it is declared unfit for human consumption.
Když maso představuje nebezpečí pro lidské zdraví, / je prohlášeno za nevhodné k lidské spotřebě.
*In some cases we could use the conjunction WHEN instead of IF (in the sense of WHENEVER) as the line between conditional and time sentences is very thin.
e.g. When it is necessary, adequate corrective measures are taken.
Je-li to nutné, jsou přijata odpovídající nápravná opatření.
· first conditional (real conditional) – describes a real or likely situation
if = jestli / jestliže
if-clause / result clauseIf + present tense / future (will/going to)
If the meat constitutes a danger to human health, / it will be declared unfit for human consumption.
Jestliže bude maso představovat nebezpečí pro lidské zdraví, / bude prohlášeno za nevhodné k lidské spotřebě.
Note: The modal verbs (e.g. can) are also common in 1st conditionals.
e.g. If you don’t manage everything yourself, you can be assisted by official auxiliaries.
Jestliže vše sami nezvládnete, mohou vám být nápomocni úřední pomocní veterinární pracovníci.
Note: It is also common to use imperatives instead of if.
e.g. Pass a test and you will become an official veterinarian.
Jestliže úspěšně napíšete test, stanete se úředním veterinárním lékařem.
UNLESS, PROVIDED/PROVIDED THAT, AS LONG AS
Unless (jestli ne, pokud ne), provided or provided that (za předpokladu, pokud), as long as (dokud, pokud, jestliže) instead of if can also introduce a condition.
unless means if…not
e.g. Unless veterinarians have 200 hours of practical training, they are not allowed to work on their own.
If the veterinarians do not have 200 hours of practical training, they are not allowed to work on their own.
Pokud veterinární lékaři nemají 200 hodin praktického výcviku, není jim povoleno samostatně pracovat.
· second conditional (unreal conditional) – describes an unreal or imaginary situation referring to the future; the situations are not likely to happen as the condition is not fulfilled
if = kdyby
if-clause / result clauseIf + past tense / would/might/could
If the meat constituted a danger to human health, / it would be declared unfit for human consumption.
Kdyby maso představovalo nebezpečí pro lidské zdraví, / bylo by prohlášeno za nevhodné k lidské spotřebě.
· third conditional (past conditional) - describes an unreal or imaginary situation referring to the past