Animal health and welfare monitoring as integrated part of meat inspection
Conference on meat inspection
Alberto Laddomada Head of Unit SANCO D1
Animal Health and Standing Committees
Prevention is better than cure
Better biosecurity in holdings
Surveillance (active and passive):
In holdings
Before and during transport
At place of destination (slaughterhouse!)
Any other place and/or source
Evolution of surveillance in EU
Originally: limited EU provisions on surveillance (focus on trade and fight against diseases)
From mid-90’s: more detailed compulsory surveillance (BSE, zoonoses, avian influenza, bluetongue, etc.)
In future: a comprehensive, risk-based surveillance system
Modern approach: how to do best?
Importance of meat inspection for animal health
Ante and post mortem inspection are cornerstones for animal disease surveillance
Slaughterhouse is a focal point where animal diseases can be detected
Confirms and supplements data from other sources
Beyond decision on meat: a public good function
Example 1: Meat inspection and Tuberculosis (TB) detection
Purpose:
Granting free status of herds, regions, MSs rely on surveillance in abattoir to identify TB lesions
Legislation:
Annex A.I. of Directive 64/432/EEC on intra-EU trade of bovine animals, on granting status
OIE Code chapter on TB
TB inspection contd. Rationale
TB is an asymptomatic disease in cattle and a serious zoonosis
Diagnostic tests in farm lack sensitivity (~ 70-75%)
Anergic reactors go undetected at the tuberculin test
Raw milk from infected animals is a threat for public health unless coming from free herds or is heat treated
Science: EFSA opinion on palpation/visual inspection in calves recommends keeping the most stringent procedures for TB inspection and slaughterhouse is the best place for detection
Example 2: foot and mouth disease (FMD) in UK in 2001
Ante-mortem inspection in South-East England on pigs from North-East England
By a person who never saw FMD
Decisive elements:
Professional qualification as a vet
Curriculum of study including „exotic” diseases
Personal quality and awareness
(maintanence of corporate memory about now exotic diseases)
FMD contd.
Emergency situation in all UK
Limiting damages:
Speed of detection: role of highly trained individuals at key places
Speed of confirmation
Immediate handling of situation:
In the slaughterhouse
Importance of the meat inspection in international trade
EU export toward third countries
Import of products of animal origin from third countries into the EU
The respect of international standards in meat
inspection:
•facilitates international trade
•grants the health requirements are respected
O.I.E. Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 1.4.
Animal health surveillance Article 1.4.5. Structured non-random surveillance D) Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections
Inspections of animals at slaughterhouses provide valuable surveillance data. The sensitivity and specificity of slaughterhouse inspection for detecting the presence of specified diseases under the inspection system in place should be pre-determined.
O.I.E. Code, Chapter 6.2. Control of biological hazards of animal health and public health importance through ante- and post-mortem meat inspection
Inspection of animals at slaughter can provide a valuable contribution to surveillance for certain diseases of animal and public health importance. Control and/or reduction of biological hazards of animal and public health importance by ante- and post-mortem meat inspection are a core responsibility of Veterinary Services.
Import: since 1972 Article 17 of 72/462/EEC
1. The Member States shall not authorize importation of fresh meat in the form of carcases, including half-carcases in the case of swine, and halves or quarters in the case of bovine animals and solipeds, unless it it possible to reconstruct the entire carcase of each animal. 2. Such importation shall be subject to the following conditions: the fresh meat must
(a) have been obtained in a slaughterhouse included on the list established inaccordance with Article 4 (1); (b) come from a slaughter animal inspected ante mortem by an official veterinarian in accordance with Annex 1, Chapter VI, of Directive 64/433/EEC and passed fit, as a result of such inspection for slaughter for the purposes of export to the Community.
Import now
Similar provisions in current import certificates (e.g. Reg (EC) 206/2010)
Ante mortem inspection „shown no evidence of diseases…”
Animal Health conclusions
Prevention is better than cure
Ramifications for imports
Professional qualifications are key
Meat inspection as part of a system
Cost-benefit must be considered
New EU legislation on the protection of animals at the time of killing
Council Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing
(OJ L 303,18.11.2009, p. 1)
Entry into application 1 Jan 2013
In line with the hygiene package
Operators to take ownership of animal welfare
Standard Operating Procedures
Monitoring the effect of stunning on animals
Determining key paramaters of stunning
Towards better knowledge
Competence of staff
General obligation
Certificate of competence
For staff in slaughterhouses
For fur farmers
Stunning and restraining equipments
Instruction of use and maintenance
Method for monitoring stunning efficiency on animals
More flexibility
List of approved stunning/killing methods
More precise definition and requirements
Possibly updated through comitology
An integrated approach (1)
Standards on construction, layout and equipment integrated in the approval process
Animal Welfare Officer
Monitoring procedure for stunning with animal based indicators
An integrated approach (2)
New approach in line with the Hygiene Package
Flexible on the means
Prescriptive on the method
Policy focused on developing learning mechanisms
Certificate of competence and scientific support
Conclusions
My title was: animal health and welfare monitoring as integrated part of meat inspection
In reality it could also have been: meat inspection as integrated part of animal health and welfare monitoring and surveillance