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