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Pragmatic view from the abattoir |
R. MUCKLOW, National Meat Association, 1970 Broadway, Ste. 825, Oakland, CA 94612-2299 The United States has a quite unique inspection system that, by statute, requires both ante and post mortem inspection of all livestock that are being offered for the human food supply by federal government inspectors, or state inspectors in those states where there is an "equal to" standard. This translates into mandated government oversight to assure that livestock that will be converted into human food appear healthy, and that any animal that may show organoleptic signs indicating it may not be fit to enter the food supply is identified at ante mortem inspection and is then subjected to much more intensive inspection during the post mortem inspection process. The clinical signs of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy are an unsteady animal that staggers uncontrollably. The beef slaughtering industry has cooperated with USDA in identifying livestock that may indicate such signs, although they may be suffering from some other causative condition. Such livestock are segregated and do not enter the commercial food supply through inspected channels. Their brain tissue is sent to the USDA laboratories for testing. The industry is working to try to increase, beyond the most susceptible livestock, the number of samples for testing. However, all those that have been tested by USDA from the most highly susceptible consitituency have been reported negative.
Session 18, The prion diseases: Human health and food safety
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