Meat inspection

The main purpose of meat inspection is to detect and prevent public health hazards such as food-borne pathogens or chemical contaminants in food of animal origin. Yet existing inspection practises often date back decades and might not always adequately protect public health. Traditionally, sensory checks (visual, palpatory and by incision) for the presence of gross lesions or flaws such as bruises or broken bones have satisfied public health objectives. But these techniques are not always suitable for detecting food-borne diseases such as campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and virulent strains of E.coli, or contamination by chemical substances such as steroids or veterinary drug residues.

Meat inspection also plays an integral part in the overall monitoring system of certain animal diseases and the verification of compliance with animal welfare standards. This constitutes an important control point for the early identification of potential problems that may impact on public health as well as on animal health and welfare.

EFSA's ongoing work and published scientific advice

EFSA's role

EFSA provides independent scientific advice and technical support to risk managers on specific hazards within different production systems related to meat inspection. EFSA’s findings are used by risk managers in the European Union (EU) and the Member States to improve existing methodologies for meat inspection.

In May 2010 the European Commission requested EFSA’s assistance in providing the scientific basis for the modernisation of meat inspection in the EU. EFSA is charged, together with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), with helping to introduce a risk-based approach to meat inspection, at all relevant stages of the meat production chain. To fulfil this complex mandate, EFSA is drawing on its expertise in a wide range fields within its scientific remit: animal health and welfare, chemical contaminants in the food chain, biological health hazards including zoonoses (animal diseases transmissible to humans), risk assessment methodologies and data collection.

Specifically, EFSA must identify and rank public health hazards in meat, and may recommend possible improvements or alternative methods for inspection of meat at the EU level, including revising current methods that may not be adequate in detecting risks or disproportionate to the risk involved. EFSA’s recommendations must take account of the impact of proposed changes in meat inspection on animal health and welfare monitoring , and propose possible remedies if required.

The ranking covers biological hazards that are targeted by existing inspections such as food-borne diseases, cysticercosis, trichinellosis, glanders in solipeds (single-hoofed mammals, e.g. horses), tuberculosis and brucellosis, but may be broadened to other hazards. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are not within the scope of this mandate and are dealt with by EFSA in other scientific opinions.

• Topic: BSE and other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)

Chemical risks are also included and chiefly fall into three areas: the residues of veterinary drugs (such as antibacterial substances or sedatives), unauthorised or prohibited anabolic substances (such as growth hormones or meat quality enhancers) and other chemical contaminants.

Furthermore, EFSA is required to put forward epidemiological indicators for specific public health hazards which can be used by the risk managers to consider adaptations in meat inspection methods. 

The Scientific outputs on meat inspection are being grouped by species or groups of species as follows: 

• Domestic swine
• Poultry
• Bovine animals over six weeks old
• Bovine animals under six weeks old
• Domestic sheep and goats
• Farmed game and domestic solipeds

EU framework

EFSA's activities

Since 2004 EFSA has published opinions on meat inspection procedures and provided advice on inspecting the meat of various animal species for tuberculosis and the Trichinella, Cysticercus and Echinococcus parasites. In October 2011 EFSA published the first of the six Opinions on public hazards linked to meat inspection. It was accompanied by a scientific report proposing epidemiological indicators.

Main work in progress

Scientific opinion and technical assistance on the public health hazards to be covered by inspection of meat:

• Mandate
• Scientific Panels:
  • Animal health and welfare (AHAW): Working groups
  • Biological hazards (BIOHAZ): Working groups
  • Contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM): Working groups
• Other Units:
  • Scientific Assessment Support 
  • Dietary and Chemical Monitoring
  • Biological Monitoring: Working groups
• Future milestones
  • 30 June 2012 – deadline for poultry
  • 30 June 2013 – deadline for bovine animals, domestic sheep and goats, farmed game and domestic solipeds