We need to ‘pree’ dem!
Ante-mortem inspection of animals at harvesting
ABIG reality of being a food animal veterinarian is seeing the animals whose health you champion being slaughtered for food purposes. Still, ensuring that the animals that are harvested for food are healthy is a major veterinary responsibility and is part of the ‘One Health’ arena.
We must ensure our food is safe from the farm to the fork. Proper identification and husbandry of animals, veterinary care, observing withdrawal times when they are treated with drugs, good record keeping, and humane handling and transport are all part of the process.
Under the Public Health Act Regulations (Meat Inspection, 1989), animals intended for food are subject to scrutiny by a public health inspector (PHI). After the animal is slaughtered, the carcass is examined and, if all is well, it is stamped as fit for human consumption. This is properly termed post-mortem inspection – from Latin, meaning ‘after death’.
But there is another important part of the process specified in the Regulations which should take place before slaughter. This is ante-mortem inspection – from Latin, meaning ‘before death’.
The objectives of antemortem inspection include:
The screening of animals for diseases or illnesses that either disqualify them from slaughter for human consumption or require special precautions when slaughtering.
The evaluation and recording of body condition scores.
The verification of identification numbers to allow trace-back of the animal’s origin.
To help ensure the welfare of the animals, keeping stress to a minimum and seeing that they are humanely treated right up to the point of slaughter.
In the process of inspection, the animals are observed at rest and while moving, for their demeanour, breathing, body conformation, and ability to walk normally. Injuries, swellings, discharges, sores and other abnormalities are noted. When needed, an animal’s temperature may be taken, and sometimes cows are checked for pregnancy. Their identification numbers, body condition scores and place of origin are recorded.
The significance of any abnormalities to slaughter for human consumption is evaluated. If in doubt, an animal will be rejected, or earmarked for special scrutiny during postmortem examination.
Ante-mortem inspection is therefore an important step in the slaughter process and strengthens the effectiveness of post-mortem inspection in ensuring the safety of the animal’s meat and other products destined for human consumption.
Interestingly, under Jamaica’s Public Health Act, veterinarians – the ultimate experts on animal health – have no role other than as arbiters if there is a dispute on the health of a carcass between its owner and the inspector. While our PHIs do their job with great diligence and competence, the lack of more direct involvement of veterinarians is a weakness that falls far short of international best practice standards. It needs to be addressed, since it impairs the ability of our farmers to access international markets.
DR PAUL CADOGAN