Food safety through the meat supply chain.
Food poisoning in humans can be caused by many different bacterial genera. While the incidence of food poisoning in England, Wales and Scotland from Salmonella has reached a plateau, there has been an increase in the incidence from Campylobacter. The incidence from Escherichia coli O157:H7 rose to 1997 but declined slightly in 1998 (data from the Public Health Laboratory Service and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health). This organism has a high virulence in humans and a very low infective dose. Infection can produce a wide range of responses, including death. The low infective dose presents a major threat. The organism is relatively heat-sensitive and the cooking of food products to achieve a centre core temperature of 70 degrees C for 2 min is sufficient to destroy it. It is relatively acid-tolerant and will survive for several weeks at pH 4.2. Several foodstuffs, as well as water, have been implicated in world-wide outbreaks. The E. coli O157:H7 food-borne outbreak in Lanarkshire in 1996 led to 21 fatalities. The Pennington Group report, issued in April 1997, reported on the circumstances leading to this outbreak, the implications for food safety and the lessons to be learnt. Four areas covered within the Pennington Group report specific to meat hygiene are reviewed in this paper. On-farm practices must ensure the presentation of clean animals for slaughter. There is a requirement for the development and introduction of risk assessment techniques based upon Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points in abattoirs, and the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) is producing a manual for use by the abattoir sector. The Pennington report stated that there was a need for research into the potential use of end-process treatments such as steam pasteurization. The MLC is involved in evaluating such a system. Meat production premises and butchers' shops in England are introducing HACCP through an MLC scheme funded by the Department of Health. At the point of consumption, food safety is improved by the provision of practical guidelines regarding the handling of meat and meat products. These are distributed at retail outlets and communicated to secondary schools via MLC's educational publications.
Attenborough
M
M
Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes, UK.
Matthews
K R
KR
D000003:Abattoirs / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D019453:Escherichia coli O157; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards*; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D013227:Steam
D013227:Steam