Application of HACCP Principles in the Meat Industry: A United Kingdom Perspective

Abstract

Mead, G, c.: Application of HACCP Principles in the Meat 1ndustry: a United Kingdom Perspective, Acta vet. Brno 1997.66: 117-125. Because of the rising incidence of microbial foodborne disease in the UK. particular attention is being given to the application of HACCP principles in all sectors of the food industry, including meat production. The basic requirements of HACCP systems for the red meat and poultry industries are well known. but not yet uniformly applied in UK abattoirs. To monitor progress in hygiene control, the Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) has been developed for abattoirs and meat cutting plants and the basis for the system is described. In a study of beef abattoirs. there was a significant negative correlation between mean HAS scores for each premises and mean total viable counts from carcasses sampled prior to chilling. In poultry plants. cross-contamination of carcasses via processing equipment is a continuing problem. Measures to reduce such contamination have been studied with the aid of a readily identifiable marker organism. which can be introduced and followed at any stage in the process. When similar control measures were used in an attempt to reduce contamination of carcasses with naturally occurring campylobacters, a small but significant reduction in count was observed. Further possible benefits of using more hygienic processing equipment and a terminal decontamination treatment for carcasses are discussed. The use of HACCP systems in the producion of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products is considered essential for optimum pathogen control. It is not yet possible, however, to exclude Listeria fIIollocytogenes. which occurs in various niches in the processing environment. Thus. low levels of Listeria are to be expected in a proportion of ready-to-eat products and are not regarded in the UK as hazardous to consumers. Foodbome iIIness,food safety. public health Over the last decade, foodborne illness has continued to rise in the UK and new causative agents have emerged, particularly thermophilic campylobacters, Salmonella enteritidis PT4 and Listeria monocytogenes. Between 1985 and 1994, the number ofnotified cases in England and Wales for all agents rose from approximately 12,000 to 49,000 per annum. By the late 1980s, the problem had received considerable publicity and consumer concern was widespread. The British Government responded to the situation by establishing an advisory body, the Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food. The remit of the Committee included a thorough investigation of the relationship between foodborne disease and existing practices in food production, processing and handling and the development of effective control measures. An important outcome of the exercise was the realisation that a more systematic approach was needed for the identification and control of microbial hazards in the food industry, as provided by the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system (Report 1990, 1991). It was recognised that the HACCP approach directs attention to the key factors in controlling food safety, defines both safety parameters and the action to be taken when safe limits are exceeded and provides documentary evidence of regular process monitoring. How has this modern view of food-safety control affected the UK Meat Industry? Firstly, it has highlighted the inadequacies of the traditional system of post mortem meat inspection, which focuses on visible lesions and carcass defects, but largely fails to address the public