Abstract
ABSTRACT Background: This study scrutinized carcass conditions recorded in post mortem inspections (PMI) of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus, L.) during 2015–2016 because of the importance for monitoring food safety and animal and environmental health threats. Material and methods: PMI results were retrieved from the National Food Agency. A negative binomial regression model was applied. For actual parameters, incident risk rate (IRR) with confidence intervals was calculated. Results and discussion: The number of conditions found in PMI varied widely between years and batches. The most common conditions (43 and 57% of all reindeer slaughtered in 2015 and 2016, respectively) derived from non-zoonotic parasites as the most abundant one, Hypoderma tarandi. Setaria sp. as well as both inflammatory processes and trauma were found in low prevalences. Further investigation of interactions with slaughterhouse size and inspector experience is needed. The conditions found rarely indicated food safety hazards and no epizooties or zoonoses have been recorded in the past two decades. Visual PMI with complementary sampling for specific hazards in slaughterhouses could thus be a helpful tool for monitoring the health and welfare of the reindeer population, the food safety risks with reindeer meat, and the status of the environment.
Highlights
This study scrutinized carcass conditions recorded in post mortem inspections (PMI) of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus, L.) during 2015–2016 because of the importance for monitoring food safety and animal and environmental health threats
The slaughtered reindeer were almost exclusively from Sweden, with only about 5% each year coming from Finland to Swedish slaughterhouses near the eastern border and about 2% of Swedish reindeer being slaughtered in Finland.[7]
The conditions recorded in PMI of reindeer rarely indicate public health hazards and no epizooties or zoonoses have been recorded in the past 20 years
Summary
This study scrutinized carcass conditions recorded in post mortem inspections (PMI) of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus, L.) during 2015–2016 because of the importance for monitoring food safety and animal and environmental health threats. Meat inspection (MI) focuses on any disease or condition that might affect public or animal health or compromise animal welfare.[2] MI of reindeer in slaughterhouses represents a census of the reindeer population going to slaughter, and thereby a rich source of useful information, for example about: (a) the health and welfare of the reindeer population; (b) the food safety risks entering the food chain with reindeer meat; and (c) the environment. This knowledge can help herders, authorities and others involved to optimise their activities and handle the risks. Reindeer can be considered a sentinel for environmental changes with possible consequences in a One Health perspective and slaughterhouses can act as useful hubs for monitoring and surveillance
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