Postmortem Meat Research Articles

Alteration of fatty acid profile and nucleotide-related substances in post-mortem breast meat of α-lipoic acid-fed broiler chickens

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of α-lipoic acid supplementation on post-mortem changes in the fatty acid profile and concentrations of nucleotide-related substances, especially those of a taste-active compound, inosine 5ʹ-monophosphate, in chicken meat.Mixed-sex broiler chicks aged 14 d were divided into three groups of 16 birds each and were fed on diets supplemented with α-lipoic acid at levels of 0, 100 or 200 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Blood and breast muscle samples were taken at 42 d of age under the fed condition and then after fasting for 18 h. The breast muscle obtained from fasted chickens was subsequently refrigerated at 2°C for one and 3 d.α-Lipoic acid supplementation did not affect any plasma metabolite concentration independently of feeding condition, while a slight increase in plasma glucose concentration was shown with both administration levels of α-lipoic acid. In early post-mortem breast muscle under the fed condition, α-lipoic acid had no effect on concentrations of fatty acids or nucleotides of ATP, ADP, and AMP.In post-mortem breast tissues obtained from fasted chickens, total fatty acid concentrations were markedly increased by α-lipoic acid feeding at 200 mg/kg irrespective of length of refrigeration. This effect was dependent on stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. However, among fatty acids, the only predominantly increased unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid.Dietary supplementation with α-lipoic acid at 200 mg/kg increased the inosine 5ʹ-monophosphate concentration in breast meat and, in contrast, reduced the subsequent catabolites, inosine and xanthine, regardless of the length of refrigeration.Therefore, the present study suggests that α-lipoic acid administration altered the fatty acid profile and improved meat quality by increasing taste-active substances in the post-mortem meat obtained from fasted chickens.

Changes in expression of monocarboxylate transporters, heat shock proteins and meat quality of Large White Yorkshire and Ghungroo pigs during hot summer period.

ObjectivePresent study explores the effect of hot summer period on the glycolytic rate of early post-mortem meat quality of Ghungroo and Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pig and comparative adaptability to high temperature between above breeds by shifting the expression of stress related genes like mono-carboxylate transporters (MCTs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs).MethodsHealthy pigs of two different breeds, viz., LYW and Ghungroo (20 from each) were maintained during hot summer period (May to June) with a mean temperature of about 38°C. The pigs were slaughtered and meat samples from the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles were analyzed for pH, glycogen and lactate content and mRNA expression. Following 24 h of chilling, LD muscle was also taken from the carcasses to evaluate protein solubility and different meat quality measurements.ResultsLWY exhibited significantly (p<0.01) higher plasma cortisol and lactate dehydrogenase concentration than Ghungroo indicating their higher sensitivity to high temperature. LD muscle from LWY pigs revealed lower initial and ultimate pH values and higher drip loss compared to Ghungroo, indicating a faster rate of pH fall. LD muscle of Ghungroo had significantly lower lactate content at 45 min postmortem indicating normal postmortem glycolysis and much slower glycolytic rate at early postmortem. LD muscle of LWY showed rapid postmortem glycolysis, higher drip loss and higher degrees of protein denaturation. Ghungroo exhibited slightly better water holding capacity, lower cooking loss and higher protein solubility. All HSPs (HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90) and MCTs (MCT1, MCT2, and MCT4) in the LD muscle of pigs inclined to increase more in Ghungroo than LWY when exposed to high temperature.ConclusionEffect of high temperature on the variation of HSPs and MCTs may play a crucial role in thermal tolerance and adaptation to different climatic conditions, pH regulation, muscle acidification, drip loss, protein denaturation and also in postmortem meat quality development.

100 Post-mortem proteolysis and meat tenderness in crossbred steers identified as lowly or highly feed efficient

100 Post-mortem proteolysis and meat tenderness in crossbred steers identified as lowly or highly feed efficient

Disparities in Beef Tapeworm Identification Rates in the Abattoirs of Gauteng Province, South Africa: A Descriptive Epidemiologic Study.

BackgroundBovine Taenia saginata cysticercus infections (also called bovine cysticercosis or beef measles) is usually diagnosed in cattle only during post-mortem meat inspection. The aim of this study was to investigate the identification rates of these infections in and to identify predictors/determinants of variations in the identification rates in abattoirs in Gauteng province, South Africa.MethodsRetrospective data for over 1.4 million cattle carcasses inspected in 26 abattoirs between January 2010 and December 2013 were used for the study. The identification rates (proportion of bovine Taenia saginata cysticercus positive carcasses) were computed and generalized estimating equations used to identify predictors/determinants of identification rates.ResultsThe overall identification rate was 0.70% (95% CI: 0.45, 0.95). Significantly (p< 0.05) lower rates were reported during summer (0.55%) than other seasons. Some geographic areas reported significantly (p<0.05) higher rates than others. The identification rates in high throughput abattoirs was significantly (p<0.05) higher (RR: 9.4; 95% CI: 4.7–19.1) than in low throughput abattoirs. Similarly, the identification rates among animals from feedlots were significantly (p<0.05) higher (RR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.7–3.5) than those from non-feedlot sources. No significant (p>0.05) association was identified between identification rates and either the number of meat inspectors per abattoir or the provider of inspection services.ConclusionAlthough no significant association was found between identification rates and provider of inspection services, follow-up studies will need to be done to specifically investigate the potential conflict of interest arising from the fact that abattoir owners hire meat inspection services directly. Capture of abattoir surveillance data needs to include farm address and for each case to be reported separately. Finally, information on the type of identified cysts (alive or calcified) need to be collected to help better estimate risk to consumers. This study provides useful baseline data to guide future studies, surveillance and control efforts.

Current food chain information provides insufficient information for modern meat inspection of pigs

Meat inspection now incorporates a more risk-based approach for protecting human health against meat-borne biological hazards. Official post-mortem meat inspection of pigs has shifted to visual meat inspection. The official veterinarian decides on additional post-mortem inspection procedures, such as incisions and palpations. The decision is based on declarations in the food chain information (FCI), ante-mortem inspection and post-mortem inspection. However, a smooth slaughter and inspection process is essential. Therefore, one should be able to assess prior to slaughter which pigs are suitable for visual meat inspection only, and which need more profound inspection procedures. This study evaluates the usability of the FCI provided by pig producers and considered the possibility for risk ranking of incoming slaughter batches according to the previous meat inspection data and the current FCI. Eighty-five slaughter batches comprising 8954 fattening pigs were randomly selected at a slaughterhouse that receives animals from across Finland. The mortality rate, the FCI and the meat inspection results for each batch were obtained. The current FCI alone provided insufficient and inaccurate information for risk ranking purposes for meat inspection. The partial condemnation rate for a batch was best predicted by the partial condemnation rate calculated for all the pigs sent for slaughter from the same holding in the previous year (p<0.001) and by prior information on cough declared in the current FCI (p=0.02) statement. Training and information to producers are needed to make the FCI reporting procedures more accurate. Historical meat inspection data on pigs slaughtered from the same holdings and well-chosen symptoms/signs for reporting, should be included in the FCI to facilitate the allocation of pigs for visual inspection. The introduced simple scoring system can be easily used for additional information for directing batches to appropriate meat inspection procedures. To control the main biological public health hazards related to pork, serological surveillance should be done and the information obtained from analyses should be used as part of the FCI.

A retrospective study of the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis at major abattoirs in Botswana.

A retrospective study covering a period of ten years (2001–2010) was conducted using postmortem meat inspection records of the Department of Veterinary Services in Gaborone to determine the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis in Botswana. Meat inspection records of monthly and annual returns from the two main export abattoirs in the country were examined, as well as the data collected on the total number of cattle slaughtered and the number of livers condemned due to Fasciola gigantica infection. Only 1250 of the approximately 1.4 million cattle slaughtered were infected with F. gigantica (0.09%, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.0% – 0.3%). No distinct seasonal pattern was observed in condemnation rates of livers. However, the pattern of distribution of fasciolosis was higher (but not significant) in cattle that originated from areas with high rainfall and more permanent water bodies than those from relatively low rainfall areas with a transitory water system. It is recommended that a longitudinal survey should be carried out at the abattoirs and farms to determine the prevalence of the disease in cattle of different ages, sex and breed as well as the place of origin in the country. The present study indicated that the prevalence of fasciolosis in cattle is low and the disease is therefore of less significance in Botswana than other African countries for which information is available.

Cross-Sectional Study and Comparison of Different Diagnostic Methods of Bovine Tuberculosis in Gondar Elfora Abattoir, Ethiopia

Background: The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis is high in developing countries due to lack of awareness, good diagnostic methods and prevention strategies. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and compare the efficacy of different procedures of diagnosis. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Gondar Elfora abattoir from December, 2005 to June, 2006. To this effect, comparison has been made between the detailed postmortem examination and routine meat inspection procedures with gold standard culture result. Result: Out of 402 animals examined at slaughter, 15.9% were diagnosed with gross tuberculous lesions by detailed laboratory examination. Routine abattoir inspection detected only 2.9% of the tuberculous cattle. From 64 cattle considered tuberculous, 10 show growth in Lowenstein-Jensen. The average number of lesions per infected cattle was 1.6% and 55.5% of cattle with tuberculous lesions possessed single lesion. All the traits (including sex, age and body condition score) measured in relation to tuberculous lesions did not show a statistically significant difference among the categories. The sensitivity of routine meat inspection was 18.8% with detailed postmortem examination and 30% with culture in comparison with 83.3% specificity. There was a poor agreement (k=0.18) between routine meat inspection and detailed postmortem examination procedures. Similarly, a poor agreement (k=0.12) was obtained between routine meat inspection procedure and culture result. Conclusion: Relatively higher prevalence was recorded, and there is a need to improve the sensitivity of routine abattoir inspection procedures to diagnose tuberculous.

Exudate Protein Composition and Meat Tenderness of Broiler Breast Fillets

The relationship between meat tenderness and the protein composition of muscle exudates collected from broiler breast fillets deboned at different postmortem times was investigated. A total of 85 broilers were processed and breast fillets from each carcass were deboned at either 2 h (early-deboned, EB) or 24 h (control) postmortem. One fillet per carcass was used for 1 d postmortem meat tenderness measurements and the other fillet was stored at 4°C until 6 d postmortem for the collection of exudate prior to tenderness evaluation. Protein content and composition of muscle exudates were determined by a biuret assay and SDS-PAGE. Fillet pH, color, drip loss, and cook loss were also measured. Early-deboned fillets exhibited greater (P < 0.05) Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) than controls at 1 d (7.4 vs. 3.1 kg) and 6 d (4.1 vs. 2.5 kg). Deboning time did not influence pH or color values (L*a*b*). Control fillets exhibited less drip loss after 6 d of storage (P = 0.005) and less cook loss at 1 and 6 d (P < 0.001). Exudate protein concentration was not influenced by deboning time. From the SDS-PAGE profiles of the exudates, the relative abundances of seventeen protein bands were quantified. Electrophoresis analysis revealed that, in general, the protein profiles of exudates from control and EB fillets were not distinct from each other. However, the band corresponding to 225 kDa was more abundant in controls (P = 0.021). Although the protein concentrations and SDS-PAGE profiles of muscle exudates varied widely between breast fillets, variations in exudate protein characteristics were not strongly associated with changes in the tenderness of broiler breast meat due to the combined effects of postmortem deboning time and post-deboning aging.

Identification of genome-wide selection signatures in the Limousin beef cattle breed.

The study is aimed at identifying selection footprints within the genome of Limousin cattle. With the use of Extended Haplotype Homozygosity test, supplemented with correction for variation in recombination rates across the genome, we created map of selection footprints and detected 173 significant (p<0.01) core haplotypes being potentially under positive selection. Within these regions, a number of candidate genes associated inter alia with skeletal muscle growth (GDF15, BMP7, BMP4 and TGFB3) or postmortem proteolysis and meat maturation (CAPN1 and CAPN5) were annotated. Noticeable clusters of selection footprints were detected on chromosomes 1, 4, 8 and 14, which are known to carry several quantitative trait loci for growth traits and meat quality. The study provides information about the genes and metabolic pathways potentially modified under the influence of directional selection, aimed at improving beef production characteristics in Limousin cattle.

Effect of Ageing Time on Microstructure, Rate of Desmin Degradation and Meat Quality of Pig Longissimus Lumborum and Adductor Muscles.

This study evaluated the effect of ageing time (45 min, 24 h, 96 h and 168 h) on desmin degradation pattern, meat quality and muscle fibre traits in longissimus lumborum (LL) and adductor (AD) muscles of 28 Polish Landrace fatteners slaughtered at 105 kg body weight. The results indicate that the rate of desmin degradation depends on pH and type of muscle, and thus on muscle fibre composition. In AD muscle, characterized by significantly higher pH45, pH24 and shear force values, lower drip loss, significantly higher percentage of type I and IIA oxidative fibres, and lower percentage of type IIB glycolytic fibres, desmin degradation is slower than in LL muscle. The rate of desmin degradation is also associated with its localization in muscle fibre. Regardless of muscle type, in all muscle fibres desmin was degraded more rapidly within, rather than at the periphery of the fibres. Additionally, levels of intact desmin and drip loss during postmortem meat storage contribute significantly to a reduction in the diameter of three fibre types analysed in AD and LL muscles 24 h postmortem and of type IIB fibres in AD muscle 96 hpostmortem. Furthermore, the decrease in the level of intact desmin is paralleled by a cumulative increase in drip loss and a decrease in shear force at 45 min, 24 h and 96 h postmortem.

Effects of dietary supplementation of guanidinoacetic acid and combination of guanidinoacetic acid and betaine on postmortem glycolysis and meat quality of finishing pigs

This work sought to evaluate the effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) and combination of GAA and betaine on postmortem glycolysis and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 180 cross-bred, castrated male pigs were randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets (pigs were adapted to the control diet for 7 days and experimental diets were given for 15 days): a control (CON; basal diet consisting of a ground corn-soybean base), a GAA diet (GAA; basal diet supplemented with 1g of GAA per kg of feed), and a combination diet (CGB; basal diet supplemented with 1g of GAA and 0.5g of betaine per kg of feed). Each treatment was replicated in three pens with 20 pigs each. Compared with the control group, GAA and CGB supplementation increased pH value at 45min (pH45min) and 24h (pH24h) (P<0.05) and reduced drip loss (P<0.05), cooking loss (P<0.05) and shear force values (P<0.01) in longissimus dorsi. In addition, dietary GAA and CGB increased the content of creatine (P<0.01), phosphocreatine (P<0.01), adenosine triphosphate (P<0.01) and the activity of creatine kinase (P<0.05). Both GAA and CGB diets increased mRNA expression of creatine transporter in longissimus dorsi (P<0.01) and kidney (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of l-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase was decreased in both experimental groups (P<0.01). The GAA and CGB diets reduced the activity of hexokinase (P<0.01) and the content of lactic acid (P<0.05). These results indicated that the dietary supplementation with GAA and CGB could improve meat quality via regulating some aspects of energy metabolism which delays muscle glycolysis.

Effect of two stunning methods on postmortem muscle pH and meat quality of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Percussive and electrical stunning are the most promising methods in terms of rendering fish unconscious prior to slaughter. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of these two stunning methods on postmortem muscle changes and meat quality of common carps. The experimental fish were stunned either by percussion (Group 1) or by electrical current application (Group 2), both followed by immediate decapitation. Muscle pH was measured at different time intervals to assess the postmortem metabolic changes, whereas meat colour, drip loss and water activity were used as quality parameters. The fish in Group 1 showed slightly accelerated postmortem muscle metabolism, higher redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) colour values and lower water activity. Percentage of drip loss after 4 days of storage at 4 °C did not differ significantly between the two groups. Based on the obtained results we concluded that both tested stunning methods were not associated with high levels of stress and significant detrimental effect on the meat quality of common carps.

A Case Study of Yola Modern Abattoir, Adamawa State, Nigeria

A case study of Yola Modern Abattoir (YMA) Adamawa state Nigeria was conducted to assess the pattern of record keeping system, prevalence of diseases detected and to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of abattoir workers on zoonotic diseases. Retrospective, prospective and cross sectional studies were employed to generate the necessary data. It was observed that poor training of meat inspectors, fraudulent practices by butchers, inadequate ante-mortem and postmortem meat inspection and manual record keeping system were the major factors influencing efficient disease recording. Foetal wastage (9.73%) and fasciolosis (4.34%) were the most prevalent post-mortem conditions at the abattoir. Bovine tuberculosis and fasciolosis had significantly higher prevalence in the wet season than dry season (p<0.05). Only 21.1% of the abattoir workers had good knowledge on zoonotic diseases. Type of work, sex and awareness of zoonoses had statistically significant associations (p<0.001) with the use of protective clothing. It was concluded that practices in YMA fall short of the standard practices and hence there is need for proper management at the abattoir to ensure that its operation comply with international standards.

Characterisation of novel fungal and bacterial protease preparations and evaluation of their ability to hydrolyse meat myofibrillar and connective tissue proteins

The catalytic capability of four commercially available food-grade fungal and bacterial protease preparations (AFP, FPII, F60K and HT) was evaluated over a range of pH, temperature and substrate conditions using esterase and caseinolytic activity assays and time course hydrolysis over 120 and 60min of myofibrillar and connective tissue proteins, respectively. The protease preparations displayed similar casein hydrolysis kinetics and were active in hydrolysing BODIPY-FL casein to varying extents at postmortem aging meat pH (5.0–6.0). All of the four proteases exhibited selective hydrolytic activity towards meat myofibrillar proteins including myosin and actin. Significant hydrolysis of two meat tenderisation protein markers troponin T and desmin by the four proteases was detected by western blot. The results obtained indicate that the new fungal protease preparations AFP and FPII, bacterial protease preparation HT and the new source of fungal protease preparation F60K have potential for use in meat tenderising applications.

The level of heat shock protein 90 in pig Longissimus dorsi muscle and its relationship with meat pH and quality

The 90kDa heat shock protein (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone that participates in various cellular processes, the role and significance of HSP90 in postmortem muscle though remains unclear. In the present study, pig Longissimus dorsi muscles, categorized into three pH groups, were tested for HSP90 levels and meat quality parameters (i.e. water holding capacity, colour, tenderness and lipid oxidation). The muscles with a high initial pH (pHi) group (pH>6.4) possessing the greatest water holding capacity and lightness, contained the highest HSP90 level, followed by intermediate (6.0–6.4) and low pHi groups (pH<6.0). Statistical analysis indicated HSP90 level was significantly and negatively correlated with cooking loss, drip loss, and lightness (r=−0.797, −0.785, −0.604, respectively, P<0.01). The results suggest that HSP90 may play a crucial role in water retention of meat and may be involved in postmortem meat quality development.

English

Calpastatin is a natural occurring inhibitor of calpastatin (CAST) and consequently the balance of calpain-calpastatin activity in muscles is believed to dictate the rate of tenderization in post-mortem meat. Genomic DNA was extracted from 100 sheep blood sample. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to amplify a 622 bp fragment of this gene. Restriction reaction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was done using MspI&nbsp;enzyme. The MspI digestion of the PCR products produced digestion fragments of 336 and 286 bp. The results show that in the population, genotypes AA, AB and BB, respectively, had frequencies 32.2, 63.2 and 4.6, and that this locus was not at Hardy&nbsp;-&nbsp;Weinberg equilibrium in the lori sheep strain (P&lt;0.05). &nbsp; Key words: Calpastatin gene, polymorphism, lori sheep, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of porcine muscle within 24 h postmortem.

The manuscript describes the characterization of postmortem (PM) porcine muscle within 24 h postmortem from the perspective of protein phosphorylation using advanced phosphoproteomic techniques. In the study, the authors employed the dimethyl labeling combined with the TiSH phosphopeptide enrichment and LC-MS/MS strategy. This was the first high-throughput quantitative phosphoproteomic study in PM muscle of farm animals. In the work, both the proteome and phosphoproteome were analyzed, and the large number of identified peptides, phosphopeptides and phosphorylation sites can greatly enrich the current farm animal protein database. The proteins involved in glycometabolism, muscle contraction and heat shock proteins (HSPs) showed significantly changed phosphorylation levels during PM meat development. This work indicated that PM muscle proteins underwent significant changes at phosphorylation level but were relatively stable at the total protein level, suggesting that protein phosphorylation may have important roles in meat development through the regulation of proteins involved in metabolism and muscle contraction, thereby affecting glycolysis and rigor mortis development in PM muscle. The work can promote the understanding of PM muscle metabolism and meat quality development, and be helpful for future meat quality control.

Effect of ultimate pH on postmortem myofibrillar protein degradation and meat quality characteristics of Chinese Yellow crossbreed cattle.

This paper describes the complex effects of postmortem ultimate pH (pHu) on Chinese Yellow crossbreed cattle quality during postmortem ageing and provides an explanation of how pHu affects beef tenderness. High pHu beef had the highest initial tenderness (P < 0.05) compared with other groups at 1 day postmortem. Intermediate and low pHu beef had similar initial WBSF at 1 day postmortem, but intermediate pHu beef had slower tenderization rate than low pHu beef (P < 0.05). Purge loss, cooking loss, L*, a*, and b* values decreased with increasing pHu during ageing (P < 0.05). Myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) was higher in high pHu beef than intermediate and low pHu beef throughout ageing (P < 0.05). Protein degradation studies found that desmin and troponin-T appeared degraded within 0.5 h postmortem for high and low pHu beef, compared to >2 days for intermediate pHu beef. Overall, Chinese Yellow crossbred cattle tenderness is related to pHu, which may be affected by proteolytic enzymatic activity. Therefore, pHu may be used to predict beef tenderness and other quality characteristics during postmortem ageing. To achieve consistent tenderness, different ageing times should be used, depending on pHu.

Comparison between the Quality Traits of Phosphate and Bicarbonate-Marinated Chicken Breast Fillets Cooked under Different Heat Treatments

Because the use of phosphates has being recently diminished in meat industry due to the nutritional drawbacks of phosphates, some researchers started to evaluate sodium bicarbonate as phosphate replacer in meat products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different temperature combinations of dry air-cooking treatments (Air and Core temperatures: 160 - 76, 160 - 80, 200 - 76 and 200℃ - 80℃, respectively) on chemical composition, texture properties, water activity, freezable water and bound water, color, pH, and water binding capacity of phosphate and bicarbonate-marinated chicken breast. A batch of 24 h post-mortem broiler breast meat of 80 fillets was divided into two groups of marination treatments (0.3% sodium bicarbonate n = 40, 0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate n = 40) and was vacuum tumbled (45 min, ?0.95 mbar, 20 rpm). Different temperature-combinations cooking treatments significantly modified the chemical composition. Bicarbonate marinated fillets showed higher ability to retain water (67.3% vs. 65.7%, P 0.05) during severe heat treatment and lower cook losses (30.7% vs. 33.4%, P 0.05) when compared with phosphate-marinated fillets. The effect of changing the cooking temperatures on Texture Profile Analysis (hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, springiness, and chewiness) was more tangible in phosphate marinated fillets than bicarbonate. Bicarbonate-marinated fillets showed significant differences in the percentage of bound water, latent heat, and water activity after cooking in comparison to phosphate-marinated fillets. The results of this study revealed that phosphate-marinated fillets interacted with heat treatments in different patterns in comparison with bicarbonate-marinated fillets.

A qualitative risk assessment for visual-only post-mortem meat inspection of cattle, sheep, goats and farmed/wild deer

The UK Food Standards Agency is currently funding research to build the evidence base for the modernisation of meat inspection. This includes an assessment of the risks to public health and animal health/welfare of moving to a visual-only post-mortem meat inspection (PMMI), where routine mandatory palpation and incision procedures are omitted. In this paper we present the results of a risk assessment for a change from current to visual-only PMMI for cattle, sheep/goats and farmed/wild deer.A large list of hazard/species pairings were assessed and prioritised by a process of hazard identification. Twelve hazard/species pairings were selected for full consideration within the final risk assessment. The results of the public health risk assessment indicated that all hazard/species pairings were Negligible with the exception of Cysticercus bovis in cattle, which was judged to be of low-medium increased risk for systems not conforming to criteria as laid down by EC Regulation 1244/2007, compared to systems that do conform to Regulations for visual-only PMMI.Most hazard/species pairings were concluded to pose a potential increased risk to animal health/welfare, including Mycobacterium bovis (very low – low increase in risk, but with considerable uncertainty), Fasciola hepatica (negligible – very low) and Cysticercus bovis (very low – low). Due to low feedback rates to farmers, the real risk to animal health/welfare for F. hepatica and C. bovis, including animals in non-conforming systems under visual-only PMMI, is probably negligible. That then leaves M. bovis as the only confirmed non-negligible animal health and welfare risk.