VPH > Carcass dressing > Flashcards

Carcass dressing Flashcards

(40 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

Whats the sequence of events for beef slaughter/ processing? (start with AM inspection)

A

AM inspection- stunning= shackling- bleeding- head removal- hide removal- evisceration- splitting-spinal cord- trimming- marking- washing- chilling- quartering- deboning

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2
Q

What are the aims of stunning?

A
  • Humane killing
  • Obtain max amount of blood from animal to increase keeping quality
  • Health and safety
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3
Q

What does a certificate of competence cover?

A
  • Handling animals
  • Stunning animals
  • Pithing
  • Restraining
  • Shackling
  • Hoisting
  • Bleeding live animals
  • Checking successful stun
  • Check pithing worked
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4
Q

What are the slaughter methods?

A

1) Gas
2) Captive bolt
3) Electronarcosis

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5
Q

Which animals would you use a non pen captive bolt on?

A

-Simple stunning on cattle, sheep, goats and deer under 10kg

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6
Q

What are the physiological affects of stunning?

A
  • Brain impact causing physical damage
  • Damage to nerves/ blood vessels
  • Massive rise/ fall in pressure
  • Disruption of normal electrical activity
  • Duration depends on severity of damage
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7
Q

What are the signs of an effective stun?

A
  • Collapse
  • No rhythmic breathing
  • Fixed glazed expression
  • No corneal reflex
  • Relaxed jaw
  • Tongue hanging out
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8
Q

What are the different phases of an effective stun?

A 
Tonic phase: 10-20 seconds
- animal collapses
-stops breathing
-rigid
-head extended/ hing legs flexed
- forelegs straighten out gradually
Clonic phase: involuntary kicking
Relaxation: walking/ paddling movements
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9
Q

When do you normally shackle an animal?

A

After the clonic phase of stunning due to H&S of involuntary kicking

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10
Q

Does an OV have to supervise scaptive bolt stunning?

A

Yes

-need formally trained staff and OV supervision

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11
Q

What are the different systems for electric stunning?

A
  • Low voltage system: 7 secs
  • High voltage: 3 secs
  • Head only (reversible)
  • Head to body: (cardiac arrest- irreversible)
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12
Q

What is the minimum current used for cattle? (head only)

A

+6months= 1.28Amps

young=1.25

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13
Q

What is the minimum current for sheep/ goats? (head only)

A

1A

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14
Q

What is the minimum current for pigs? (head only)

A

1.3A

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15
Q

What are the phases of an epileptiform fit?

A
  • Unconscious/ insensible to pain
  • Tonic: rigid, rbeathing stops, head raised, hind legs flexed
  • Clonic: gradual relaxation, waling/ paddling, downward rotations of eyes, urination
  • *NO TONIC PHASE= NO STUN
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16
Q

How long do the different phases of an epileptiform fit last in different species?

A

-Pigs/ goats/ sheep:
tonic= 10-20 secs, clonic= 15-45 secs, recovery= 30-60 secs
-Cattle: tonic= 5-20secs, clonic= 10-60, recovery= 45-90
-Calves: tonic=8-14, clonic= 8-28, recovery= 40-70

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17
Q

What are the different methods of gas stunning?

Study These Flashcards
A

1) Carbon dioxide, high conc
2) Carbon dioxide, mixed with inert gas
3) Inert gases

18
Q

How is carbon dioxide at high concentrations used to stun?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Minimum conc 80% CO2
  • Exposure to pigs must cause anoxia
  • Pigs must not enter chamber is conc less than 80%
  • Must be exposed to max conc of dose within 30secs of entering chamber
19
Q

What is anoxia?

Study These Flashcards
A

Loss of oxygen to the brain

20
Q

How is CO2 mixed with inert gases used to stun?

Study These Flashcards
A

Pigs must be exposed directly/ progressively to a gas mixture containing up to 40% CO2

  • Max conc is 40%
  • Must lead to anoxia
21
Q

How are inert gases used to stun?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Must be exposed directly/ progressively to an inert gas mixture e.g. argon or nitrogen
  • Must lead to anoxia
22
Q

What equipment is needed for gas stunning?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Chamber to hold the gas
  • Flusher to remove gas so staff can enter safely
  • Back up mechanical device
  • Able to visually check pigs in stunner
  • Must be able to access pigs quickly to bleed them
  • Enough space for pigs to lie down without lying on top one another
  • Adequate lighting for pigs to see surroundings and other pigs
  • Must not cause bruising/ compression of pigs chest.
23
Q

How do you assess an effective gas stun?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Recumbent animal with relaxed limbs and jaw tone
  • No voluntary movement
  • No response to pin prick on nose
  • Absence of normal breathing
24
Q

What are the advantages of gas stunning?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • No excitement
  • Completely relaxed resulting in easy bleeding
  • Intensified respiration: better bleeding
  • Non invasive
  • Reduced blood splash
  • Reduced Pale Soft Exudate
  • Pigs easier to manage as moves as a group not individuals
25
What are the disadvantages of gas stunning?
- Very expensive - Welfare doubts: acidic gases pungent to inhale if more than 40%, potent respiratory stimulant (feeling of breathlessness), not instantaneous
26
When is bleeding normally performed?
-During tonic phase
27
How is bleeding performed?
- Neck cut (carotids AND jugulars) -Thoracic stick = ascending aorta- more training needed for this method MUST be done by person with a cert of competence
28
What factors affect bleeding?
- Health of animals - Rest prior to slaughter (muscle tone) - Back bleeding (into thoracic cavity) - Blood splashing= capillary rupture
29
Which stunning is capillary rupture more common in?
Electrical
30
What must people look out for when dehiding?
- That the skin underneath is dry | - People must be trained to spot abnormalities and to keep carcass clean/ not contaminated
31
Which carcasses undergo head removal?
Sheep and cattle
32
What stage of processing is a grambelling table used in?
Dehairing pigs
33
Where are the risks of contamination when preparing the skin of pig carcasses?
The scalding tank: water can be dirty and a contamination risk - Grambelling table impact - Impact between carcasses on the line - Can cause faecal matter to leak from carcass?
34
What is the purpose of the singing phase?
- To remove any remaining hair | - Also improves food safety
35
What are the benefits/ disadvantages to polishing pigs?
- Improve quality by eliminating burned hair/ superficial skin - Excessive force can cause minor damage - Increases contamination risk - Expensive kit
36
What happens during evisceration?
- Stomach/ intestines removed - Done with carcass hanging as gravity helps remove internal organs - MUST be trained to ensure don't rupture organs as this is a contamination risk - Particular contamination of coliforms risk
37
What is involved in the trimming phase of processing?
-Vet must verify trimming has occurred
38
What is an EU health mark?
-
39
What is an EU health mark?
- Shows food has been produced to current standards of hygienic food production in a licensed premises. - Allows food to be traces back to the premises - Bottles of milk and food of animal origin in EU has this mark on it
40
What does third country approval involve?
- Must be checked by an OV - Third country has to complete a quetionnaire to verify standards etc - Have to meet EU standards - Must complete a directorate inspection - Draft legislation prepared
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