Check slaughterhouse food safety management procedures (red meat)
Overview
This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to check slaughterhouse food safety management procedures (FSMP) in red meat. Checking slaughterhouse FSMP is important to the maintenance of red meat welfare and the production of a final product that meets organisational and regulatory requirements. This standard applies to all work activities relating to the monitoring of organisational FSMP in red meat slaughterhouses. You will need to be able to: • Check the slaughter, dressing and evisceration of red meat species to ensure that food safety is being maintained • Check in support of Official Veterinarian audit • Check the presentation of carcasses for inspection to ensure their presentation complies with the requirements of the business FSMP • Check the post-mortem handling of carcasses and the implementation and maintenance of temperature controls • Check the maintenance of hygiene standards in relation to the premises and the protection of the product from foreign body contamination This standard is for you if you work in food manufacture and/or supply operations and are involved in checking slaughterhouse food safety management procedures (red meat).
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Check slaughter and dressing operations
check effective slaughter of red meat species
check effective and hygienic dressing of red meat species
assist the Official Veterinarian in all abattoir functions, including
the collection of audit information
recognise and act appropriately on any deficiencies in dressing
standards, carcass hygiene, and any instances of carcass noncompliance
Check the structure and hygiene of carcass and offal
handling
check that preparation and packaging of offal is carried out in
separate rooms as specified in organisational FSMP except for
those actions specified as permissible to be carried out during the
process of slaughter
identify any non-compliance and take the appropriate action
Check the maintenance and management of hygiene of the
premises
monitor and check structural aspects, equipment, products and
staff in accordance with organisational FSMP
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
the principles of red meat species welfare and the slaughter
practices permissible under relevant regulations
- the importance of and methods of humane and careful handling of
animals at slaughter, including the use and misuse of restraining
equipment
recognition of the signs of an effective stun
recognition of signs of inefficiency in the slaughter or killing
operation
- familiarity with the meat industry organisation, production methods
and slaughter technology
- basic knowledge of hygiene and good hygienic practices, and in
particular industrial hygiene, slaughter and storage hygiene and
hygiene of working practices
a working knowledge of organisational FSMP
the principles of collecting information that informs to the Official
Veterinarian audit process
- the requirements for presentation of carcasses and offal for
inspection under the requirements of current regulations
- what constitutes deficiencies in dressing standards, carcass
hygiene and action to be taken
- regulatory and organisational requirements relevant to the postmortem handling and despatch of carcasses from
slaughterhouses
- the current requirements for the handling, preparation and
packaging of offal in slaughterhouses
- the "cold chain" and the importance of maintaining the "cold
chain" in the handling of meat or meat products
- the cleaning methods suitable for use in slaughterhouse and
methods of monitoring the effectiveness of cleaning operations
- an understanding of the procedures for good housekeeping and
structural maintenance of the fabric of the building and the
equipment so as to maintain a hygienic working environment
- the requirements and procedures involved in the maintenance of
separation of "clean" and "non-clean" areas and of "edible" and
"inedible" offal
- what constitutes non-compliance under the organisational FSMP
and the appropriate action to take within the limits of your
responsibility