Informe del Comité Científico de la Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (AESAN) sobre los casos en los que procede realizar procedimientos adicionales a la inspección post mortem de rutina en matadero

Abstract

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 has taken into consideration the scientific opinions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which recommends that, where possible, the application of palpation and incision procedures in a systematic manner during post-mortem inspection of animals subject to routine slaughter should be avoided, as this can reduce microbial spread and cross contamination. However, as indicated in Article 24 of said Regulation, in certain cases, palpations and incisions shall be applied in addition to post-mortem inspection where one of the following indicates a risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare: 1) the food chain information, controls and other health documents, 2) the findings of the ante-mortem inspection, 3) the results of the verifications of compliance with animal welfare rules, 4) the findings of postmortem inspection, and 5) additional epidemiological data or other data from the holding of provenance of the animals. In this regard, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) in collaboration with the autonomous communities has drafted the “Orientation Guide for Official Control Services on cases in which procedures in addition to routine post-mortem inspection are to carried out at slaughterhouses”, which contains a series of sub-sections for each of the five aspects proposed in the aforementioned Regulation. The AESAN Scientific Committee has been requested to assess this guide to determine if its application would permit the detection of certain abnormalities and pathologies in the animals and, furthermore, reduce the risk of cross contamination with pathogens in inspection through palpation and incision. The Scientific Committee has concluded that the cases proposed in the guide have been linked, in the scientific literature and/or applicable regulations, with diseases transmissible to humans or animals and with the production of meat unfit for consumption in full or in part. Therefore, it would be appropriate to include them as guidelines for conducting procedures in addition to post-mortem inspection in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627. Some basic formal aspects are also proposed to improve said guide.