- ID and traceability

- TSE reuirements

- market value

- meat quality 

- hard to be precise by carcase inspection alone

- dentition useful in cattle and sheep

- presence of cartilate indicates a younger animal:

- progressively ossifies

- vertebrae

- between joints of sternum

- intercostal bones

- Bone marrow turns from red to yellow

- marbling is usually more prominent in younger animals

- in older animals marbling is replaced by connective tissue 

Sexing a carcase

Female: 

- triangular carcass

- gracilis muscle been shaped

- wider pelvic cavity ( cow) 

- udder fat; can see evidence of fat if removed and conformation

- remains of broad ligament uterus 

Sexing a carcass

Male: 

- massive carcass and crest (bull), muscular

- gracillis muscle triangular

- narrow pelvic cavity

- ventral fat conformation

- Root of penis and bulbocavernous muscle present 

amount of muscle on carcass: EUROP ( excellent to poor) 

amount of fat cover: 1-5 ( low to high)( 4 high- in UK)

Pig carcass clasification: SEUROP- lean meat percentage  

ability to trace and track food and food producing animals, though all stages of production, processing and distribution

- Holding information about suppliers and consumers means: in the event of food safety emergency, food can be traced backwards

- can withdraw food quickly 

FBO must ID suppliers and customers

keep records of products

NB: food producing animals are subject to traceability requirements but final consumers do not have to be identified 

Carcasses are broken down to produce primal joints, retail cuts or boneless meat

- meat then stored

- usually butchered 1-2 days after slaughter

boned meat minced into fragments

<1 % salt 

meat, includig fragmented meat with foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added but insufficiently processed to modify internal muscle fibre structure, 

 - made from trimmings and meat left on bones after butchery. 

- grinding increases the temp of the meat

- grinding increases the total surface of exposed meat susceptible to contamination

- grinder can be source of contamination if not cleaned/maintained properly

- possible introduction of microbiological, chemical and physical cotamination

intial level: slaughter and processing hygeine, selection of raw materials, intitial temp of the meat to be comminuted

REduction: no reduction of pathogens occurs

Increase: time and temperature control during comminution and during storage

Ultimate measure: effective cooking before consumption

temperature requirements: 

immediatly after production meat must be wrapped or packed and chilled to 2C or -18C ( frozen) 

Origin of meat: skeleteal  muscle including adherent fatty trimmings, no scraps, MSM bone fragments or skinhead meat ( except maseter), linea alba, diapgragm, carpal and tarsal meat, bone scraping 

SLaughter to mincing: 

poultry: 3 days after slaughter

other animals: 6 days after slaughter

Boned vacum packed beef/veal: 15 days

Do not refreeze mince after thawing 

Mechanically separated Meat 

- recover meat from bone

- MSM: removing meat from flesh-bearing bones after boning or from poultry carcass using mechanical means resulting in loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure

Types: High pressure: pressed through a machine-like sieve

Low pressure: meat is mechanically scraped from the carcass

Allowed meat: poultry and pork

CANNOT USE: 

feet, neck skin, head of poultry

other: bones of head, tail and legs from and including femur or humerus down. 

beef and sheep meat

AGE of MEAT: 

7 days colocated to S/H

5 days if not co/located

3 days if poultry 

Determination of MSM: 

- calcium content - not to exceed 0.1%=100mg

- histological parameters