M01044: Real-time hygiene indicators for slaughterhouses
Wednesday 1 November 2006
Study Duration: December 2005 to January 2008
Contractor: Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA)
Background
The Food Standards Agency has a target to develop a new measure of slaughterhouse hygiene. As an alternative or in addition to microbiological testing, other procedures could be used to assess the hygiene of carcasses. These may be more practical in application and/or more suitable for meat plants particularly those with a lower throughput.
Research Approach
Equipment to measure fluorescence as an indicator of faecal contamination, total solids in the air and on surfaces and total reduced sulphur will be assessed in cattle, sheep and pig slaughterhouses. Measurements will be taken along the slaughter line to identify the effects of working practices and the use of hygiene indicators on carcass contamination.