QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF MEAT

Meat processing hygiene is a part of Quality Management (QM) of meat plants and refers to the hygienic measures to be taken during the various processing steps in the manufacture of meat products. At the meat industry level, it is the primary responsibility of individual enterprises to develop and apply efficient meat hygiene programme’s specifically adapted to their relevant range of production.

There are three principles of meat hygiene, which are crucial for meat processing operations.

·         Prevent microbial contaminations of raw materials, intermediate goods and final products during meat product manufactured through absolute cleanliness of tools, working tables, machines aswell as hands and outfits of personnel.

·         Minimize microbial growth in raw materials, semi-manufactured goods and final products by storing them at a low temperature.

·         Reduce or eliminate microbial contamination by applying heat treatment at the final processing stage.

The above three principles guide meat hygiene programmes in the future processing of meat. Failure in slaughter hygiene, meat cutting andmeat handling public transportation and in the hygiene of by-products and additives will all contribute to quality losses and deteriotion of the final processed meat products.

For the sanitary quality and safety related to meat processing, two useful schemes can be applied known as:-

·         Good Hygienic Practices (GHP)

It follows general hygienic rules and applies recognizedhygienic principles as well as loss and regulations issued by the competent authorities, referring to meat and meat products, equipment, premises and personnel, GHP schemes are not factory specifics, they apply to all types of meat plants. They are intended to establish and maintain acceptable hygienic standards in relevant meat operations.

·         Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Schemes (HACCP)

HACCP is an internal sanitary related control and monitoring system in food plants with the aim of preventing or minimizing or eliminating health hazards to consumers. HACCP identifies, evaluated and controls hazards, which are significant for food safety.

Micro-organisms organisms of relevance with regard to meat hygiene include parasites, moulds, bacteria and viruses. Bacteria play the most important role and therefore the focus of meat plant internal hygiene measures is mainly on bacteria, while moulds and viruses play a minor role.

How bacterial contamination of meat occur?

In life animals, the muscles meat is virtually sterile. However, other parts of the animals such as skins, hooves and intestines contains enormous number of bacteria. Depending on the slaughter hygiene, these bacteria find their way to the carcass or contaminate the meat during slaughter house operations. Most bacteria reach the carcass via butcher’s hands, tools, and contact with equipment or through water, air, etc. the bacterial contaminations of meat is not stopped after slaughtering. It is ongoing during the operations following the slaughter process, such as meat cutting and meat processing.

Good HygienicPractices in meat processing:

Microbial meat spoilage or food poisoning through meat can be prevented if the microbial load/bacterial contamination, which occurs during slaughtering and meat handling is kept as low as possible. In order to facilitate the application of hygiene requirements, it has proven useful to differentiate between:

A.      Personal hygiene.

B.      Slaughter and meat processing hygiene.

C.      Hygiene of slaughter and meat processing premises.

D.      Hygiene of slaughter and meat processing equipment.

Negligence in any of the four areas may give rise to hazards, which can cause economic losses and affect consumer’s health.

Basic hygiene of meat processing

·         Ideally meat cutting/deboning should be carried out in climatized rooms (approx. + 10° C) with low air humidity.

·         Never take meat pieces, which accidentally and contact with the floor or other contaminated surfaces, back onto working tables or onto meat processing machines.

·         Containers for meat, fat or semi-or fully processed meat products must not be placed directly on the floorbut on hygienic stands, pallets etc.

In summary it can be stated that Good Hygienic Practices in meat processing requires effort by both management and staff.

·         It is the duty of the plant management to procure investments in good quality premises and equipment andIncontinuous plant and equipment maintenance.

·         For the meat plant staff it is an obligation to observe during all meat processing operations relevant hygienicrules.

Such efforts will result in good storage life of attractive meat products with desirable appearance, flavor and taste.

- Vanlalhmangihi and C. Lalruatfeli,

3^rd Year, BvSC.