Application of HACCP principles in the meat industry: A United Kingdom perspective

Abstract

Because of the rising incidence of microbial foodborne disease in the UK, particular attention is being given to the application of HACCP principles in all sectors of the food industry, including meat production. The basic requirements of HACCP systems for the red meat and poultry industries are well known, but not yet uniformly applied in UK abattoirs. To monitor progress in hygiene control, the Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) has been developed for abattoirs and meat cutting plants and the basis for the system is described. In a study of beef abattoirs, there was a significant negative correlation between mean HAS scores for each premises and mean total viable counts from carcasses sampled prior to chilling. In poultry plants, cross-contamination of carcasses via processing equipment is a continuing problem. Measures to reduce such contamination have been studied with the aid of a readily identifiable marker organism, which can be introduced and followed at any stage in the process. When similar control measures were used in an attempt to reduce contamination of carcasses with naturally occurring campylobacters, a small but significant reduction in count was observed. Further possible benefits of using more hygienic processing equipment and a terminal decontamination treatment for carcasses are discussed. The use of HACCP systems in the producion of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products is considered essential for optimum pathogen control. It is not yet possible, however, to exclude Listeria monocytogenes, which occurs in various niches in the processing environment. Thus, low levels of Listeria are to be expected in a proportion of ready-to-eat products and are not regarded in the UK as hazardous to consumers.