BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES FOR PRODUCING BEEF HARVESTING, RAW NOT GROUND BEEF, RAW GROUND BEEF - PART 4 of 15

The impetus for myself to consult and audit in the expansive world of humane handling was because of the egregious treatment of cattle that occurred at Westland / Hallmark Meat Company back in 2008 - that resulted with the largest red meat recall in US history.

As we continue in this projected 15 part series on the harvesting (slaughter) of cattle, please be cognizant that even today, it's not always easy to witness feed animals and birds being euthanized for human consumption.

I first saw a cow being euthanized with a 22 caliber pistol in downtown Vernon, California in the late 1960s. Then a minute later another and then another - where pools of bright red blood covered - several inches high on an aggregate concrete floor pit with workers wearing knee high boots and bright yellow neoprene aprons covered with blood - not too unlike Stephen King's book / thriller movie - Carrie.

Little did I know that I would wind up consulting / auditing feed animals, birds and reptiles what my 12 year old eyes first saw within the cold brick walls of the slaughter plants of Vernon, California - - - when Adam West and Burt Ward were originally climbing skyscrapers that was eye candy on Americans new color RCA TVs.

But then, that's how Zeus usually gives you the good ones.

When you least expect it.

Know as I scribble "... they then proceed to situate the hanging carcass in line with the skinning puller and then place chains on their fore-legs and ... " that I shall never lose my respect for every single animal and bird that is providing their life for the general commerce - nor - the original intentions of those ambulating / swimming / crawling / flying creations.

QUESTION: How could anyone intentionally torture feed animals and birds?

ANSWER: Because - - -

1) Selected Homo sapiens are in need of help ... and

2) O157:H7 happens.

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BUNG TYING / DROPPING & BRISKET OPERATION

Process Step Overview:

We loosen the bung by making a circular cut around the anus (including vulva in females) and pulling outward cutting its attachments to the pelvic cavity.

A plastic bag is placed around the bung and is secured with a tying device.

The area is sprayed with Lactic Acid prior to the brisket cut. The bagged bung is pushed back into the carcass cavity.

The brisket is split with a saw and esophagus and weasand hang-over is cut off. We spray the general area with lactic acid. The lactic acid solution is followed as the manufacturer’s instructions.

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HAZARD ANALYSIS LOGIC:

CHEMICAL:?

The act of the bung and brisket operations are not conducive to introducing chemical hazards. The percentage of lactic acid applied is contained in our SSOPs.

PHYSICAL:

Bung is covered with a plastic bag to prevent leakage during evisceration. The bag and tying device are removed with the viscera, so it is not likely to contaminate product. The act of tying the bung and brisket operation is not conducive to a physical hazard.

BIOLOGICAL:

Pathogens. We acknowledge that the bung operation may introduce pathogens to the carcass. The carcass is exposed and may become contaminated with pathogens.?We have identified a subsequent step of lactic acid spraying to reduce/eliminate pathogen contamination and growth.?

OTHER:

BSE/SRM’s. Non-ambulatory restrictions, feed ban and Harvard Risk Study in place. Pre-requisite Program ensures that all known SRM materials are visually removed and properly disposed of. No validation of BSE/SRM’s is presently available. Non-pneumatic stunner is used. Any suspected leakers will be tagged until further disposition can be determined by USDA and Quality Assurance.

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BUNG DROPPING & BRISKET OPERATION

The following discussion outlines the use of the CCP Decision Tree for this identified hazard:

• Do control measure(s) exist for the identified hazard (pathogens)? YES.
• Does this step (brisket and bung dropping) eliminate or reduce the likely occurrence of a hazard (pathogens) to an acceptable level? NO
• Could contamination with the identified hazard(s) (pathogens) occur in excess of acceptable level(s) or could it increase to an unacceptable level? YES
• Will a subsequent step eliminate the identified hazard(s) or reduce its likely occurrence to an acceptable level?? YES, lactic acid has been scientifically shown to reduce/eliminate pathogen growth.?

This step is not a CCP in our process.

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PRE-EVISCERATION OPERATION TRIMMING & STEAM VACUUM?

Process Step Overview:

Each carcass shall be hand trimmed, steam vacuumed (165° F or higher, see SSOP program for steam vacuum parameters) and sprayed with lactic acid prior to the evisceration process step.?

HAZARD ANALYSIS LOGIC:

CHEMICAL:?

The act of the trimming, steam vacuum and lactic acid hand spray is not conducive to introducing chemical hazards. The lactic acid solution is followed as the manufacturer’s instructions and is contained as in our SSOPs.

PHYSICAL:

The act of the trimming, steam vacuum and lactic acid spray is not conducive to introducing physical hazards

BIOLOGICAL:

Pathogens. This process step aids to preventing/eliminating pathogens prior to the evisceration process step. We have another subsequent step of lactic acid spraying to reduce pathogen contamination.

OTHER:?

BSE/SRM’s. Non-ambulatory restrictions, feed ban and Harvard Risk Study in place. Pre-requisite Program ensures that all known SRM materials are visually removed and properly disposed of. No validation of BSE/SRM’s is presently available. Non-pneumatic stunner is used. Any suspected leakers will be tagged until further disposition can be determined by USDA and Quality Assurance.

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PRE-EVISCERATION OPERATION TRIMMING & STEAM VACUUM

The following discussion outlines the use of the CCP Decision Tree for this identified hazard:

• Do control measure(s) exist for the identified hazard (pathogens)? YES.
• Does this step (trimming, steam vacuum and lactic acid operation) eliminate or reduce the likely occurrence of a hazard (pathogens) to an acceptable level? YES
• Could contamination with the identified hazard(s) (pathogens) occur in excess of acceptable level(s) or could it increase to an unacceptable level? NO.
• Will a subsequent step eliminate the identified hazard(s) or reduce its likely occurrence to an acceptable level?? YES, lactic acid has been scientifically shown to reduce/eliminate pathogen growth.?

This step is not a CCP in our process.

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EVISCERATION OPERATION

Process Step Overview:

We make a knife cut from a point in the abdominal region, near the aitch bone, down to the point of the sternum, and remove the viscera and pluck. The inedible viscera and pluck are placed in a paunch truck.

The inedible viscera are removed from the harvest floor by an augur into a rendering truck.?

HAZARD ANALYSIS LOGIC:

CHEMICAL:?

We could not identify any chemical food safety hazards for this step in the process.

PHYSICAL:

The plastic bag and tying devices used to prevent spillage from the weasand and leaking from the bung are removed with the viscera. We could not identify any physical hazards as reasonably likely to occur for this process step.

BIOLOGICAL:

Pathogens. We acknowledge that the evisceration process may introduce pathogens to the carcass which is virtually sterile. The exposed carcass may become contaminated with pathogens from the gastrointestinal tract during evisceration. As above we acknowledge the subsequent step must be taken to try to prevent, eliminate or reduce pathogens to an acceptable level. We have identified a subsequent step of lactic acid spraying to reduce/eliminate pathogen contamination.?

OTHER

BSE/SRM’s. Non-ambulatory restrictions, feed ban and Harvard Risk Study in place. Pre-requisite Program ensures that all known SRM materials are visually removed and properly disposed of. No validation of BSE/SRM’s is presently available. Non-pneumatic stunner is used. Any suspected leakers will be tagged until further disposition can be determined by USDA and Quality Assurance.

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EVISCERATION OPERATION

The following discussion outlines the use of the CCP Decision Tree for this identified hazard:

• Do control measure(s) exist for the identified hazard (pathogens)? YES.
• Does this step (evisceration) eliminate or reduce the likely occurrence of a hazard (pathogens) to an acceptable level? NO
• Could contamination with the identified hazard(s) (pathogens) occur in excess of acceptable level(s) or could it increase to an unacceptable level? YES???????????
• Will a subsequent step eliminate the identified hazard(s) or reduce its likely occurrence to an acceptable level?? YES, lactic acid has been scientifically shown to reduce/eliminate pathogen growth.?

This step is not a CCP in our process.

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HAZARD ANALYSIS 417.2 (c)(5)?

Include all corrective actions that have been developed in accordance with Sec. 417.3 (a) of this part, to be followed in response to any deviation from a critical limit at a critical control point.

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FINAL COMMENTS

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Animals and birds never-ever hold grudges - they just serve.

Happy Easter - Felices Pascuas - god p?ske        

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