Cleaning and disinfection in the Dutch red meat and game meat supply chains

Aim of the study Cleaning and disinfection agents are used in several steps in the red meat and game meat supply chains to ensure product quality, product safety, and to enhance shelf-life. The aim of this research is to investigate by literature study, questionnaires and interviews, which cleaning agents and disinfectants are authorised to be used and where and how they are used in the different stages of the Dutch red meat supply chain. Furthermore, knowledge obtained from this study is used to investigate the use of cleaning and disinfection agents in the Dutch game meat chain. Hygiene protocols and practices Stakeholders in both supply chains indicated that they work according to hygiene protocols as defined by branch organisations and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). Procedures for cleaning and disinfection are laid down in protocols and/or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans. The number of different cleaning and disinfection agents used by hunters and at farms is lower than in other parts of the food chains. In the transport part of the red meat chain, sometimes resources to correctly perform cleaning and disinfection are limited. How cleaning and disinfection agents should be applied is described in specification sheets and on the labels of the cleaning and disinfection products. Interviews with various experts showed that there is less knowledge about protocols and regulation related to cleaning and disinfection in some smaller companies compared to larger companies. Insufficient cleaning and disinfection procedures could occur in all parts of the chain due to insufficient knowledge or time limitations, which could lead to residues in food products. Main active compounds in cleaning and disinfection products The main authorised, active ingredients in disinfectant products that can be used as product type 1, 3 or 4 (PT1, PT3 or PT4) and are relevant product types for the red meat and game meat chains, include alcohol-based compounds (mainly ethanol and propanol); chlorine-based compounds (among others sodium hypochlorite); hydrogen peroxide (in combination with peracetic acid); quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) (mainly didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) and alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride); aldehydes (glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde); iodine; and lactic acid. The active ingredients used for disinfection in the red meat chain, as indicated in the literature, interviews, and questionnaires were all authorised ingredients. Frequently reported used cleaning products or ingredients in the red meat chain in the Netherlands were hand soap, potassium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide. Similarly, for disinfection agents frequently used ingredients were alcohol-based products, chlorine-based products (mainly sodium hypochlorite), DDAC, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid. In general, cleaning and disinfection procedures and agents used during slaughter, storage and processing of game meat are comparable to those used for red meat. Residues and monitoring The monitoring on residues of cleaning and disinfection agents and inspections on cleaning and disinfection procedures are limited in the Netherlands. Data of slaughterhouses (2017-2018) show that no quats (benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and DDAC) were found in red meat products. Monitoring of the active ingredients frequently used in the red meat and game meat chains, and could therefore be present in food products, should be increased; these are quats and by-products formed by the use of chlorine-containing products