Risk-based meat inspection of fattening pigs without incision

Risk-based meat examination is a new scientific and practical approach to improve the tradi-tional veterinarian meat inspection procedures at the abattoir within the scope of the overall food chain-orientated concept of meat production. The objective of the concept is to ensure the safety of meat as a food along the entire production and distribution chain by introducing suitable measures, such as animal housing hygiene, livestock health monitoring at the farm, hygienic transport and slaughtering conditions etc. With risk-based meat inspection, there is no obligation any more to cut the tonsils and larynx of the animal carcase. This is because the currently significant risks for human health cannot be recognized with the classical ana-tomical-pathological incision method. The infection or colonization of livestock or contamina-tion of animal carcases with certain zoonotic pathogens relevant to humans, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and other bacteria, cannot be recognized by incision. Nor can risks caused by contaminants in feeds or residues of veterinary medicinal products identified by cutting certain lymphnodes.DE; de; efsa-focal-point@bfr.bund.d