Overview
In Alberta, slaughter operations are either federally or provincially regulated. The Meat Inspection Act and Meat Inspection Regulation outline the requirements that all licence holders must meet, including assurances that meat and meat products are safe and that animals are handled humanely at slaughter. See slaughter operation licences for the 4 types of provincially-licensed meat slaughter operations.
Slaughter inspection
Any meat or meat product sold or distributed in Alberta must come from an inspected slaughter facility (abattoir) or processing facility. Inspectors conduct ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections and are on site any time inspected slaughter activities occur.
Inspectors are responsible for:
- verifying pre-operational conditions of the facility every day slaughter occurs
- monitoring employee hygiene practices, operational standards and potential hazards and take actions to minimize food safety risks in these areas (biological, chemical, physical, etc.)
- documenting licensee compliance with legislative requirements outlined in the Meat Inspection Act and Regulation
- conducting surveillance activities such as carcass and meat product sampling
- following up on corrective actions from observed deficiencies during an inspection
Ante-mortem inspection
Meat inspectors conduct an ante mortem inspection (screening) of all animals/flocks prior to slaughter. The purpose of ante-mortem inspections is to:
- confirm animal(s) have been transported humanely
- identify a disease or condition that causes the carcass, or its meat products to be unfit for human consumption
- identify animals that may have been treated with an antibiotic or other chemical agent that may result in a contaminated carcass
- identify disease conditions that may show no visible changes in the carcass (e.g., rabies)
- to identify a reportable animal disease or a foreign animal disease
Unhealthy or even slightly abnormal animals are identified and are either:
- segregated for separate slaughter and special inspection, or
- excluded from slaughter and not allowed to enter the human food chain
To make these decisions, trained inspectors draw on their understanding of meat inspection techniques, food safety risks, good manufacturing practices and applicable legislative requirements.
Abattoir licensees are required to meet requirements to assure that all livestock are handled and treated humanely.
Post-mortem inspection
Post-mortem inspection takes place after the animal has been slaughtered and prior to chilling. It includes the inspection of carcasses and the parts that are used for human food to ensure they are free of disease, unadulterated and fit for human consumption.
Inspections also ensure that food safety practices are adhered to throughout the slaughter process. Trained inspection staff performing these inspections make regulatory decisions, document findings and take enforcement actions when appropriate. These activities are guided by provincial regulations, directives and standard operating procedures.
Meat inspectors can, if necessary, consult the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian if they require veterinary advice or if there is doubt whether a carcass is to be approved for human consumption or condemned. If necessary, a carcass will be held pending consultation or laboratory analysis. Condemned carcasses are disposed of in accordance with the Disposal of Dead Animals Regulation.
Surveillance
Each year, Albertans and Canadians become ill from the foods they eat. Investigating food-borne illness outbreaks can be complex. To help establish priorities to control and prevent food borne outbreaks, the Alberta government uses food safety monitoring, also known as surveillance. Food safety surveillance collects data that can be used to:
- identify food safety risks
- establish priorities for controlling and preventing food pathogen contamination
- conduct risk assessment and risk management activities for different contaminants in foods
- inspectors collect samples for various provincial and federal surveillance programs and food safety projects such as E. coli O157:H7 monitoring and poultry monitoring
Surveillance is an important tool to help public health and food safety authorities to be able to respond quickly, efficiently and effectively to help protect the public from food borne outbreaks.
Processing inspections
Processing inspections are conducted in provincially licensed abattoirs and mobile butcher facilities. All aspects related to facility infrastructure and processing activities are evaluated, providing a comprehensive overview of each facility’s processing operations.
Inspectors assure that operators have developed and implemented programs that meet the requirements of legislation and assure food safety.
Inspectors provide reports to the operators that identify areas where improvements can be made. Inspectors work closely with licensees to develop a plan and timelines to address any issues that are identified.
Inspections may be announced or unannounced and are conducted 3 times per year, or twice per year if the facility operates on a seasonal or sporadic basis. Additional visits are conducted when necessary to follow up on non-compliance.
Resources
Contact
Connect with the Meat and Dairy Inspection Team:
Email: [email protected]