EFFICACY OF CURRENT EC MEAT INSPECTION PROCEDURES AND SOME PROPOSED REVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO MICROBIOLOGICAL SAFETY - A CRITICAL-REVIEW

This paper presents an evaluation of the current EC meat inspection pr ocedures, and some of their proposed revisions, in relation to their e fficacy in assuring the microbiological safety and quality of meat, an d the difficulties for health authorities and industry in providing su ch an assurance. It is concluded that neither the current nor the prop osed revisions of ante and post mortem meat inspection procedures alon e are sufficient, and that only integrated approaches, applied to each step of animal and meat production, will lead to better quality meat. Furthermore, for the design of a really effective and flexible long-t erm system of safety and quality assurance it is necessary to undertak e a formal quantitative assessment of risk.