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Introduction
The purpose of this document is to provide a method and criteria for evaluating the acceptability of fresh red meat from cattle, calf, sheep, goat, horse or swine carcasses, including boneless cuts and trimming for human consumption and to determine compliance with the requirements of sections 125, 145 and 146 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR).
Examination procedure
Fresh red meat should be carefully examined for the presence of pathological conditions (for example abscesses), spoilage, contamination with ingesta, faecal material, hair, grease, rail dirt, foreign material, presence of spear-grass, blood clots, pieces of hide, and bone or cartilage (gristle) pieces. Cuts should be checked for correct stamping, if appropriate.
Lot examination
Lot examination is an evaluation technique in which samples are taken from the assembled lot of product.
A lot is defined as (whichever is the lesser of the following):
- a shipment or part of a shipment of manufacturing meat derived from a single species going to a single destination
- 4 hours of production of manufacturing meat derived from a single species from a single boning line
Procedure:
- determine lot size (weight) and select the corresponding sampling plan in sampling plan and decision criteria (Table 1)
- these sampling plans are based on 5.5 kg sub-sample units
- randomly select the sample units from the lot in proportion to different code marks, and remove the required number of 5.5 kg sub-samples from the containers
- Only 1 sub-sample per box should be selected
- For product in combo bins, the required number of 5.5 kg sub-samples is to be withdrawn from at least 25% of the total number of combo bins in the shipment
- examine the product, classify defects using the applicable defect criteria table (Tables 2 to 4) and determine acceptance or rejection according to Table1
- if the lot is rejected: after reconditioning, re-inspect the lot using the next, higher sampling plan
Online examination
Online examination is an operator's examination technique in which product is sampled from each production line or common source at a specified frequency. Online examination should be implemented by the license holder at a point close to where the product is placed into containers
License holders who choose to conduct online examination should ensure that it achieves equivalent or better results than lot examination.
Procedure:
- the minimum sampling size and schedule per boning line should be 15 kg for each 30 minutes of production (random time sampling twice hourly)
- reject and hold product when defects exceed limits. Product produced since the last satisfactory evaluation must be reconditioned
Sampling plan and decision criteria
A decision to accept or reject is made based on the number and types of defects found. 1 or more critical defects means the shipment is rejected. With respect to major and minor defects, the decision criteria given in Table 1 are to be used.
It should be noted that some of the sampling plans indicate steps A and B. If upon completion of Step A, the number of major defects or the total number of defects (major + minor) falls between the accept and reject numbers, a second sampling and examination as per step B is done. The defects found are added to those found in Step A and the total numbers are then used to accept or reject the lot.
Note: total defects are only used if the reject level for major defects has not been exceeded.
| Plan No. | Lot size (kg) | Step No. | No. sample units selected and examined | No of defects found and action to be taken | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major accept | Major reject | Total (major and minor) accept | Total (major and minor) reject | ||||
| 1. | 454 or less | A | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2. | 3629 or less | A | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 3. | 3630 to 10885 | A | 9 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 3. | B | 3 | |||||
| 3. | Total of A + B | 12 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | |
| 4. | 10886 to 27271 | A | 15 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 4. | B | 15 | |||||
| 4. | Total of A + B | 30 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 19 | |
| 5. | 27272 to 108861 | A | 22 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 16 |
| 5. | B | 25 | |||||
| 5. | Total of A + B | 47 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 27 | |
| 6. | 108862 and over | A | 27 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 19 |
| 6. | B | 40 | |||||
| 6. | Total of A + B | 67 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 36 | |
Examples:
a) lot weighing 18,144 kg packed in 27 kg boxes.
Sampling plan 4 is selected, which means that 15 boxes are to be randomly chosen and a 5.5 kg sample examined from each box.
Findings are as follows:
critical = 0
major = 3
minor = 3
total = 6
The lot is rejected on the basis of 3 major defects, even though the total number of defects is acceptable.
b) lot weighing 9,999 kg packed in 9 kg boxes.
Sampling plan 3 is selected which means that 9 – 5.5 kg sample units are required from 9 different boxes.
Findings are as follows:
critical = 0
major = 1
minor = 3
total = 4
The lot cannot therefore be accepted or rejected at this point since the number of major defects lies between 0 and 2. Step B is therefore followed, which means that another 3 units must be selected.
Findings are as follows:
critical = 0
major = 0
minor = 4
total = 4
These defects are added to those found at step A giving totals as follows:
critical = 0
major = 1
minor = 7
total = 8
The lot is accepted.
| Defect | Minor | Major | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood clots | 40 – 150 mm (GD) | >150 mm (GD); or >5 minor clotsTable Note 1 |
Any clot(s) that would seriously affect product use |
| Bone fragments | Hard bone ≤ 40 mm (GD); bone slivers (from rib) <75 mm x 6 mm |
>40 mm (GD); or >5 minor fragmentsTable Note 1 |
Any fragment(s) that would seriously affect product use |
| Bruises | 25 – 60 mm (GD); or 13 – 25 mm deep |
>60 mm (GD); or >25 mm deep; or >5 minor bruisesTable Note 1 |
Any bruises that would seriously affect product use |
| Detached cartilage ligaments | >25 mm long and free from muscle tissue | >5 minor defects that would not seriously affect product use | Any cartilage or ligament that would seriously affect product use |
| Faecal material | Any amount | ||
| Hair, wool, hide | Hide ≤ 10 mm (GD); 5 – 10 strands of hair or wool. The number of minor defects is derived by dividing the number of hairs by 10. Hair cluster in single area | Hide >10 mm (GD); or >25 strands of hair or wool; or >5 clusters of hair provided not affecting product usabilityTable Note 1 |
Hair, hide or wool that seriously affect product use – 100 single strands of hair in 1 sample unit |
| Harmful extraneous material | Any substance that would cause minor tissue irritation | Any substance that would cause injury or illness | |
| Harmless extraneous material | Paper or plastic ≤ 45 cm2; specks of rail dust covering an area <10 mm (GD); or single grass seeds (not associated with inflammation) | Blunt wood>24 mm (GD); paper or plastic >45 cm2; or specks of rail dust covering an area >10 mm (GD); small insect; >5 minor defects that would not seriously affect product use | Large insect; insect associated with unsanitary conditions; any substance that would seriously affect product use |
| Ingesta | Any amount | ||
| Lips, ear, canals, teeth, kidneys, liver |
Any amount for each sample unit | ||
| Off condition (sour) | Any amount of off condition meat | ||
| Pathological lesions | Any lesion which would not have been evident at PM inspection that would not seriously affect product use | Any other lesion(s) | |
| Stains, discoloured areas | 10 – 40 mm (GD) | >40 mm (GD) >5 minor stainsTable Note 1 |
Stains that would seriously affect product use |
| Other for examplefreezer burn | Defect(s) that would affect product appearance but not use | Defect(s) that would materially affect product use | Defect(s) that would seriously affect product use |
(GD means Greatest Dimension; > means Greater Than; < means Less Than)
| Defect | Minor | Major | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood clots | 40 – 150 mm (GD) | >150 mm (GD); or >5 minor clotsTable Note 2 |
Any clot(s) that would seriously affect product use |
| Bone frgaments | Hard bone ≤40 mm (GD); bone slivers (from rib) <75 mm x 6 mm |
>40 mm (GD); or >5 minor fragmentsTable Note 2 |
Any fragment(s) that would seriously affect product use |
| Bruises | 25 – 60 mm (GD), or 13 – 25 mm deep |
>60 mm (GD); or >25 mm deep; or >5 minor bruisesTable Note 2 |
Any bruises that would seriously affect product use |
| Detached cartilage ligaments | >25 mm long and free from muscle tissue | >5 minor defects that would not seriously affect product use | Any cartilage or ligament that would seriously affect product use |
| Faecal material | Any amount | ||
| Hair, wool, hide | Hide ≤10 mm (GD); 5 – 10 strands of hair or wool. The number of minor defects is derived by dividing the number of hairs by 10. Hair cluster in single area | Hide >10 mm (GD); or >25 strands of hair or wool; or >5 clusters of hair provided not affecting product usabilityTable Note 2 | Hair, hide or wool that seriously affect product use – 100 single strands of hair in 1 sample unit |
| Harmful extraneous material | Any substance that would cause minor tissue irritation | Any substance that would cause injury or illness | |
| Harmless extraneous material | Paper or plastic ≤45 cm2; specks of rail dust covering an area <10 mm (GD); or single grass seeds (not associated with inflammation) | Blunt wood>24 mm (GD); paper or plastic >45 cm2; or specks of rail dust covering an area >10 mm (GD); small insect; >5 minor defects that would not seriously affect product use | Large insect; insect associated with unsanitary conditions; any substance that would seriously affect product use |
| Ingesta | Any amount | ||
| Lips, ear, canals, teeth, kidneys, liver |
Any amount for each sample unit | ||
| Off condition (sour) | Any amount of off condition meat | ||
| Pathological lesions | Any lesion which would not have been evident at PM inspection that would not seriously affect product use | Any other lesion(s) | |
| Stains, discoloured areas | 10 – 40 mm (GD) | >40 mm (GD) >5 minor stainsTable Note 2 |
Stains that would seriously affect product use |
| Other for examplefreezer burn | Defect(s) that would affect product appearance but not use | Defect(s) that would materially affect product use | Defect(s) that would seriously affect product use |
(GD means Greatest Dimension; > means Greater Than; < means Less Than)
| Defect | Minor | Major | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood clots | 40 – 150 mm (GD) | >150 mm (GD); or >5 minor clotsTable Note 3 |
Any clot(s) that would seriously affect product use |
| Bone frgaments | Hard bone ≤40 mm (GD); bone slivers (from rib) <75 mm x 6 mm |
>40 mm (GD); or >5 minor fragmentsTable Note 3 |
Any fragment(s) that would seriously affect product use |
| Bruises | 25 – 60 mm (GD); or 13 – 25 mm deep |
>60 mm (GD); or >25 mm deep; or > 5 minor bruisesTable Note 3 |
Any bruises that would seriously affect product use |
| Detached cartilage ligaments | >25 mm long and free from muscle tissue | >5 minor defects that would not seriously affect product use | Any cartilage or ligament that would seriously affect product use |
| Faecal materical | Any amount | ||
| Harmful extraneous material | Any substance that would cause minor tissue irritation | Any substance that would cause injury or illness | |
| Harmless extraneous material | Paper or plastic <45 cm2; specks of rail dust covering an area <10 mm (GD); or single grass seeds (not associated with inflammation) | Blunt wood >24 mm (GD); paper or plastic >45 cm2; or specks of rail dust covering an area >10 mm (GD); small insect; >5 minor defects that would not seriously affect product use | Large insect; insect associated with unsanitary conditions; any substance that would seriously affect product use |
| Ingesta | Any amount | ||
| Lips, ear, canals, teeth, kidneys, liver | Any amount for each sample unit | ||
| Off condition (sour) | Any amount of off condition meat | ||
| Pathological lesions | Any lesion which would not have been evident at PM inspection that would not seriously affect product use | Any other lesion(s) | |
| Skin (on skinless cuts), hair, hair roots | Skin (on skinless cuts)
|
Skin (on skinless cuts) >10 mm (GD);
|
Skinless or skin on cuts:
|
| Stains, discoloured areas | 10 – 40 mm (GD) | >40 mm (GD) >5 minor stainsTable Note 3 |
Stains that would seriously affect product use |
| Other for example freezer burn | Defect(s) that would affect product appearance but not use | Defect(s) that would materially affect product use | Defect(s) that would seriously affect product use |
(GD means Greatest Dimension; > means Greater Than; < means Less Than)
Please consult "Controls on contamination in red meat establishments" and "Dressing procedures and Preparation of edible parts" to help you meet these requirements.