How can meat processors implement HACCP plans?

Between slaughtering animals and storing beef, meat processing plants encounter a number of health risks. Thankfully, there are ways to mitigate and eliminate hazards.

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system helps businesses across the world scrutinise and manage physical, biological and chemical dangers across the food supply chain. For example, some storage centres use temperature monitoring instruments to ensure coolers are set at the right temperatures.

Meat processing plants can apply a number of measures to stamp out hazards before they tarnish product quality.

What are the preliminary steps?

According to Meat & Livestock Australia, meat processing plants already have to adhere to HACCP-based quality assurance standards, as per laws instated by the Australian Federal Government in 1997. Specifically, all abattoirs registered with the authority must have veterinarians and inspectors to:

• Verify the hygienic integrity of a facility before operations commence at the start of each day.
• Continuously monitor meat quality and safety standards during production.
• Carry out ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections to confirm that products are safe for human consumption.

At least one veterinarian from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) must be present at a meat processing plant to ensure its staff are adhering to standards under the Export Control Meat and Meat Products Orders 2005 (the Orders).

Under Part 3 – Preparation of meat and meat products for export as food, the Orders state that the owner of a facility that handles meat for export must adhere to an approved preparation process. This is where specific, HACCP-based protocols come into play.

Mitigating risks across each process 

The steps an abattoir must take when slaughtering, preparing and packing meats differs at each stage. For this reason, we’ll outline the considerations personnel will have to make during the washing and chilling phases, as outlined by HACCP steps developed by the University of Wisconsin.

To eliminate the risks of pathogens tarnishing meat quality, the final wash consists of using organic acid spray to skill such microorganisms. The university noted that this measure should reduce the number of microbes to a “nondetectable” level.

At the chilling stage, meats must be stored in environments kept at under 5 degrees Celsius. To ensure this is the case, abattoir personnel can install temperature data loggers, which will alert them to any temperature fluctuations.

Overall, implementing a HACCP-based program consists of identifying any areas where hazards could be introduced. Controlling the risks associated with those dangers often involves using instruments that can provide the data needed to develop strong control measures.