Handling of animal products

With the appearance of diseases like mad cow disease, avian flu and health problems caused by bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli, there is increasing public awareness of animal health and human safety. Animal products are highly perishable and provide a good medium for the development of many disease pathogens. If not well managed, they can be a serious source of infection to the consumers of these animal products.

Slaughtering and preparation of animal products

The obligation in the conversion of animals into edible products and useful by-products is to slaughter the animal in a humane manner and to process the carcass in a hygienic and efficient way. At the time of slaughter, animals have to be healthy and physiologically normal. In preparation for slaughter, animals should be adequately rested, particularly if they have travelled over long distances. However, pigs and poultry are usually slaughtered on arrival as time and distances travelled are relatively short and holding them in stalls is stressful for them. Animals should be given water during holding and can be fed, if required. The holding period allows for injured and sick animals to be identified. There are many methods of slaughtering animals but whatever method is used, should ensure minimum pain and stress to the animals by managing them calmly and without a lot of noise and by leaving the ones that know each other together. The carcass has to be prevented from contamination and waste materials have to be collected and disposed safely.

General recommendations to farmers for proper handling of animal products:

• Slaughter only healthy animals for human consumption.
• Observe the withdraw periods for conventionally treated animals before slaughtering the animals and selling their products as organic.
• Appropriate sanitary procedures have to be applied to maintain personal and food hygiene and minimise contamination of the environment.
• The carcass has to be cooled down during the first day after slaughter.
• Specific organic market standards should be observed in the whole process of slaughtering to ensure that the products are fit for the organic markets.
• Adequate preservation either by cooking, boiling, drying, salting or freezing/cooling is necessary.
• Minimising the environmental pollution through proper and safe waste water and solid waste disposal after slaughtering.