Food Standards Agency - FS517002 A more targetted inspection of Cysticercus Bovis.

Descriptions

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) assessed the public health impact of visual only meat inspection of the presence of Cysticercus cysts in calves kept under specific management conditions. Their review identified poor sensitivity, especially for lightly infected animals. EFSA recommended a semi-quantitative risk profiling of veal calf herds based on the system used to produce the animals and history/epidemiology of infection on the farm. Low-risk veal calf herds may be inspected without the need to incise the heart or other organs. To support discussions at EU and international level for a targeted risk based control for Cysticercus Bovis, as opposed to the current regime which requires incision and palpations of all predilection sites on all cattle, we propose carrying out a research for a more targeted and cost effective meat inspection for Cysticercus Bovis. The overall objective of this research is to develop a model based on EFSA's recommendations (including the possible use of harmonised epidemiological indicators, HEI) and using Food Chain Information and Collection and Communication of Inspection Results as a tool to assess the appropriate inspection method on a herd (or group to slaughter) basis. a) Consider the limitation and gaps that may arise from the study and suggest the best possible interventions to overcome those limitations considering also relevant literature. b) Develop a model to categorise bovine animals or herds sent to slaughterhouse to inform the appropriate inspection method for each category identified and advice on potential impact on public health.