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Modernized Slaughter Inspection Program (MSIP) Hog

Although the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) came into force on January 15, 2019, certain requirements are being phased in over the following 12 to 30 months. For more information, refer to the SFCR timelines. Note that this policy is currently being piloted in the Canadian red meat industry.

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Application

It supports the Post mortem Defect Management Program under the Safe Food for Canadian Regulations (SFCR). This policy has been designed to align with elements set out in the document Fundamentals of the Post Mortem Defect Management Program, incorporated by reference in the SFCR.

Purpose

The MSIP system focuses inspection efforts on ensuring the operator meets edible standards. Under traditional inspection methods, CFIA slaughter inspectors are tasked with the detection and identification of defects before the operator has the opportunity to ensure the product meets edible standards. The MSIP system places the onus on defect detection and identification onto the operator. Operators are encouraged to train slaughter employees to identify defects as they occur instead of relying solely on downstream defect detection. Operators under the MSIP system provide product for inspection that has been screened by the operator with defects identified or removed. Therefore CFIA inspectors conduct carcass-by-carcass inspection focussing on food safety concerns instead of assuming a routine defect detection role in the actual slaughter process. Focussing CFIA inspection on pre-screened product enhances CFIA's ability to oversee the production of safe meat products. The MSIP system fully aligns with HACCP principles by allowing the operator to identify and control defects. There are no line speed conditions within the MSIP system.

Interpretation

The following definitions apply in this policy:

Roles and responsibilities

  1. Industry
    The operator is responsible for performing the ante-mortem examination, presenting all food animals for ante-mortem inspection, identifying defects during the slaughter process, performing an initial post-mortem screening, presenting screened products for post-mortem inspection and removing defects.
  2. CFIA
    Performs ante-mortem inspection, provides slaughter system oversight, and inspects head, viscera and the carcass of food animals.

Inspection points

CFIA inspection activities within the MSIP system include up to 3 online CFIA inspection points, the disposition rail, as well as system inspection, verification inspection and ante-mortem inspection.

Facilities required at each on line inspection point include:

  1. The conveyor and/or rail shall be level for the entire length of the inspection stand
  2. Floor space shall be adequate along the conveyor and rail
  3. Conveyor and rail stop/start switches shall be readily accessible
  4. Facilities provided by the operator shall be adequate to support inspection
  5. A minimum of 1000 lux of shadow-free lighting shall exist at each inspection and verification point

A rail out loop/tray system is recommended at each inspection point. The identification of food safety conditions as a result of inspection will require the carcass and parts to be held necessitating the stoppage of the main rail if a rail out/tray option does not exist.

CFIA head inspection

The head inspection point is located after the operator mandibular lymph node and head examination step. The inspector visually inspects operator screened incised mandibular lymph nodes and heads for non-identified defects.

CFIA viscera inspection

The viscera inspection point is located after the operator viscera examination step and before the viscera harvesting step. The inspector visually inspects operator's screened viscera for non-identified defects.

Note: The inspector also inspects operator's screened carcasses for systemic and generalized conditions for rail out to the disposition rail at the head and/or the viscera inspection point.

CFIA final carcass inspection

The inspector visually inspects operator's screened carcasses at a location after the final trim and sorting step and before the carcass wash step.

CFIA disposition rail

The function of the disposition rail is to provide CFIA veterinary staff the ability to inspect railed out carcasses and subsequently either pass carcasses after the removal of identified pathology or condemn carcasses with generalized and systemic conditions as well as condemn other carcasses meeting condemnation criteria but not previously rejected by the operator.

System inspection

The System Inspector (SI) functions may be conducted by a CFIA inspector or the Veterinarian in Charge (VIC), or the Veterinary designate (VD) or the Verification Inspector (VI). The SI has overall responsibility to assure that the plant and inspection personnel effectively conduct the required activities under MSIP, as designed.

Specifically, the SI:

Verification inspection

The Verification Inspector (VI) does not have a fixed position on the line, and can move freely. Specifically, the VI:

Verification procedures

CFIA conducts verification inspection to assure that plants are meeting the performance standards. Verification inspection occurs in ante-mortem and post-mortem.

Ante-mortem

Post-mortem

The verification sampling procedures for both food safety and other consumer protection performance standards will be conducted on 24 samples for each shift based on randomly selected sampling time periods. This procedure is conducted online. The SI/VI will identify the samples and may conduct the sampling themselves or have the online inspectors examine each part and carcass. Operator screened heads, viscera and carcasses will be evaluated during randomly selected sampling times. The SI/VI will record a maximum of 1 defect in each performance standard category per sample unit (a sample having bile and a bruise on the carcass would be identified as 1 Other Consumer Protection OCP-3 defect. A sample having arthritis and fecal contamination of the viscera would be identified as 1 OCP-1 and 1 OCP-2).

1. General requirements for defect control

Under MSIP, inspection personnel continue to perform carcass by carcass inspection in addition to MSIP verification. The operator's employees are expected to identify FS conditions (as well as non-food safety defects) as early in the slaughter process as possible. At the final online carcass inspection point, the online inspector takes action on any FS defect the establishment fails to identify for removal. If the operator repeatedly presents non-identified defects to any online inspector, the SI may order additional verification inspections. In addition, depending on the nature, degree, and extent of the loss of defect control, the SI can require additional CVS tasks to be conducted as well as a line speed reduction. The appropriate off-line (SI or VI) inspector will document noncompliance including any occurrence of FS-1 or FS-2 defects at final carcass inspection in MSIP Hog Form 10.

All carcasses identified for trimming at the final online carcass inspection point shall be re-presented for inspection after trimming has been conducted by the operator.

2. FS-1 and FS-2

FS-1

During and outside of verifications at all post-mortem inspection points; for FS-1 defects that the establishment fails to identify; the online inspector retains the carcass for veterinary disposition. The veterinarian makes the final determination whether the observed condition is or is not an FS-1 condition. The SI/VI will document in MSIP Hog Form 10 anytime an online inspector detects a confirmed operator non-identified FS-1 defect and:

FS-2

At the head and viscera online inspection point/s, the inspector stops the line and requires corrective actions anytime contamination is found that may create insanitary conditions; such that they can contaminate adjacent carcasses or edible product contact surfaces; has been missed by the operator. The online inspector informs the SI/VI who documents the finding on MSIP Hog form 10.

No carcasses are allowed to exhibit FS-2 defects at the final online carcass inspection point. Outside of or during verification, when an inspector detects FS-2 defects at the final carcass location, defects shall be removed by the operator either by railing the carcass out or having it trimmed online. Outside of MSIP verifications, when an online inspector finds an FS-2 defect at the final online carcass inspection point, the online inspector stops the line, identifies the FS-2 defect to the operator and reports the finding to the SI who will document the finding on MSIP Hog Form 10.

During verifications, when the CFIA finds an FS-2 condition at the final carcass rail point "zero tolerance" noncompliance is documented by the SI/VI on MSIP Hog Form 10 and:

Note: for operators that locate FS-1 and FS-2 final control points in their HACCP system before the online inspector; the finding of a non-identified FS-1 or 2 indicates a HACCP system noncompliance. In these cases, in addition to verifying that the operator implements and documents corrective actions as above, the applicable CVS task shall be conducted to capture the noncompliance. The reason: the FS-1 and 2 critical limit is 0 and any FS-1 and 2 conditions found after the final HACCP system control point indicate the critical limit has been exceeded.

3. OCP

Table: OCP defects
Maximum allowed per shift
24 Samples (head, viscera, carcass) 27 Samples unscheduled 30 Samples unscheduled 33 Samples unscheduled
OCP-1 2 2 2 2
OCP-2 3 3 3 3
OCP-3 7 7 8 9

If the operator failed to take proper corrective action according to their control program, the operator shall detail what new corrective and preventive action will be implemented to prevent recurrence. Any samples that exhibit defects in any of the OCP performance standard categories should be pointed out to operator personnel.

Unscheduled verification inspection

When the SI determines that an unscheduled inspection should occur, the SI will notify the VI to conduct the inspection. Each unscheduled verification inspection will be 3 carcass, viscera and head samples.

Examination of operator sampling records for OCP's

SI evaluation of OCP defect categories 1 through 3 for 25 day performance

If the operator exceeds the maximum days for any OCP category for a 25-day period, at any point during the 25 days, the SI will indicate the non-compliance on Form 10 and in the applicable CVS task. The operator should detail what new corrective and preventive actions are implemented to correct the issue and prevent recurrence. The operator will provide this information to the SI. Verification testing results for the window failed OCP category are not recorded or tracked until the operator implements corrective actions.

Note: a 25 day period will end at a full 25 days provided that the maximum number of days is not exceeded. If the maximum number of days are exceeded before 25 days are completed, the period stops, then while the operator responds to the noncompliance (as described above), a new 25-day period will begin when those conditions are satisfied.

CFIA verification of slaughter floor harvested edible products

Implementation correlation

The VIC and/or SI will meet regularly with the operator to conduct correlation activities during the implementation period. Regular correlation will aid CFIA and the operator in establishing a common basis for both FS and OCP determinations.

Appendix 1

Table: Model performance standards for swine
Performance standard categories Operator performance standards
FS-1, condition: infectious
(septicemia/toxemia, cysticercus)
0
FS-2, condition: digestive content/milk
(fecal material, ingesta, milk)
0
FS-3, ante-mortem suspect
(neurologic conditions, moribund, pyrexic)
0
OCP-1, carcass, pathology Footnote *
(for example: arthritis, emaciation, erysipelas, localized abscess, mastitis, metritis, mycobacteriosis [M Avium], neoplasms, pericarditis, pleuritis, pneumonia, uremia)
4.1%
OCP-2, visceral pathologyFootnote *
(for example: cystic kidneys, enteritis/gastritis, fecal contamination of harvested non gastro intestinal tract viscera, contamination of grey or red offal if it impedes inspection, nephritis/ pyelonephritis, peritonitis, parasites—other than Cysticercus
7.2%
OCP-3, miscellaneous
(for example: anemia, bile, bruise, edema, external mutilation, fractures, icterus, odor, skin lesions, scabs, toenails not removed)
20.5 %

Table Notes

*

Conditions exhibiting a septicemia or toxemia are considered food safety hazards

Return to table note * referrer

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