A comparison of lesions found during meat inspection of finishing pigs raised under organic/free-range conditions and conventional indoor conditions

Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) it is often a suppurative lesion that, in Portugal, represents the main cause of total condemnation of slaughtered finishing pigs. Based on the EU Meat Inspection legislation, meat from generalized VO cases presenting signs of pyemia should be declared unfit for human consumption. For that reason, the main objective of this study is to establish a classification scheme to differentiate between localized and generalized VO cases using macroscopic findings and validate it based on the presence of pyemia. To assist in, a combination of macroscopic characteristics of gross lesions (e.g., presence of pyaemia-related lesions (PRL), acute/chronic characteristics of VO) was used to create a classification scheme to differentiate between localized and generalized VO cases. The scheme was applied to 40 VO cases that had been totally condemned in an undifferentiated way. In those 40 cases, histopathological analysis was used to validate acute/chronic macro-criteria, and microbiological analysis was performed to identify the pyemia cases. From the 40 selected VO cases, 20 were macroscopically classified as chronic and 20 as acute. Cohen’s kappa coefficient (κ = 0.80; p < 0.001), revealed a substantial agreement between macroscopic and histopathology classification. Microbiological analyses identified 13 pyemia cases (13/40; 32.5%). Among those, 12 were macroscopically classified as acute, this association being highly significant (p < 0.001). By using the proposed VO classification scheme, 14 possible cases out of 40 could have been spared from total condemnation. This scheme can be used to harmonize the classification of VO and meat inspection decisions in Portuguese abattoirs. The output would lead to avoidance of unnecessary carcasses condemnation (food waste/economic losses), under an evidence-based approach, without compromising food safety and public health as demanded by the EU Meat Inspection legislation.

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Lesions found at routine meat inspection on finishing pigs are associated with production system

The Veterinary Journal ◽

10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.04.016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 223 ◽

pp. 21-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

H. Kongsted ◽

J.T. Sørensen

Keyword(s):

Production System ◽

Meat Inspection ◽

Finishing Pigs

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A Comparative Study Into Procedures for Postmortem Inspection for Finishing Pigs

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-55.8.620 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 55 (8) ◽

pp. 620-626 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

T. H. M. HARBERS ◽

J. F. M. SMEETS ◽

J. A. J. FABER ◽

J. M. A. SNIJDERS ◽

J. G. VAN LOGTESTIJN

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Comparative Study ◽

European Community ◽

Visual Inspection ◽

False Negative ◽

Meat Inspection ◽

Inspection System ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Specificity And Sensitivity ◽

Negative Findings

A postmortem meat inspection system based primarily on visual inspection without palpation or incision was compared with regular meat inspection procedures based on European Community (EC) regulations, which consists of visual inspection, palpation, and incision of organs. Two experiments included 31,682 finishing pigs. Three inspection procedures were followed: visual, i.e., an inspection without manipulation of the carcass; regular, i.e., based on EC regulations; and extra, i.e., based on EC regulations with more time allowed for the inspection. The reproducibility and accuracy of the visual and regular inspection methods were compared with those of the extra inspection. Twelve postmortem abnormalities and four additional findings were compared. The reproducibility of the visual inspection, measured with Cohen's kappa (CK), was poor to fair (CK from 0.14 to 0.64), and the regular inspection also had a poor to fair reproducibility (CK from 0.24 to 0.73). The specificity and sensitivity of the visual and regular inspection methods did not differ significantly for most of the abnormalities and additional findings. The sensitivity was low (range 0–76%) and the number of false-negative findings was sometimes high. It can be concluded that many abnormalities and additional findings are detected equally well by visual and regular postmortem inspection procedures. It is concluded that since both inspection procedures are far from perfect, risk assessment should be performed.

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Herd-level risk factors for chronic pleuritis in finishing pigs: a case-control study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21706/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Outi Hälli ◽

Minna Haimi-Hakala ◽

Claudio Oliviero ◽

Mari Heinonen

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Meat Inspection ◽

Common Finding ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Related Factors ◽

Herd Level ◽

Infection Pressure ◽

Control Study

Abstract Background Chronic pleuritis is a common finding in slaughtered pigs in post-mortem meat inspection. The prevalence of pleuritis has been increasing during the last decade also in Finland. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to search for environmental, infectious and management-related herd-level risk factors for pleuritis in the slaughterhouse. Altogether 46 Finnish pig herds, including 25 control (low pleuritis prevalence in meat inspection) and 21 case (high pleuritis) herds, were enrolled in the study and visited during the tenth week of the rearing period of finishing pigs. Herd personnel were asked about basic herd information, management and environmental factors. Selected pigs were examined clinically, environmental parameters were measured and 15 blood samples per herd were taken during herd visits. Antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia serotype 2 (APP2) and ApxIV toxin and swine influenza virus were measured. After the slaughter of study pigs, meat inspection results of the batch were gathered from slaughterhouses. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to identify possible risk factors for a herd to be a case herd ( i.e. having high pleuritis values).Results Finishing herd type, herd size and APP2 seropositivity were observed to act as risk factors. In addition to these, general herd-level factors, flank biting and high APP2 antibody prevalence of the herd tended to be associated with the risk of the herd being a case herd. None of the other clinical signs of pigs, management-related factors or environmental measurements were associated with herd status.Conclusions As previously known, in endemic and subclinical infections such as APP, herd and management-related factors are important in building up infection pressure, but single risk factors seem to be difficult to identify. However, as flank biting was more common in high pleuritis herds, part of disease susceptibility is likely mediated via stress.

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Herd-level risk factors for chronic pleurisy in finishing pigs: a case-control study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21706/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Outi Hälli ◽

Minna Haimi-Hakala ◽

Claudio Oliviero ◽

Mari Heinonen

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Swine Influenza Virus ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Case Control ◽

Meat Inspection ◽

Common Finding ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Herd Level ◽

Control Study

Abstract Background Chronic pleurisy is a common finding in slaughtered pigs in post-mortem meat inspection. The prevalence of pleurisy has been increasing during the last decade also in Finland. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to search for environmental, infectious and management-related herd-level risk factors for pleurisy in the slaughterhouse. Altogether 46 Finnish pig herds, including 25 control (low pleurisy prevalence in meat inspection) and 21 case (high pleurisy) herds, were enrolled in the study and visited during the tenth week of the rearing period of finishing pigs. Herd personnel were asked about basic herd information, management and environmental factors. Selected pigs were examined clinically, environmental parameters were measured and 15 blood samples per herd were taken during herd visits. Antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia serotype 2 (APP2) and ApxIV toxin and swine influenza virus were measured. After the slaughter of study pigs, meat inspection results of the batch were gathered from slaughterhouses. Multivariate logistic regression model was built to identify possible risk factors for a herd to be a case herd (i.e. having high pleurisy values). Results Finishing herd type and herd size were observed to act as risk factors. None of clinical signs of pigs, management-related factors or environmental measurements were associated with herd status. Conclusions As previously known, in endemic and subclinical infections such as APP, herd factors are important, but detailed risk factors seem to be difficult to identify.

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Supplementing feed with Pediococcus acidilactici reduces Campylobacter load in finishing pigs

Veterinary Record ◽

10.1136/vr.105591 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 187 (6) ◽

pp. e45-e45

Author(s):

Ángela Morales-Partera ◽

Fernando Cardoso Toset ◽

Inmaculada Luque ◽

Alfonso Maldonado ◽

Carmen Tarradas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Foodborne Pathogens ◽

Control Diet ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Treated Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Pediococcus Acidilactici ◽

Performance Parameters ◽

Free Range ◽

Group Control

BackgroundPigs are asymptomatic carriers of foodborne bacteria, such as Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter species, which can pose a risk to human health. New strategies to control bacteria burden before reaching the slaughterhouse are necessary. This study evaluated the effect of Pediococcus acidilactici on performance parameters and on the burden of foodborne pathogens, that have subsequent implications on food quality and safety, in free-range finishing pigs at the slaughterhouse.MethodsPigs were randomly allocated and blocked by weight into control group (control diet) and treated group (control diet supplemented with P acidilactici) 31 days before slaughter. Weight and average daily gain were recorded and changes in faecal microbiota were determined at the beginning and at the end of the study.ResultsNo changes were observed in performance parameters. No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing between treated and control animals at the beginning or at the end of the study. However, a significant decrease was detected in the counts of Campylobacter species in treated animals between day 0 and day 31 (4.86–3.40 log colony-forming units/g; P=0.002).ConclusionThis study indicates that supplementation with P acidilactici represents a useful approach to control Campylobacter species load in free-range finishing pigs before slaughter.

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