Canadian inspection procedures for railing out young beef heifer and steer carcasses in high-line-speed abattoirs because of head lymph node abscessation (HLNA) were evaluated. A total of 231,405 animals were inspected and 3,368 that had HLNA were railed out to a stationary line and subjected to further detailed examination. These were compared to 1,659 control carcasses lacking any visual abnormalities, including HLNA, in the judgment of inspection personnel. Four carcasses and 7 portions of carcasses with HLNA and 2 portions of control carcasses were condemned. Histopathological and limited bacteriological examinations were carried out. It was concluded that use of HLNA detection exclusively for more detailed carcass inspection was inefficient and lacked scientific validity. Other criteria are essential for the identification of carcasses that pose a significant hazard to human health.
Judicial gatekeeping on scientific validity with risk assessment tools