The volumes of waste material generated on both the kill floor and in the
processing room or cut/bone room have been identified by industry as
the areas generating much of the additional unanticipated costs associated with
the implementation of the enhanced feed ban requirements. This is particularly
the case for those plants that are primarily killing fed cattle where the
limited, but routine occurrence of incidental OTMs has resulted in most, if not all of,
the floor waste and waste water materials being handled as SRM.
In identifying options for consideration a guiding principal for those areas
where SRM are removed or
handled is that:
where the SRM is
effectively contained within a set of tissues without any opportunity for
direct contact or exposure; for example, the dorsal root ganglia within the
OTM vertebral column, or
where any potential BSE infectivity is
effectively contained within an organ, for example, BSE infectivity associated
with lymphoid tissue (PeyerÂ’s patches) within the wall of the distal ileum
and not the material within the lumen
With this in mind, the CFIA proposes:
For distal ileum and OTM vertebral columns
In slaughter establishments, since the distal ileum is
removed in its entirety, any BSE infectivity would be
effectively contained within it. As a result, even if the distal ileum was
accidentally dropped onto the floor it would not pose any risk of contaminating
other floor waste or waste water or being tracked elsewhere on the kill floor.
Provided these SRM are
picked up and placed into the designated SRM container, the floor waste and
waste water, with which they came into contact, will not be considered SRM.
In processing room or cut/bone facilities: The same
rationale applies to an OTM
vertebral column that may be accidentally dropped onto the floor. By the time
the carcass is ready for processing at these facilities, all SRM apart from the dorsal root
ganglia (DRG) have been removed. The DRG are contained within the vertebral
column and do not pose any risk of cross contamination through direct exposure.
As a result, provided that the OTM vertebral column (SRM) is placed into designated
SRM bins as soon as it is
removed or if it has accidentally dropped onto the floor, and provided
segregation is maintained from all other materials, there should be no need to
treat floor waste or waste water materials as SRM in those areas where these types
of SRM are removed and
handled.
Saw dust from OTM
vertebral columns handling - for beef cutting and boning
facilities/rooms
By the time the OTM carcass is
ready for processing, all SRM apart from the dorsal root
ganglia (DRG) have been removed. The spinal cord has already been removed, and
the DRG contained within the
vertebral column do not pose any risk of cross contamination.
In normal processing operations, two to three transverse cuts are made
through the OTM vertebral column
to facilitate subsequent handling of beef carcasses. There is a negligible
likelihood that the saw dust resulting from this operation would contain
SRM (DRG). The opportunities
for these SRM to contaminate
other materials including floor waste and waste water would be negligible.
Therefore, there should be no need to treat as SRM the floor waste or waste water
mixed with the saw dust from OTM
vertebral column transverse cuts.
The waste water generated within processing rooms (cut/bone
operations) does not need to be filtered through 4 mm aperture due to the negligible risk of
contamination within this area. However, overall plant design and municipal
regulations will dictate the disposal options.
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Surinder S. Saini
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
174 Stone Road West
Guelph, Ontario N1G 4S9
Telephone: 613-222-4711
Email: sainis@inspection.gc.ca
Main Page - Enhanced Animal Health Protection from
BSE
