In this section:
Print 
Pork
Pork on-farm HACCP plan
Andrew Pointon, Peter Horchner, Kim Nairn, Paul Pattison, David Hamilton, Jo Slade
March to September 2009
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Produce an on-farm HACCP plan
Outcome
- HACCP plan to underpin APIQ
Food safety priorities
David Hamilton, Geoff Holds, Michelle Lorimer, Andreas Kiermeier
March 2009 to February 2010
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Estimate the amount of unfrozen and non heat treated sow meat used in UCFM and the relative risk of different UCFM smallgoods products.Identify UCFM smallgoods products suitable for risk mitigation strategies.
- Develop a pilot hot water decontamination unit and determine whether re-using water is microbiologically acceptable. Determine the costs for operating a carcase decontamination unit that reuses water.
- Benchmark the microbiological quality and safety of imported pig meat and assess effectiveness of existing smallgoods processes under the microbial loads of imported and domestic pig meat.
- Establish a collaborative relationship with international experts in this area.
- Review current molecular approaches for the differentiation of Salmonella isolates, build Australian capability in the most appropriate molecular method and validate Australian results with an appropriate international collaborator.
Outcomes
- Enable processors to introduce risk management options to control any food safety risk posed to consumers from consumption of UCFM products .
- Enable processors to obtain an accurate assessment of the costs of running a carcase decontamination unit.
- Enable industry to minimise offal contamination, in the absence of an acceptable and effective decontamination treatment.
- Enable processors to determine whether imported pig meat poses a greater food safety risk compared to Australian pig meat.
- Ability to further differentiate Salmonella isolates, within serovars, will allow industry to better respond to foodborne disease outbreaks.
Safety of domestically retailed pork and pork products
David Hamilton, Geoff Holds, Viv Mattei, Gayle Smith, Michelle Lorimer, Andreas Kiermeier
September 2007 to June 2008
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Determine the proportion of unfrozen sow meat used in smallgoods.
- Determine the national sero-prevalence of T. gondii (MAT) antibodies in cull sows.
- Determine the amount/proportion of sow meat retailed as raw meat.
- Determine the processing hygiene and prevalence of microbial hazards of sow meat, pork sausage meat and pork offal.
Outcomes
- An assessment of the probability of detection of violative shipments in Singapore.
- A baseline of hazard levels in pork offal retailed in Australia.
- Benchmarking of offal processing hygiene across major abattoirs nationally.
- Assess the potential need for implementation of additional hygiene interventions.
Salmonella contamination of Australian pork - validation of decontamination steps and molecular techniques to track source
David Hamilton
July 2006 to August 2007
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Validation of an abattoir decontamination step for Salmonella contamination of pig offal to meet import country requirements (hot water/SANOVA®)
- Repeat carcase decontamination for Salmonella, E. coli and TVC using hot water/SANOVA® at a second export abattoir to validate decontamination step
- Development of genomic testing methods to support more accurate attribution of Salmonella contamination to source
Outcomes
- Offer industry a practical and effective control step for Salmonella contamination of pig meat and assist with the attribution of origin of contamination.
Pig carcase dressing percentage evaluation
David Hamilton, Jan Jackowiak
January 2005 to September 2006
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- To identify the source of defective carcase classifications.
Outcomes
- To identify opportunities for improvement to minimise defective carcases to underpin producer confidence and supply of pigs.
Food safety risk management to optimise market access for Australian pork
David Hamilton, Andreas Kiermeier, Geoff Holds
July 2004 to June 2006
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Evaluate molecular techniques for assessing Salmonella 'flow through' from farm to carcase
- Evaluate the sensitivity of E. coli–Salmonella (ESAM) sampling against new culture/ sampling methodologies for Salmonella
- Investigate using pooled sera to improve the value of the Australian mix-ELISA (enzyme-linked immmunosorbant assay) as an indicator of on farm Salmonella infection
- Update the 1995 pilot data for Toxoplasma gondii status of finisher pigs in Australia
- Evaluate practical and cost-effective strategies for reducing Salmonella contamination on farm and abattoir
Outcomes
- Minimise risk to Australian consumers
- Assist the Australian pig industry to compete in both the domestic and international marketplace
Ecology of Salmonella infection across major Australian pig rearing production systems
David Hamilton, Andrew Pointon
2002–2004
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Evaluate the ecology of Salmonella infection in bedding-rearing production systems
- Evaluate the impact of lairage time on Salmonella status at slaughter
Outcomes
- Confirmation of farm as a substantial source of carcase contamination
- Identified the need for improved control at slaughter
Risk-based assessment of different post mortem inspection procedures for pigs in Australia
David Hamilton, Paul Gallas, Lindsey Lyall, Sue Lester, Steve McOrist, Steve Hathaway, Andrew Pointon
2000–2001
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Demonstration of 'equivalence' in terms of consumer protection of an alternative risk-based inspection procedure for pigs
- Limited effectiveness of traditional and risk-based inspection procedures for 'wholesomeness' under current abattoir quality assurance systems; verification of the poor performance of current systems
- Verification of Salmonella contamination rate of boned, retail ready pork
Outcomes
- Used in conjunction with the outputs from companion studies as a basis for the design of a risk-based harmonised national standard for post mortem inspection of pigs for domestic and export markets
- Alternative procedures now included as an industry option in the revised Australian Meat Standard (for export also)
- Cost-effective adoption by processors
- Arrangements implemented by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) for export product (2002)
Development of an industry framework for an integrated farm-transport-lairage Salmonella reduction program in pigs
David Hamilton, Jo Bobbitt, Andrew Pointon
2000–2002
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Evaluate the impact of time-off-feed, transport distance and herd Salmonella status on carriage of Salmonella at slaughter
- Routine Salmonella monitoring of pig herds not an appropriate control for Australian industry procedures
- A 'tightening' of preslaughter time-off-fed to slaughter is supportable to minimise risk
Outcomes
- Recommendations under consideration in the review of the (preslaughter) Australian Pork Industry Quality Standards.
- Results presented at International Conference on Pork (Food) Safety in October 2003
On-farm ante mortem inspection of pigs to enhance the efficiency of meat inspection
Jan Jackowiak, Andrew Pointon
1998–2000
Project Objectives and Technical Outputs
- Verification of the effectiveness of producer conducted ante mortem inspection
- Initial quantification of the rate of 'suspect' pigs marketed from Australian pig herds
- Initial quantification of the causes of 'suspect' pigs produced in Australia
- Verification the impact of time-off-feed on the rate of Salmonella contamination of ingesta at slaughter.
Outcomes
- Further information for justification for Salmonella minimisation in APIQS
- Information for consideration of the role of ante mortem inspection conducted on farm as part of a review of APIQS (2003)
- Industry funded demonstration projects have resulted in widespread uptake across Australia, supported by a training manual and video
