In case of technical breakdowns or other incidents on the slaughter line, carcasses may remain exposed for longer than usual before being chilled. This can pose food safety risks. The Belgian Scientific Committee, established at the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), issued an opinion November 2024 on how to deal with this based on microbiological analyses and organoleptic assessments.

The recommendations focus on:

• The maximum length of time a carcass may remain on the slaughter line.
• The need for microbiological testing and organoleptic assessments during prolonged downtime.
• Adapting the existing FEBEV procedure to a standardised approach with two scenarios.

Key conclusions and policy recommendations

• Time limit of 2 hours: Up to 2 hours after bleeding, there is no significantly increased risk for food safety.
• Microbiological tests at longer downtimes: If downtime exceeds 2 hours, 10% of affected carcasses should be microbiologically examined for total plate count (TKG) and Enterobacteriaceae.
• Organoleptic evaluation: After a minimum of 18 hours of refrigeration, the carcasses should be assessed for odour, colour and texture.
• Adjustment of sectoral procedure: FEBEV's original four scenarios are reduced to two:
  1. Downtime less than 2 hours → standard procedures continue to apply.
  2. Standstill longer than 2 hours → microbiological analyses and organoleptic evaluation required.

Practical guidelines: Measures to be taken by phase

1. Incident detection and initial response

• What?
  • Determine the nature and cause of downtime (mechanical, electronic, external factor).
  • Communication with responsible persons and veterinarian.
• Why?
  • Preventing unnecessary waiting time.
  • Initiation of corrective actions.

2. Measures in case of downtime shorter than 2 hours

• What?
  • Carcasses remain on the slaughter line without additional analyses.
  • Prompt handling once slaughter line restarts.
• Why?
  • According to scientific research, waiting up to 2 hours does not significantly increase food safety risk.

3. Measures when idling for more than 2 hours

• What?
  • Microbiological sampling:
    • Take samples of 10% from affected carcasses (minimum 5 pieces).
    • Testing for total plate count (TKG) and Enterobacteriaceae.
  • Organoleptic assessment:
    • Execute after minimum 18 hours
    • Review of colour, odour and texture of the meat.
  • Why?
    • Greater likelihood of microbial growth with longer exposure time.
    • Organoleptic abnormalities may indicate spoilage.

4. Evaluation and decision-making

• What?
  • If the microbiological test values below the thresholds remain and organoleptic assessment no discrepancies shows, the meat is declared fit.
  • If the thresholds are exceeded or organoleptic abnormalities are detected, the meat is rejected.
• Why?
  • Ensuring food safety and compliance with European regulations (EC 2073/2005).

Conclusion

This procedure provides a science-based and standardised approach to incidents on the slaughter line. Adapting the FEBEV procedure to two scenarios simplifies implementation and ensures uniformity in the industry.

Source: https://scicom.favv-afsca.be/wetenschappelijkcomite/adviezen/2024/_documents/SciCom2024-08-IncidentopdeslachtlijnV5.pdf