Specified risk material removal practices: Can we reduce the BSE hazard to human health?

Following the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemics across Europe in the early 1990s, the removal of designated BSE specified risk material (SRM) became mandatory to minimize the risk of consumer's exposure to the infectious agent. Despite this preventive measure, cross-contamination of edible meat with SRM can occur during conventional slaughter, primarily by carcass splitting, captive bolt stunning, and head removal. BSE-affected subjects accumulate the pathological feature in the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, there are no markers that can identify the presence of SRM in meat as a whole. Nevertheless, some assays are able to detect traces of CNS, hence this parameter is officially taken as indicative of SRM contamination.In this two-stage study, we carried out a survey to estimate the prevalence of carcass contamination at two slaughterhouses, one large and the other medium-sized; we then compared three different methods (conventional vs. suction vs. water-jet) for spinal cord removal employed at the large slaughterhouse to assess their performance in preventing the spread of central nervous tissue (CNT) over the carcass.The prevalence of carcass contamination was 68.4%. Compared to the other two spinal cord removal techniques (conventional and suction), the water-jet system was associated with less CNS contamination (62 vs. 60 vs. 36%, respectively; P = 0.0047).

► SRMs have been banned from the food chain.
► During conventional slaughtering practices, CNS can contaminate meat.
► We carried out a survey to estimate the carcass contamination at slaughterhouses.
► We compared three different methods for spinal cord removal.
► Alternative slaughter practices can reduce the CNS contamination of meat products.