Contents: Foreword. Acknowledgements. Glossary and abbreviations. Introduction. 1. Application of risk analysis principles to the meat sector. 2. Good practices in primary production. 3. Animal identification practices. 4. Traceability. 5. Transport of slaughter animals. 6. Ante-mortem inspection. 7. Preslaughter handling, stunning and slaughter methods. 8. Post-mortem inspection. 9. Hygiene, dressing and carcass handling. 10. Establishments: design, facilities and equipment. 11. Personal hygiene. 12. Control system for processing operations: the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System. 13. The role of governments and other regulatory authorities in meat hygiene. Appendix: Codex alimentarius draft code of hygienic practice for meat.

"In the recent years, public concern about the safety of foods of animal origin has heightened due to problems that have arisen with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), as well as with outbreaks of food-borne bacterial infections, and food contamination with toxic agents (e.g. dioxin). These problems have serious implications for national food safety, the development of the animal products industry and for international trade in livestock products. The purpose of this manual on Good Practice for the meat industry is to provide updated comprehensive information and practical guidelines for the implementation of the new Code Hygienic Practices for Meat, when adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The publication is intended to guide managers of abattoirs and the meat industry. It will also be of value to veterinarians engaged in meat inspection, with their supervisory roles in meat hygiene. The manual is also serves as a training resource."