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isolation of salmonella organisms in 10 of 66 samples of
silversides, eight of which were Salm. typhimurium-,
five of 57 samples of topsides, of which one contained
Salm. typhimurium, with heat-resistant CI. welchii type 5
from two samples; and two of 27 samples of forequarter
flanks, in one of which was Salm. typhimurium and heatresistant
CI. welchii type 6. No further salmonellapositive
reports were received on 10 samples of shins.
It was decided that the particular cuts from which
salmonella organisms of heat-resistant CI. welchii types
1-13 had been isolated would be released for manufacturing
purposes only, provided the process involved heat
treatment sufficient to destroy the organisms and on
condition that the medical officer of health of the district
in which the process would be carried out was satisfied
that the danger of cross contamination was negligible and
that he was prepared to undertake supervision of the
handling and processing.
Visits by veterinary officers of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food to the offending slaughterhouse
and the adoption of recommendations made by
them no doubt resulted in 192 samples of the first shipment
thereafter giving completely negative results with
absence of faecal contamination. This was achieved, it is
understood, principally by the proper drainage of the
slaughterhouse floor, the raising of carcase rails to avoid
contact of the carcase with the floor and the use of a clean
swab for each carcase instead of a periodical change of
swab. Shipments are now arriving in satisfactory condition.
(/) Horse/neat
Reports were received that imported horsemeat was being
displayed for sale as pet food in a number of fish shops.
Samples showed salmonella contamination, and cross
contamination was feared not only in the shop but at the
home of the purchaser.
Substantial shipments of horsemeat are regularly
imported, principally from South American countries.
Under the Imported Food Regulations horseflesh is not
"meat"—horse is not included as an "animal" and the interpretation
of meat is the flesh of an animal. Under the
Regulations a certificate of the veterinary authority in the
country of origin certifying that the animal from which
the meat was derived had received ante and post mortem
examination, and had been found fit for human consumption,
must accompany all imported meat and meat
products and is known as an Official Certificate.
It follows that as horseflesh is not meat but "an article
of food" no Official Certificate is necessary. Most shipments,
however, are accompanied either by an Official
Certificate or other veterinary certificate, some, in
addition, being marked "for animal feeding" or "unfit
for human consumption". Here then we would have a
veterinary certificate certifying fitness for human consumption
of horseflesh marked "unfit for human
consumption" or "for animal feeding only".
Only food intended for sale for human consumption
can be inspected, but should the veterinary certificate or
the legend on the bag be accepted? In the first place was
it, in fact, fit for human consumption ? Sampling revealed
heavy salmonella contamination, in some cases as high as
100 per cent of the samples taken.
Now a further difficulty arises. "Horse" apparently is
an animal for the purposes of the Meat Staining and
Sterilization Regulations, and also under these regulations
"meat" only excludes bones, blood, whalemeat or a whole
dead animal so that horseflesh is at last "meat". The
Regulations require all unfit imported meat to be sterilized
before sale.
Horseflesh marked "for animal feeding" or "unfit for
human consumption" would not be sampled and
detained under the Imported Food Regulations, but it
could under the Staining and Sterilization Regulations in
order to ascertain whether or not the meat is fit. Again
this is a commodity that passes through a number of
hands before disposal, the importer having little idea as
to ultimate user or use.
At a meeting with the principal importers it was agreed
that shipments accompanied by either an Official
Certificate or a veterinary certificate of fitness would be
accepted for human consumption, and would be sampled
but not detained. All other shipments would be regarded
as unfit and subjected to sterilization.
Information of shipments sampled is forwarded to the
medical officer of health of the district of destination
notifying him that the results of bacteriological examination
would be forwarded to him when received. Should
the meat be required for retail sale or for pet food in a
retail food shop he can detain until the results of examination
are received before deciding whether release for
that purpose would be justified. If intended for manufacturing
purposes he can safely allow it to go forward if
he is satisfied as to the heat treatment involved and the
absence of risk of cross contamination.
It is understood that steps are being taken in the
country of origin concerned to reduce contamination in
those slaughterhouses having adverse reports, and
bacteriological examination is being carried out at source
by the veterinary department of the government concerned.
This particular problem is still with us and it remains
to be seen whether the steps taken are effective.
(g) Desiccated Coconut
It had become evident early in 1960 from the bacteriological
reports on samples of desiccated coconut from
Ceylon that extensive salmonella contamination was to be
expected. All shipments were automatically detained
initially for five per cent bacteriological examination,
positive reports entailing a further 10 per cent examination.
Positive reports upon the 10 per cent examination
resulted in condemnation of the entire shipment.
In the early part of the year there were approximately
75 mills in actual production of desiccated coconut in
Ceylon, many of which were primitive in construction and
operation and in which scant regard was paid to hygiene.
With few exceptions the output of all mills was bulked
and packed for export at Colombo.
In the absence of any batch or mill identification marks,
it was inevitable that condemnation involved the whole
shipment, and from the experience gained in earlier dealings
with importations of other items of food on a similar
scale, it was considered that a proper system of marking
should be instituted in Ceylon without delay so that condemnation
could be confined to the output of particular
mills or batches rather than shipments.
The importers of this product themselves faced the
threat to the trade by direct representations to the Ceylon
authorities, and one well-known firm instituted a very
useful on-the-spot survey of the conditions under which
the mills were operating, contacting and urging action by
government departments, addressing meetings of millers
and disseminating advice on the reorganization of the
industry on sound principles of hygiene.
The urgency of the position was stressed by the
Ministry of Health by representation to the Ceylon
authorities.
Experiments were carried out in this country in an
endeavour to evolve a process of sterilization practical of
application to bulk imports, or factory, processing
techniques which would remove any possible hazard and
in which the possibility of cross infection would be
obviated.
Short and long time heat treatment, ultra-supersonic
vibration, irradiation with gamma rays, and steam were
tried. Treatment with ethylene oxide was entirely
successful experimentally but its use is prohibited by the
Preservatives in Food Regulations.
The heat treatment applied by many of the manufacturing
processes in which desiccated coconut is
normally used would appear to be sufficient for destruction
of the contaminating organism, but there remains the
risk of salmonella cross-contamination of the plant,
equipment, and finished product.
Bearing in mind the paucity of direct evidence incriminating
coconut as a significant source of food
poisoning during the many years it must have been
imported in a contaminated condition, it seemed reasonable
to offer release for manufacturing purposes only,
provided the contaminating organisms were not Salm.
paratyphi-B, Salm. thompson, or Salm. typhimurium. The
medical officer of health of the area in which the factory
was situate was also requested to satisfy himself that the
danger of cross-contamination was negligible, that the
heat treatment applied by the process was sufficient to
effect sterilization, and that it would be used under his
supervision.
Only one firm accepted these conditions and, having
done so, they carried out continuous sampling of the
finished product. Not one salmonella-positive report has
been received from this sampling procedure.
Desiccated coconut contaminated with any of the three
salmonella types mentioned was surrendered by the
owners to form a stock of known contaminated material