Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Kaşlıoğlu
(Food and Nutrition Science Expert)
With the increasing global population, the demand for food products continues to rise each day. In this context, the demand for meat and meat products, which hold a significant place in human health and nutrition, is also growing. When it comes to food safety in the red meat sector, it is essential to control all stages, from the animal's feed sources to the slaughterhouse conditions and the meat's arrival at the consumer. First and foremost, livestock breeders must be educated on this matter, ensuring that animals are raised in hygienic conditions and in a way that does not endanger their health. As mentioned, from pasture to table, the production of meat and meat products must be closely monitored by expert veterinarians and food engineers, who should conduct all necessary physical, chemical, and microbiological controls during the processing of meat products, ensuring that they are safe for consumption and pose no threat to human health.
During the transportation of animals to the slaughterhouse, numerous microorganisms are carried along with the feet and skin. With the bloodletting process carried out during slaughter, the blood provides a nutritional environment for these microorganisms to reproduce and proliferate. Accidents during the removal of internal organs can also increase the risk of contamination.
The term hygiene refers to the science that applies a synthesis of knowledge from nutrition, health, and environmental issues to protect and improve individual and public health. Hygiene primarily focuses on the causes of diseases and their elimination, which is known as preventive medicine. Food hygiene is defined as the measures and conditions necessary to control hazards that may arise during slaughter and processing, ensuring that the food is safe for human consumption. It refers to cleaning food and ensuring it is free from all disease-causing agents. In the food industry, sanitation refers to the establishment and maintenance of hygienic and healthy conditions during production.
What is food safety?
Food safety refers to the preparation of food in a way that is suitable for its intended use and does not harm consumers when consumed. In other words, it is the process of making food safe for consumption by removing all factors that could cause spoilage and contamination. Food safety encompasses a system cycle that involves processing, preparing, storing, and presenting food in a manner that prevents biological, physical, and chemical contamination.
The World Health Organization (WHO) regards food safety as one of the most common health problems and a significant cause of reduced economic productivity. The implementation of food safety programs in food businesses can minimize these hazards. Companies need to establish food safety management systems and improve hygiene standards. About 90% of foods posing a risk to public health are animal-based. Mitigating this risk is possible through controlling each stage of the chain under the approach of "farm to table food safety."
In European Union countries, food safety standards and animal identification systems have been implemented for years. As a result, the livestock sector has been registered, and companies in the meat industry have established food safety management systems, effectively solving hygiene issues. Therefore, food safety is critical for all food companies, particularly those dealing with meat and meat products.
Meat Products and Food Safety
Contamination in meat and meat products after slaughter often results from improper implementation of hygiene measures related to the physical facility, tools and equipment, personnel, and production hygiene. Operational hygiene, which includes production hygiene, personnel hygiene and behaviors, and visitor control, plays a crucial role. Everyone working in food production areas must pay high attention to personal cleanliness.
In Turkey, the most commonly produced meat products include sausage, salami, and pastirma. Sausage is typically produced in small enterprises with inadequate recipes using low-quality meat. The lack of standardization in sausage production technology and insufficient knowledge leads to significant problems.
Food safety in meat products starts during the breeding process. The types of feed used for the animals, and the attention paid to the half-life of antibiotics used for therapeutic or preventive purposes, are of great importance to food safety. Although banned in Turkey, the application of hormones in some countries leads to residues in meat. Moreover, cereals treated with pesticides for seed purposes may be used as feed, potentially resulting in pesticide residues in the meat. In meat and meat product facilities, cleaning and disinfection procedures must follow each other in stages, ensuring hygienic production.
Contamination in Meat: The presence of any unwanted substance in meat is considered contamination. Rather than eliminating contamination, it is essential to prevent it or minimize it. By adhering to this approach, contamination can be eliminated as a risk or threat.
Types of Contamination: There are three types of contamination: 1) Physical contamination 2) Chemical contamination 3) Biological contamination.
Physical contamination in meat: This occurs when non-food foreign materials mix with food, either intentionally or unintentionally. Physical contaminants include glass shards, splinters, metal, hair, thread, and similar materials.
Chemical contamination in meat: This type of contamination is caused by substances such as metals, detergents, and plastics.
Metals: During the slaughter, cutting, and processing of meat, metal compounds may enter the meat from various sources, such as equipment used in processing. For example, meat processed in metal containers such as copper or aluminum can result in the contamination of the meat with harmful metals.
Detergents: Detergents that accidentally mix with meat, especially those used above recommended amounts or in improperly rinsed containers, can make the meat harmful to health.
Plastics: Plastics, especially colored ones commonly used in packaging meat and meat products, may cause chemical contamination if the meat is stored or processed in them.
- Biological contamination: Biological contamination in food is caused by natural food toxins and microorganisms.
Natural food toxins: Examples include certain types of fungi and green meat.
Microorganisms: Meat and meat products produced in unhealthy, unsanitary, and uncontrolled conditions can lead to various animal-borne diseases (zoonoses) and microbiological food poisoning and infections in humans. Microorganisms are small living organisms present in food, many of which are invisible to the naked eye. While some microorganisms are beneficial in food production, the most harmful ones are bacteria, which are the leading cause of foodborne illnesses.
