A Stolle’s research while affiliated with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich and other places

Between October 2007 and March 2008, 153 wild boars shot in the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland were sampled. Fifty-one percent of the animals were males and 49% were females. The age of most (81%) animals varied between 6months and 2years. Prevalence of enteropathogenic Yersinia in tonsils and faeces was studied using culture and PCR methods and in tissue fluid of tonsils using an ELISA system. Prevalence of anti-Yersinia antibodies in tissue fluid was 65%. Detection rate of enteropathogenic Yersinia in tonsils of 153 wild boars by real-time PCR was 44%. Ail-positive Yersiniaenterocolitica and inv-positive Yersiniapseudotuberculosis were detected in 35 and 20% of the animals, respectively. Both species were detected in 10% of the animals. Isolation rate of enteropathogenic Yersinia was low; ail-positive Y. enterocolitica and inv-positive Y. pseudotuberculosis were found in 9 and 3% of the animals, respectively. Prevalence was shown to be significantly higher in tonsils than in faeces. Furthermore, females were more commonly positive than males. This study shows that the prevalence of enteropathogenic Yersinia is high and both enteropathogenic Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are common findings in tonsils of wild boars in Switzerland.

While in former times classical, pathological-anatomically definable findings were the centre of attention during meat inspection, today, animals for slaughter (in particular pigs) are frequently latently infected and too young to be able to show pathognostic characteristics.The consequence was that meat inspection by incision was pushed into the background in favour of a more and more visual meat inspection, in order to reduce the danger of uncontrolled contamination of meat by unnecessary cuts. Parallel with higher slaughtering numbers and continuous reduction of the times set for inspection the legal basis of meat inspection changed.Thus, the implementation regulation to the meat hygiene law reduced the inspection time up to 17 % for cattle and 44 % for pigs, which with the simultaneous, clear increase of slaughter numbers per hour led to modern, EDP-supported data collecting systems to manage the increasing data flood. With introduction of the European Union hygiene package the collection, electronic storage and transmission of the meat inspection data to the producer become legal obligation. Only by using EDP-supported systems large data sets can be registered and used in a sensible way also with respect to "food chain information". In this article a short overview points out these current developments and their possibilities.

Yersinia enterocolitica is an important zoonosis, which can cause disease in humans and animals. The culture methods available for detection of Y. enterocolitica in food samples are time-consuming and seldom successful. Using DNA-based methods, like PCR, this pathogen can be detected more rapidly and with greater sensitivity. The aim of this study was to establish a rapid and accurate real-time PCR method to detect pathogenic Y. enterocolitica in pork. The chromosomal ail-gene, which is only present in pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains, was used as DNA target for the 5' nuclease PCRassay. The probe was labelled at the 5' end with the fluorescent reporter dye (FAM) and at the 3' end with the quencher dye (TAMRA). A 2-step protocol with 45 cycles was used in a multicolour real-time PCIR detection system. A Ct value over 40 indicated a negative result. The DNA extraction procedure for the natural samples was rapid and simply. This qualitative real-time PCIR method was shown to be specific and sensitive. Detection rate of ail-positive Y. enterocolitica in 200 pig tonsils was 88% and 35% with PCIR and culture methods, respectively. When 100 raw pork samples were studied, 7 were positive with PCR and all were culture negative.

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From 2003 to 2005 the feasibility as well as the didactics of the practical in meat inspection and in hygiene control according to the TAppO (German regulation for the curriculum in veterinary medicine) were studied in the Munich slaughterhouse. All in all, it was shown that it is possible to increase the knowledge as well as the interest of the students within the practicals' duration of three weeks each. In the course of the meat hygiene practical the students' knowledge was doubled, while during the hygiene control practical a fivefold increase was achieved. As far as the meat inspection practical is concerned, the highest interest was in cattle and pig slaughtering (49.2 and 44.9%, respectively), whereas for the hygiene control practical meat processing plants were preferred (66.7%). Less interest was shown for ante-mortem inspections (27.1% ante-mortem inspection pigs) and cutting plants (41.7%). The reason most frequently mentioned for choosing the place of the practical was proximity to the place of residence. The main problems from the part of the students are limited previous knowledge and interest. From the part of the official veterinarians the major disadvantage is the necessity to squeeze in the time for the students' education into their actual and regular duties. Carrying out separate meat inspection and food control practical in a slaughterhouse does not seem to be useful. If somebody later works in this field the knowledge and skills obtained in both of these practical will be needed. Therefore, a separation of these two areas, which are so closely interlinked, is rather misleading. In addition, if students carry out the hygiene control practical after the 6 th semester they did not have the opportunity to gain any practical experience in the university and their theoretical education is also not yet completed. If both practicals are carried out after the 8 th semester they normally follow one another rather closely and in consequence there are many repetitions which are considered boring. It would at least be an improvement not to carry out the hygiene practicals in slaughterhouses anymore, but only in veterinary offices.

According to Regulation (EC) 853/2004 all food business operators to which Annex III of this regulation applies have to be approved. From January 2006 this compulsory approval therefore also applies to butcher's shops which slaughter animals on their premises and which up to now have been registered only. In the present study, the implementation of the new European food legislation in these small-scale enterprises was to be examined. For the evaluation of the food businesses a catalogue of requirements was used. The three major areas of these requirements were: infrastructure and equipment, personnel and self-monitoring. The evaluation of the structural requirements showed that the sufficient flexibility of the new regulations enables the implementation also in smaller, non-industrial establishments. Premises which up to now were in accordance with the requirements of Annex 2 of the German Meat Hygiene Regulation can be granted conditional approval. Concerning process hygiene, which now also has to be evaluated in formerly registered, small-scale operations, major deficiencies were evident, especially in stunning (animal welfare) and in slaughtering hygiene. In this context the particularities of small-scale slaughtering have to be considered. These deficiencies can only be eliminated by an improvement of general hygiene awareness and continual training in food hygiene matters, which should at least partially be carried out by external experts. The food business operator's understanding and acceptance of these food hygiene issues are a prerequisite for optimization. The evaluation of the existing self-monitoring and documentation measures showed that the need for action is certainly given in this respect as major information deficiencies concerning the implementation of self-monitoring still exist especially in small businesses. To deal with this problem the operators should consult the official veterinarians or veterinary experts.

In this scientific study an automated cell count method, the Tempo®-system (bioMérieux), was compared with the respective methods of the official collection of examination methods according to ∫ 64 of the German food and feed code. Fresh meat and minced meat was examined. The results of hoth examination methods were compared with each other.