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

Some years ago, it was common practice to include brains of cattle and pigs in meat products. Shortly after the emergence of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, bovine brain was declared as specified risk material, due to the fact that, in case of infection, pathogenic prions are mainly present in this organ. In this study, a species-specific test system for the detection of bovine nerve tissue in meat products is presented. The use of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) as marker is advantageous as this protein shows some interesting properties. It is present only in nerve tissue and features an extraordinary chemical and thermal resistance, which is important with regard to the manufacturing process of meat products. The detection method established is an indirect ELISA with a detection limit of 0.1 % bovine brain in scalded sausage. In scalded sausages produced with pig brain, only the addition of more than 10 % pig brain lead to a temperature-dependent cross reactivity with the antibody employed. Concerning brain from chicken, there was no cross reactivity to the antibody.

Hygiene management in nursing homes and residential homes for the elderly is an important factor in the safeguarding of the residents' health. Control measures for refrigerated products can only be implied up to the point of delivery to the consumer. The individual eating habits of the residents often lead to an unchecked storage of food at room temperature, which may last up to several hours. In this study, microbial growth during non-refrigerated storage was examined by determining total aerobic count, Enterobacteriaceae as well as E. coli counts after several defined storage periods. This way, it was possible to evaluate the risk potential for the consumer. If hygienic practices are abided by during food preparation a low initial microbial contamination is to be expected which only increases slightly during the first two to four hours of storage.

The main goal for production, processing and marketing of food is to control and eliminate the risks that may affect food quality. In order to minimize these risks many different quality management systems and standards exist. The producers must meet very stringent demands in order to fulfill the certification requirements of the numerous models of quality management. Overall, it has to be emphasized that there are many advantages for users of a quality management system.

The demands of the EU on the veterinary profession as well as the standardisation of the education of veterinarians in the area of consumer protection necessitate intensive reconsideration and reorientation of existing educational systems. In Germany, eleven different examination regulations for the higher veterinary service exist, the requirements stated therein partially differing enormously. As far as the postgraduate education of veterinary specialists in the area of food hygiene is concerned, there are also clear differences in the various German states. On the other hand, the "Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption" intends only official veterinarians for the control of fresh meat who have taken part in at least 200 hours training and have passed a special examination. The catalogue of requirements proposed in this regulation for the training of these official veterinarians is rather comprehensive and is not covered by university studies of veterinary medicine in their present form. In order to meet the EU requirements for the training of official veterinarians a national, modular system has been suggested, which might also be combined with the postgraduate education of veterinary specialists as well as the education of veterinary officers. The university studies of veterinary medicine should continue to impart a basic knowledge of food hygiene and technology. In order to enable veterinarians to carry out official activities pertaining to meat inspection without having to take part in postgraduate education, the topics required by the EU for the training of official veterinarians in the meat sector should be incorporated into the regular university studies of veterinary medicine. For official activities not within the scope of this sector veterinarians would have to take part in the respective modules of the postgraduate education. This postgraduate education should be designed as a modular system. The modules are to be used in the education of veterinary officers carrying out the complete scope of official activities in the public health sector, but also in the training of official veterinarians applying for activity in specialized areas or also as part of the postgraduate education of veterinary specialists.

During routine microbiological examination of minced meat samples from an authorized EU slaughter-house and cutting plant Salmonella were regularity isolated over a period of 21 months. In order to minimize Salmonella incidence the contamination sources and routes in this particular plant were to be investigated. For this purpose, 112 isolates were strain typed via macrorestriction followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Digestion of the Salmonella isolates with XbaI resulted in a total of 20 different macrorestriction patterns. The serovar most commonly isolated, S. Typhimurium, accounted for ten of these band profiles. One third of the S. Typhimurium isolates examined showed the same distinct pattern, which appeared over a period of 19 months. Another restriction pattern of this serovar was repeatedly detected over a period of twelve months.

Various and multiple efforts have been made during the last decades in order to improve the meat inspection system. The a new philosophy of the EU regarding risk-based meat inspection is a further step in this direction. Therefore, additional intensive training measures have to be taken, paying respect to the Level of knowledge and the motivation of the meat inspection staff (meat hygiene inspector/veterinarians).