The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Pretoria (UP) in 2019 and 2020 into the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in beef and beef products at abattoirs and retailers in the Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West provinces.

It showed that 4.6 percent of chilled carcasses sampled at seven abattoirs in Gauteng were positive for Listeria. This means that contaminated items could enter the food chain as beef products sold at retail outlets in the province. 

The study, funded by Red Meat Research and Development South Africa, was prompted by the 2017-2018 outbreak of listeriosis with 1,065 confirmed cases and 218 deaths. It was traced to a ready-to-eat processed meat product called polony, made at a plant in Polokwane run by Enterprise Foods, which at that time was owned by Tiger Brands.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) food, including polony, were also positive for Listeria in the current study.

Supply chain assessment
“Processed foods become contaminated by contact with equipment, the handling of raw products, or from post-processing settings in which the pathogen can survive despite the routine use of disinfectants. Because of potential contamination during slaughter, carcasses can become contaminated, leading to contaminated meat and meat products,” said Dr Rebone Moerane, head of UP’s Department of Production Animal Studies, who was part of the research team.

Another study, published in the Journal of Food Safety, revealed that 8.3 percent, or 33 of 400, beef and beef products were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

University of Pretoria researchers also looked at the prevalence and factors associated with Listeria in cattle, silage, feeds, and water on farms in the three provinces; in slaughtered cattle and carcasses at processing plants; and the contamination of beef products at retail. 

Samples were collected from cattle farms; carcass swabs were taken from abattoirs, and samples of raw beef and beef products, including ready-to-eat items, were collected from shops of all sizes. 

Researchers found the risk of exposure of cattle to listeriosis on farms is minimal. However, the detection of contaminated chilled carcasses sampled at Gauteng abattoirs is troubling, as are the findings at retail outlets, they said.

Get ahead of another outbreak
The prevalence of Listeria was 6 percent, 8.3 percent, and 9.3 percent in beef and beef products sampled in outlets in North West, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng respectively, and 4.3 percent, 11 percent and 9.3 percent for cold beef and beef products.

“Some of the contaminated products were RTE items – including polony, which is widely consumed, and biltong. This increases the risk of human exposure to the pathogen,” said Dr. Moerane. 

“It’s our hope that government and industry stakeholders will act on these findings and introduce strict control and monitoring measures at the appropriate stages in the beef production system. It’s vital that we use the outcomes of this study to get ahead of another potential outbreak of listeriosis.”

In most cases, Listeria monocytogenes isolates responded to penicillin, ampicillin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, which are important antimicrobials used to treat listeriosis.

Scientists recommended that government and industry implement stringent food safety measures at abattoirs and processing plants to reduce contamination and lower the possibility of another listeriosis outbreak. 

They also suggested follow-up studies of moist biltong, which is widely consumed in the country, to determine its ability to support the growth of Listeria and assess the risk posed to consumers. 

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In July 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service authorized charges, and at Crewe Magistrates’ Court earlier this month, all defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced.

The men, who worked at a slaughterhouse in Chester, were sentenced for offenses including causing avoidable pain, distress or suffering to animals.

G and GB Hewitt operates at The Abattoir, Huxley in Chester where cattle and sheep are slaughtered. It was fined £19,500 ($24,600) and £500 ($631) in costs. Changes have since been made at the site, so it is now compliant with the relevant requirements.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) monitors and enforces animal welfare at approved slaughterhouses in England and Wales.

Legislation introduced in 2018 requires slaughterhouses in England, where live animals are present, to be covered by CCTV. Operators must give authorized FSA staff access to the footage.

Problems highlighted by animal rights charity
The Crown Prosecution Service said that charges arose from events captured on this footage, which was reviewed by FSA veterinary staff in April 2021. This followed allegations from an animal rights charity that animal welfare legislation was not being followed at the slaughterhouse.

Problems seen on the CCTV included the way animals were handled before and during slaughter, repeated use of electrical instruments to move them, young animals left without food for too long before being slaughtered and staff conducting processes without the required certification.

An FSA spokesperson welcomed the outcome and said it should act as a deterrent to others.

“The operator of this slaughterhouse has taken the incident seriously by correcting deficiencies and improving standards in animal welfare, and is now compliant with all legislative requirements. This case should act as a deterrent to others as the FSA has a zero tolerance approach to animal welfare breaches. We monitor standards of animal welfare at approved slaughterhouses in England and Wales and all staff are instructed to take prompt enforcement action where breaches are identified,” said the spokesperson.

Stephen Mayren, 66, of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire was fined £1,395 ($1,700). Mark Lee Hewitt, 34 from Huxley and Paul May, 49, from Whitchurch, were fined £525 ($663).

Gerald Mark Hewitt, 59, from Tarporley, was fined £1,000 ($1,200), Matthew David Arden, 32 from Whitchurch was fined £1,050 ($1,300) and Joseph Anthony Arden, 66, from Nantwich was fined £160 ($202). All men also had to a pay statutory surcharge and £100 ($126) in costs.

“The CCTV from the G and GB Hewitt slaughterhouse showed many examples of the animals being in avoidable pain, distress and suffering,” said Maqsood Khan, Senior Crown Prosecutor, of CPS Mersey Cheshire.

“The footage showed unacceptable practices and demonstrated a poor cultural attitude to animal welfare within the premises. The law in this area is strict and clear and this slaughterhouse flouted it on many occasions. These men have pleaded guilty so this case has been resolved relatively quickly.”

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Findings are from an abattoir-based survey that sampled cecal contents pigs in nine British pig abattoirs during 2019. The cecum is at the start of the large intestine.

Salmonella was isolated from 112 of 348 samples collected at slaughter from animals at 286 farms; a prevalence of 32.2 percent. Most pigs came from farms in England with some from Scotland and Wales, according to the study published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection.

Twelve different Salmonella serovars were isolated, with the most common being Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-, a monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium, followed by Salmonella Derby. Salmonella Ohio and Salmonella Kedougou were only found in a single sample each.

Similar results to 2013
Industry has tried measures to control Salmonella in pig herds, through increased biosecurity, improved cleaning and disinfection, use of organic acids and vaccination.

There was no significant change compared to the overall prevalence of 30.5 percent in the last abattoir survey in the UK in 2013.

There was also no major difference in Salmonella isolation from the cecal samples collected at each of the nine abattoirs.

Cecal samples were collected during 12 months, with between 19 and 38 tested each month. Month-to-month variations in positive samples were seen with peaks in Salmonella isolated from cecal contents in February, March and October.

“Continuing surveillance at slaughter is recommended to assess impacts of farm-based and abattoir-based interventions and to monitor potential public health risk associated with consumption of Salmonella-contaminated pork products,” said researchers.

Difference between types of swabs
In 2019, of the 3,785 carcasses tested in the UK, 1.72 percent were Salmonella positive. This was down from 2018, when 2.87 percent of 3,839 carcasses were positive. These samples were taken by food businesses and tested in private laboratories.

Carcass swabs provide an indication of Salmonella contamination on the pig after the slaughter process, and is a better marker for the risk to public health.

Pigs arriving at slaughter normally have higher Salmonella prevalence than at the farm. This is because they might restart shedding after being exposed to stressful events such as transport or because of new contamination and infection during transit or at the abattoir.

Slaughter hygiene practices contribute to the prevalence of pork carcass contamination, and a significant difference between Salmonella prevalence in cecal contents and carcass swabs is to be expected, according to the research.

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Sobeval, part of the Van Drie group, had slaughtering activities halted on Feb. 28 by officials in the Dordogne region of France after an inspection report by the Directorate General for Food (DGAL).

The site is approved for slaughtering calves in a traditional or ritual way such as Kosher and Halal. Findings highlighted a lack of control over the conditions for slaughtering animals by employees and a shortage of training and awareness.

The association L214 claimed images shot in November and December 2019 showed violations of the law and increased suffering for animals. The slaughterhouse in Dordogne kills 3,400 calves each week, at a rate of around 90 per hour, according to the association.

Sobeval was permitted to resume conventional slaughter this week with a gradual ramp-up and reinforced supervision, provided by a veterinarian newly recruited by the company.

Another assessment will be done in two weeks to verify the slaughter operations. Total lifting of the suspension will occur at a later stage, when authorities are satisfied about guarantees provided by Sobeval for ritual slaughter.

Focus on training and procedures
Brigitte Gothière, co-founder of the L214 association, said a few days could not have been enough to resolve all the issues.

“In three days, it is impossible to have remedied the structural and training flaws of the personnel within this slaughterhouse. It is scandalous that the pressure of trade unions and other private economic interests comes before the simple respect of a regulation which places limits, however minimal, to the suffering endured by animals,” she said.

Sobeval presented proposals to improve the system to control conditions of conventional slaughter to authorities. Staff responsible for compliance with animal protection rules have been retrained and given instructions on changes to the operational slaughtering procedures.

A revised slaughter process was tested on March 3 under supervision which verified operators had taken into account the changes and slaughter complied with animal protection regulations.

Due to the size of the slaughterhouse, eight state officials are present daily including two veterinarians. An inspection was carried out in mid-November 2019 as is done twice a year on slaughterhouses like the one in Dordonne.

A statement from Sobeval welcomed the resumption of activity and emphasized effectiveness of implemented corrective measures.

The company said it has made improvements to its standard operating procedures and boosted operator training. An external expert veterinarian will perform quality monitoring of the measures put in place in the coming weeks.

The video from L214, in French, can be viewed by following this link

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The audit in Poland from Feb. 4 to 8, 2019 took place in the context of a “crisis situation”, according to DG Sante, the unit responsible for the EC’s policies on health and food safety.

It covered visits to the slaughterhouse allegedly implicated and responsible district veterinary office, another slaughterhouse and one supplying dealer, and an independent cutting plant involved in the recall.

Polish broadcaster TVN’s covert footage showed animal welfare non-compliances at slaughter and during transport of animals. Images were taken – probably during November 2018 – in one bovine slaughterhouse with cutting activities and pointed to lack or inadequacy of veterinary controls. The broadcast included images recorded on Jan. 14, 2019. Footage showed cows unable to stand (downer cows) or injured.

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) updates linked meat to deliveries in 15 member states including Poland. With veterinary controls not carried out as required, the bovine meat was presumably unfit for consumption.

During a meeting of the Biological Safety of the Food Chain section of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed in February two member states said meat from the Polish slaughterhouse was consumed before authorities were informed of a possible risk.

The fallout of this incident led to the Czech Republic imposing extraordinary veterinary measures on beef from Poland following the detection of Salmonella. The move meant that Polish beef must be tested in an accredited lab at a cost to the importer before it could be placed on the market.

The European Commission judged this action, put in place in February, to be disproportionate. The Czech Republic lifted the measures at the end of March. Slovakia also increased surveillance for beef from Poland.

The audit found serious shortcomings in the implementation of official controls at the implicated slaughterhouse and supervision at the district level did not recognize signs which might point to such issues.

In 2014, a control in the slaughterhouse identified district supervision was not satisfactory. A follow-up inspection in 2015 verified deficiencies was corrected.

The audit team found nothing to suggest authorities took into consideration available information concerning dealers actively looking for downer cows or injured cattle, or the fact that there had been similar events in the past.

The slaughterhouse/cutting plant has a monthly throughput of 300 animals. Bovine slaughter typically took place from 6 pm onwards with an average line speed of five cows per hour.

Post- mortem inspection records were not kept from Jan. 10 to 14, 2019, despite 36 cows being slaughtered. Authorities told the audit team that two approved veterinarians in the slaughterhouse were relieved of their duties on Jan. 17 for this reason.

Ante-mortem records include two cows delivered on Jan. 14 belonging to the dealer, declared fit for slaughter with no remarks, whereas video footage allegedly taken in the slaughterhouse suggests one of the cows was too weak to stand up with a severely swollen knee.

“In the particular context of cull cow slaughter it would, in the experience of the audit team, appear very unusual not to have any incidents and/or other condemnations recorded for the periods of time documented, and could be an indication of inadequate ante- and post-mortem inspection by the approved veterinarians,” according to the report.

District authorities told the audit team that staff involved in food safety official controls dropped in 2017 by 109 to 500 while the number of official veterinarians fell by 114, to 358. Feedback from authority representatives suggested staffing and resources are a limiting factor in the organization and implementation of controls.

Other issues included persistently late or non-notification of cattle movements, absence of cross checks at different operational levels and lack of access of approved veterinarians to the database as well as ineffective enforcement of relevant provisions.

“Not only does this seriously undermine the correct application of these provisions by food business operators, it also means that the database cannot be effectively used as an otherwise important tool to monitor animal movements, and hence to inform competent authorities not only of the correct application of traceability provisions but also about possible targeting of official controls,” according to the report.

Polish authorities said the official controls system failed in the district responsible for the slaughterhouse involved and it did not minimize the risk of similar situations occurring elsewhere. They highlighted the system is underfunded, resulting in varying levels of performance in different areas of the country.

Authorities presented measures they intend and/or consider introducing including re-enforcement of official controls at different levels and introduction of legislative changes.

Other ideas such as introducing compulsory closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording at slaughterhouses are under consideration. The authority also stated it counts on ministerial support to improve staff levels and financial remunerations for officials.

An in-depth audit covering official controls on the slaughter of bovine animals and traceability in Poland was undertaken from March 25 to April 5, 2019.

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“Recent media reports of contaminated meat do not give the complete picture on the condition of meat entering the food chain, or on the work done by the FSA to ensure that the meat we eat is safe,” according to the agency’s response to the Feb. 20 report.

Based on their analysis of government audits of more than 300 abattoirs, or slaughterhouses, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the journalists found “major hygiene failings” at one out of every four establishments.

“The failings could expose consumers to serious food poisoning illnesses such as E. coli, Salmonella or Campylobacter. The true situation may be even worse,” the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported. It also said official FSA records were falsified to conceal the true levels of meat contamination at an abattoir processing pigs, cattle and sheep.

The report said a whistleblower claimed FSA data was mis-recorded to mask poor hygiene practices. It said that opens the possibility of “dirty meat” entering the food chain.

FSA issued a same-day response.

“Our meat hygiene inspectors and official veterinarians inspect every red meat and poultry carcass for visible contamination — 99.57 percent of them pass the test. The remaining 0.43 percent is rejected and passed back to the food business, and they have to rectify the problem. This is the work that our staff do day in, day out, 365 days a year. If it doesn’t pass, then it does not get a health mark and it does not enter the human food chain,” according to FSA’s response.

The agency went on to say: “Hygiene failures are not tolerated by the FSA, and we take robust enforcement action to ensure food businesses improve their procedures to prevent meat becoming contaminated in the first place. Ultimately if standards are not improving or the risk to public health is high enough, we take enforcement action up to and including taking away a premises’ approval to operate. We have no plans to do away with real-time meat inspection as it remains a crucial and integral part of the way in which we effectively administer the legal system of controls to assure the public that meat production complies with hygiene and animal welfare controls.”

The agency says it is “committed to exploring ways in which we can administer the system of controls in the most effective manner while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and welfare. But any changes will only be made through collaboration and consultation with those affected, and ensuring that food is safe will always be at the heart of everything we do.”

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