RUSANGU UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCE

NAME: MOSES NZUNGA

ID#: 20150329

MAJOR: BSC ENVINONMENTAL HEALTH

LECTURER: DR. NAMAKO

COURSE: FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE 1

QUESTION: 1. Identify and outline the regulations of inspection of meat

and meat production in Zambia.

2. Categorize and identify the reportable diseases that are of national

importance in Zambia. In your submission itemize the non-scheduled
diseases
Meat inspection is designed to determine the health of animals both prior to death (ante mortem)
and after death (post mortem). In federal meat inspection plants, the process is carried out by
primary product inspectors (PPIs) from the meat and poultry division of Agriculture and Agri-
Foods. The PPIs are overseen by a veterinarian. PPIs also do the inspection in provincial meat
plants, but a veterinarian is called in only when a further diagnosis is required.

All domestic animals going into the food chain are inspected prior to harvesting (ante mortem).
Some of the inspection methods are:

 Observing the animals’ behaviour that may indicate any signs of disease

 Isolating animals that show signs of disease, illness, or injury

 Verifying animal identification records and tags

 Overseeing humane treatment of animals during herding and slaughter

 Following harvesting, animals are inspected by either a provincial or federal inspector. In

the case of beef, inspectors examine the following:

 Head, an array of lymph nodes near the tongue, and the tongue itself

 Esophagus and spleen

 Lungs and heart

 Bile duct and liver

 Other accessible carcass lymph nodes

 Diaphragm and kidneys

 Carcass internal and external surfaces

Lamb, pork, and poultry carcasses receive similar inspections that focus on the particular species
and associated health issues.

Some of the hazards that may occur during the slaughter process are:

Contamination of the carcass during the removal of the hide and digestive tract

Cross-contamination during the splitting of the carcass

Bacterial growth during the chilling and aging of carcasses

Cross-contamination from specific animal tissue that is high risk for disease, such as BSE
specified risk materials (SRMs) (e.g., spinal cord, brain)

Once the meat is approved for human consumption, the inspection stamp can be made along the
length of the carcass. The stamp appears as a blue circle with the word “Canada” inside the circle
rim, with a crown in the centre and the plant number at the bottom

There for No person shall interfere with or obstruct the Meat Inspector, the Medical Officer of
Health, the Veterinary Officer or other duly authorised officer in the course of the duties
incidental to the examination and marking of meat as required by these Regulations, and any
person convicted of a breach of this regulation may be excluded by the Meat Inspector from the
abattoir. Exclusion from abattoir of persons convicted of obstruction.

In the examination of meat intended for sale for the food of man, the Meat Inspector shall inspect
the whole carcass with the internal organs and shall comply with the instructions contained in the
Second Schedule.

Meat Inspector to comply with Second Schedule

Notwithstanding any restriction as to cutting any carcass or part of a carcass which may be
ordinarily imposed upon the Meat Inspector by the last preceding regulation and the instructions
therein referred to, the Meat Inspector or the Medical Officer of Health or the Veterinary Officer
may, when inspecting carcasses or any part thereof and when the protection of the public health
demands such action, cut into any portion of the carcass or part of the carcass, and no liability
shall be incurred by reason of such cutting or by reason of anything which such officers may
lawfully do for the purposes of inspection and examination of meat.

Cutting of carcasses

In determining the action to be taken in the event of evidence of disease or of abnormality being
found in any carcass or in the organs or viscera, the Meat Inspector shall comply with the
instructions in the Third Schedule.

Meat Inspector to comply with Third Schedule

The Meat Inspector having examined in accordance with these Regulations the carcass, organs or
viscera of any animal intended for sale for the food of man shall brand, stamp or otherwise mark
in a manner approved by the Local Authority all meat passed by him as free from disease, sound,
wholesome and fit for the food of man. Meat Inspector to mark meat passed as fit.

The Meat Inspector having examined in accordance with these Regulations the carcass, organs or
viscera of any animal intended for sale for the food of man and finding or suspecting the same to
be diseased or unsound or unwholesome and unfit for the food of man shall, when such action is
directed in the Third Schedule, seize the said Meat Inspector to seize meat not passed as fit
carcass, part of a carcass, organ or viscera for examination by the Medical Officer of Health or
Veterinary Officer.

No person save the Medical Officer of Health, Veterinary Officer or a person acting under the
instructions of either of them shall remove, cut or in any way interfere with any carcass or part of
a carcass, organ or viscera which may have been seized by the Meat Inspector unless and until
the same shall have been passed by the Medical Officer of Health or Veterinary Officer.
Unauthorised persons not to interfere with seized carcasses.

The Meat Inspector shall within six hours of seizing any carcass, part of a carcass, organ or
viscera notify in writing to the owner the fact of and the reason for such seizure. The written
notice to the owner, which shall be in the form set out in the Fourth Schedule, may be handed to
any representative or employee of the owner at the abbatoir.

Owner to be notified of seizure

Any carcass or meat seized by the Meat Inspector in accordance with regulation 29 may be
voluntarily surrendered to the Meat Inspector by the owner, and any carcass or meat so
surrendered shall be forthwith dealt with in accordance with regulation. Voluntary surrender of
seized meat. If any carcass or meat seized by the Meat Inspector is not voluntarily surrendered
by the owner, the Meat Inspector shall forthwith notify the Medical Officer of Health or
Veterinary Officer who shall, within twenty-four hours of receiving such notice, personally
inspect the said carcass or meat. Seized meat not voluntarily surrendered.
Any carcass or meat seized by the Meat Inspector which, in the opinion of the Medical Officer of
Health or Veterinary Officer, is fit for the food of man shall be forthwith passed and stamped,
branded or otherwise marked as provided for in regulation. Seized meat found fit for
consumption.

Any carcass or meat seized by the Meat Inspector which is voluntarily surrendered by the owner
or which, in the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health or Veterinary Officer, is diseased or
unsound or unwholesome and unfit for use as the food of man shall be condemned and shall be
destroyed or rendered unsaleable as food of man or animal or otherwise disposed of in such
manner as the Medical Officer of Health may direct. Disposal of seized meat found unfit for
consumption.

Neither the Local Authority nor the Medical Officer of Health nor the Veterinary Officer nor the
Meat Inspector shall be held responsible in any way for any loss which may be suffered by the
owner from natural decomposition of meat occurring during the period between slaughter of the
animal concerned and inspection by the Medical Officer of Health or Veterinary Officer as
provided for in regulation. No responsibility for loss due to decomposition. No compensation
shall be paid or payable by the Local Authority in respect of any meat which has been lawfully
seized, condemned, destroyed or rendered unsaleable or otherwise disposed of in accordance
with these Regulations. No compensation for meat lawfully disposed of. (Laws of the Republic
of Zambia ,2006.)

A reportable diseases is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government

authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease, and
provides early warning of possible outbreaks.

And this are some of the diseases:

 Anthrax is a serious infectious illness caused by the microbe Bacillus anthracis. This
microbe resides in soil. Symptoms of anthrax ingestion and inhalation include: fever, loss
of appetite, nausea, severe stomach pain, swelling in the neck, bloody diarrhea, achy
muscles, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, shaking, chills, vomiting
 Rabies is caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system (CNS), in particular
the brain. Domestic dogs, cats, and rabbits — and wild animals such as skunks, raccoons,
 and bats — are able to transfer the virus to humans via bites and scratches. The initial
onset of rabies begins with flu-like symptoms, including fever, muscle weakness, and
tingling.
 Tuberculosis (TB), once called consumption, is a highly infectious disease that primarily
affects the lungs, General TB symptoms include: unexplained fatigue, weakness, fever,
chills, night sweats, appetite loss weight loss,
 Brucellosis is a disease caused by a group of bacteria from the genus Brucella. These
bacteria can infect both humans and animals. The symptoms of brucellosis in humans are
similar to those of the flu. The symptoms may include: appetite loss, back pain, chills,
lethargy, headaches, pain in the abdomen, pain in the joints, fever that comes and goes,
weight loss.
 Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It’s typically transmitted through the bite of an
infected Anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. When
this mosquito bites you, the parasite is released into your bloodstream. Common
symptoms of malaria include: shaking chills that can range from moderate to severe,
high fever, profuse sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea,
anemia, muscle pain.
 Brucellosis is a disease caused by a group of bacteria from the genus Brucella. These
bacteria can infect both humans and animals. The symptoms of brucellosis in humans are
similar to those of the flu. The symptoms may include: appetite loss,back pain, chills,
lethargy, headaches, pain in the abdomen, pain in the joints, fever that comes and goes,
weight
Nonscheduled diseases are diseases that” is defined as any deviation from the normal and
healthy functioning of the body.
The following are the non-scheduled disease
 Bacterial vaginosis
 Genital warts/HPV
 Scabies
 Non-specific urethritis (persistent or recurrent NSU)
 Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
 Mycoplasma genitalium
 REFERENCES

Department Of Agricultural Technical Services 9th October 1969 Standing Regulations Under
The Animal Slaughter, Meat And Animal Products Hygiene Act, 1967 (Act No. 87 Of 1967)
Https://Www.Nda.Agric.Za/Docs/Vetweb/Fs_Act_121_Regulations.Htm

Laws Of The Republic Of Zambia, Revised Edition 2006, Chapter 303. The Public Health (Meat,
Abatoirand Buctheries) Regulations (Arrangments Of Regulations) (As Amended By Act No. 13
Of 1994). Https://Www.Ilo.Org/Dyn/Natlex/Docs/Electronic/66453/62621/F-114096297/
Zmb66453.Pdf