Food Safety Interventions Information
Click on the links below to access information on interventions available at each stage of the meat production process
| Contents Page | Introduction to Interventions | On Farm | Processing - hide on | Processing - hide off | Chilling | Packaging or Retail |
Application of Interventions to the Product
Meat carcasses are difficult to decontaminate by reason of their shape and structure. Most treatments require physical contact with the carcass surface, and an even coverage of the surface. Carcasses are a very irregular shape, so there is the possibility that one part of the carcass will be over-exposed to the treatment, while another part, for example the crook of the elbow may be unaffected by the treatment. Crevices and folds in the surface are areas where contamination will collect, and also these areas are often poorly draining, and pools of the treatment solution may collect, adversely affecting the visual appearance of that part of the carcass. Treatments which require direct beam of energy, such as ultraviolet light may not access areas where the beam is blocked by a protruding part of the carcass, leaving an area of meat surface effectively in the shadow. Application methods for food safety treatments must be well designed to overcome such issues.
Interventions may be applied to the entire carcass or product, as a spray, deluge or immersion treatment (download more information on spray, deluge or immersion 
), or may be applied to small sections as spot treatment. Specific areas to be treated can be identified visually, or using a number of instrumental techniques (download more information on instrumental detection ).
Back to main menu