An official website of the United States government.
<p>Conditions that are prevalent in outdoor pigs rather than indoor pigs, and which are likely to be missed by visual inspection but detected using traditional inspection methods were identified and termed as 'critical conditions'. The prevalence of these particular conditions was assessed by analysing datasets from the FSA Operations Group, British Pig Health Scheme, Wholesome Pigs Scotland and Food Chain Information from abattoirs.</p>
<p>To assess any increased human/animal exposure to critical conditions because of visual inspection of outdoor pigs, each condition was evaluated so as to discover the likelihood of not detecting them in outdoor pigs compared to indoor pigs. Individual risk estimates for each critical condition and each risk type (public health, animal health and welfare) were produced. The results showed where increased risk lies in removing palpation and incision from post-mortem inspection of outdoor pigs, and also established any possible benefits. </p>
<p>Background: (FS245009) EC Regulation 854/2004 allows for fattening pigs, housed under controlled conditions since weaning, to undergo only visual inspection, rather than the mandatory palpation of major organs and incisions in the heart and lymph nodes, which applies to outdoor pigs. This study tested the assumption that outdoor pigs require invasive inspection to guarantee adequate consumer protection levels. A qualitative veterinary risk assessment was used to evaluate the changes in human/animal risk due to transferring from traditional to visual inspection. Assuming that visual inspection of indoor pigs is an acceptable risk, a risk assessment was produced that estimated the increased risk, if any, posed by outdoor pigs compared with indoor pigs. Based on this assessment of the potential hazards to public health, animal health and welfare for visual inspection of outdoor pigs, it is possible to determine whether these hazards constitute an acceptable risk. </p>