Carcass finishing Before transferring a carcass to the cold store, it must be thoroughly inspected from the inside and out. Bloody neck meat is removed from the carcass by cutting with a knife. Possibly remaining genitals and mammary glands or parts thereof are removed. Any loose hair is removed by picking. The final removal of loose hair takes place by burning when the carcass has cooled down. It is not allowed to remove any limbs or other parts before the meat inspection. However, all visible contaminants must be removed from the carcasses. Any possible contaminants on the carcass are removed by cutting with a knife. The carcass is not to be cleaned with water or wiped with paper tissue, cloth or any other porous material. The carcass quality is monitored with regard to different slaughtering faults, such as haematomas, shoulder sticking, contamination, fillet cuts, etc. Tools used in the carcass finishing must be clean and sterilised. The finishing must make use of the technique involving two knives. If there is a risk of, for example, the neck touching the f loor, a clean meat container must be placed underneath the carcass.
CONTAMINANTS ON THE CARCASS Contaminants on the carcass is a sign of unsuccessful slaughtering hygiene. The contaminant origin should be established and the situation in the slaughtering line corrected. Contaminants are not allowed even on the carcass parts that are not in general used as food, e.g., the throat hollow or ends of the hind shanks. Contaminants on the carcass always enable the spread of contamination to food in the cutting phase. Hand and tool hygiene, moving carcasses with the dedicated carcass hook, preventing carcass contact (with each other, surfaces, clothes and hands) and mastering the correct slaughtering techniques at every work phase are key in the prevention of contamination.
Slaughter of reindeer in Finland
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