Saskatchewan continues to test the use of cameras and computers to inspect slaughter plant practices.
Mitchell Demyen, director of the provincial agriculture department’s market development and food branch, said the pilot project initiated in November 2004 recently moved to a different plant to test new technology.
Demyen said technical issues during the first round of tests caused some photographs to be fuzzy when the camera zoomed in on a carcass.
“Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn’t.”
The difficulties meant an on-site inspector was forced to work in tandem with the remote inspector.
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The original intent was to compare the inspector’s assessment with that of two cameras. One camera would watch the animal as it came into the plant, looking for obvious injuries or signs of disease. Another camera watched the slaughter.
The pilot project was launched to see if technology could be used to upgrade the level of inspection at plants that are now inspected just once a year by health region personnel. Meat from these plants can be sold within the province except where communities require a higher level of inspection.
Eighty abattoirs fall under public health legislation. It would be too expensive to have an inspector at each of them because of their locations.
Demyen said technology, combined with other tools such as improved operator training, regular audits and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point systems, could have a role.
“We have some challenges that need to be addressed,” he said. “We still have some work to do.”
