Remote meat control in slaughter and game handling

The requirement to be present in the establishment during the official meat inspection entails costs that can be perceived as burdensome. Travel puts pressure on the environment and creates vulnerability that affects national crisis preparedness. Technology for digital image transmission and remote control has the potential to streamline meat inspection, reduce vulnerability and facilitate the achievement of environmental goals.

The project provided new scientific data on the technical development of public meat inspection through research. These data are used to drive the development of EU-wide legislation in official meat inspection.  

The project researched the conditions for the use of remote digital methods in connection with real-time remote meat inspection. Knowledge of attitudes towards the new technologies among official veterinarians, control managers and companies is crucial for further development. In this study, both advantages and disadvantages were mapped which can be used in further development work to stablish a model for the application of the technology.

Here is a summary of our results:

• We investigated preferences of Swedish meat inspection (MI) practitioners for features of remote MI.
• The survey was answered by 54,7% of Swedish MI staff.
• On average, respondents rated security and fraud prevention as the most important aspects.
• Internet connectivity and camera placement were rated as second and third most important features.
• We also examined attitudes towards and prerequisites for remote meat control in Sweden.
• Remote meat inspections are considered for small and medium scale abattoirs.
• Remote inspections could positively impact travel time to remote abattoirs.
• A number of challenges, such as accurate colour reproduction, were identified.