[Endocarditis and meat inspection in slaughtering pigs. 2. Various aspects of meat inspection]

The results of meat inspection in 599 slaughtered pigs with endocarditis were studied. Of the pigs examined, 65 per cent were condemned. Condemnation was based on a positive bacteriological examination (Article 2 of the Meat Inspection Regulations) in almost every case. When bacteriological examination was negative, the animal was passed unqualified in nearly every case, regardless of the fact that symptoms were or were not detected in ante-mortem inspection and whether or not signs of sepsis were observed. Subsequently, efforts were made to determine the possible effects of omitting incisions into the hearts of pigs in which neither clinical nor morbid-anatomical examination suggested the presence of endocarditis. It was concluded that endocarditis would have passed unnoticed in 25 per cent of the pigs examined in this case. Of these pigs, fifty per cent were found to be positive on bacteriological examination. Finally, the financial consequences of condemning all pigs showing endocarditis were examined. Compared with current practice in meat inspection, this would result in an annual loss of Dfl. 60,000 in the situation prevailing in the Netherlands. However, if Articles 13, 17 and 18 of the Meat Inspection Regulations were strictly observed, the yield of the pigs passed would not offset the costs of examination.