Food Standards Agency
Monday 29 June 2009
Safer food better business banner
AZ-Directory
What's NewRSS
What is RSS?Listen
Listen to this siteWednesday 25 June 2003
This research project aims to develop an oval saw as an alternative to the splitting saw, in order to reduce or eliminate contamination of carcasses with spinal cord material.
Study Duration : April 2001 to May 2003
Contractor : Silsoe Research Institute
The splitting saw, which is used in the dressing of carcasses, has been shown to be a source of cross-contamination of carcasses with CNS tissue (a specified risk material). This project aims to prove the oval saw as an alternative to the splitting saw, to reduce or eliminate this cross-contamination. The project results will be disseminated to an extended audience across the EU including potential users, legislators and consumer organisations. Plans for implementation and exploitation of the results will be further developed during the project.
The trials involve five hand held oval saws for cattle, and a further five for sheep, being constructed and used for validation trials under commercial slaughterhouse conditions in various EU states. The viability of this new approach will be evaluated and demonstrated through functional tests to cover both the engineering and meat quality aspects. Data from these trials should facilitate an appraisal of the economics, including both the potential slaughter line costs and savings, and the meat quality issues.
Find out what our other sites have to offer