0
The United Nations food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission is meeting in Geneva from 6 to 11 July 2015 to examine food safety and quality standards.
Food-producing animals may have parasites. Trichinella is a parasite that may be found in the meat of pigs and other animals. When humans eat meat produced by animals infected with Trichinella that is raw or undercooked, some parasites may remain and cause acute and severe illness. Laws requiring intensive carcass testing to ensure meat is not infected with Trichinella have been part of veterinary public health practices for more than a century. However, in areas where the risk of pigs carrying Trichinella is negligible, farmers are no longer required to test each individual carcass. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted risk-based guidelines to ensure that all pig meat is safe, while freeing up food control resources to be used where they are most needed. Pig meat from negligible risk areas can be traded without extensive testing, whereas carcasses from areas where Trichinella may infect pigs will continue to be tested rigorously.
Monday July 6, 2015/ FAO.
http://www.fao.org
