The Sunday Mail
Abattoir operations have been regularised by the adoption of a code of practice that promotes compliance among its members and ensures that abattoir operators deliver safe meat to the public by observing safe and hygienic practices in the slaughter of meat.
As a member of the Zimbabwe Association of Abattoirs, the Abattoir Operator undertakes to comply with the code of practice and be registered in terms of the Public Health (Abattoir, Animal and Bird Slaughter and Meat Hygiene) Regulations, 1995 and Statutory Instrument 50 of 1995.
All legal requirements pertaining to the Animal Health Act and any other relevant legislation are fully complied with.
It is incumbent upon registered abattoir operators to maintain records of all veterinary movement permits as well as police clearance certificates.
Throughput details of the abattoir, including numbers, species, producers/owners, dates of slaughter, dentition and local selling grades must also be kept. Records of certificates of condemnations of carcasses as well as of all organs condemned/detained and the reasons thereof are also maintained by the operators.
The infrastructure at the abattoir is routinely inspected by the Department of Veterinary Services and the abattoir operator, also, keeps records of inspection certificates for all hoists and other lifting equipment and maintenance records of all firefighting equipment.
Analyses of water samples, bacteriological sampling results, medical examination certificates of food handlers, among other records, are also kept for a minimum period of three years.
Animal welfare is a priority for abattoir operators and the Code of Practice to ensure safety of all animals is strictly enforced.
A continuous potable water supply is provided in all receiving pens and lairages and all animals are carefully handled to minimise bruising and stress.
Pens and lairages are constructed so as to avoid sharp projections, thereby minimising trauma or damage to livestock. All animals are subject to pre- and post-slaughter health inspections by a registered Meat Inspector or Veterinarian, who strictly denies dead and/or sick animals to be slaughtered for human consumption.
The Meat Inspector or Veterinarian ensures that dead animals and condemned meat at the abattoirs are instantly incinerated. Abattoir operators also ensure that a system is in place whereby dirty and clean offals are kept separate, and all offals presented for inspection are correlated with the relevant carcasses. Sufficient refrigeration and coldrooms are an essential part of an operation to ensure that the entire daily slaughter quota is properly chilled. Abattoir operators also ensure that the cold chain is maintained from their businesses to the retail supermarkets or wholesale outlets.
The association is also governed by a constitution and members meet regularly to discuss the issues affecting the industry and several critical issues identified as limiting productivity in the cattle sector have been tabled with authorities.
Members of the association are working with the Beef Enterprise Strengthening and Transformation project (BEST) under the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme funded by the European Union.
This initiative is being driven by the private sector in collaboration with a consortium of non-governmental partners. Lead farmers discuss and plan activities that require joint collaboration and effort; identify cross-cutting issues in livestock development; identify current activities in the sector; and collate statistics of activities for informed decision-making.
Productivity workshops and training sessions will be held to highlight key areas and critical interventions to support increased production.
Members of the Zimbabwe Association of Abattoirs: Bellevue, Binder, Bulawayo Abattoirs, Circle Y, MC Meats, Meatfields, Sabi Meats, Sandown, Surrey, Umguza, Westacre, Windsor Park, Zimnyama.
