Chapter 19 - Poultry Inspection Programs

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Annex D: Poultry Reinspection Program

D.1. Introduction

The purpose of the Canadian Poultry Reinspection Program is to provide standards and methods to be used when determining the acceptability of poultry carcasses and parts. This standard may be used for the reinspection of both imported and domestic shipments; and for the monitoring of an establishment's quality control program. This standard for fresh and frozen poultry carcasses and parts derives its authority from the Meat Inspection Act and Regulations.

D.2. Scope

This standard applies to fresh or frozen poultry carcasses and parts including young and mature chicken, turkey, duck and goose.

D.3. Nomenclature

The name of the product shall be that required in common usage in Canada and in accordance with the Meat Inspection Act and Regulations. Nomenclature for poultry parts may be found in the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures Chapter 7 "Cutting and labelling of poultry parts". For the purposes of this standard, only product which conforms to this nomenclature shall be inspected.

D.4. Definition of Defects

The poultry carcass defects shall be considered as either minor, major or critical depending on the associated safety risk. The specific defect definitions and their defect classification are defined in the attached "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts".

D.5. Description of Defects

The defects found in poultry carcasses or parts shall be classified as either decomposition, unwholesomeness or workmanship related. The severity of the associated defect is explained in this section, as well as in the more specific "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts" section. Carcasses and parts shall be considered defective when one or more of these conditions are encountered:

D.5.1. Decomposition

A poultry carcass or part shall be classified as decomposed when any part of the carcass is affected by an off-condition identified by:

• Odours

  Persistent and distinct off-odours in a poultry carcass such as: fruity, vegetable, musty, sour, sour milk-like, faecal, ammonia or putrid smelling.

• Colour

  Distinct green colour in a poultry carcass.

• Slime

  Moist and sticky gelatinous-like carcass.

  Note: Some slaughter methods (slack scald and ritual slaughter) may leave wholesome carcasses that are slightly sticky to the touch. This should not be characterized as slime for the purpose of these standards.

Any evidence of the above is considered as a critical defect, and shall result in rejection of the lot.

D.5.2. Unwholesomeness

• Pathology

  A carcass or part shall be considered defective if there is any evidence that it is affected by any pathology as defined in the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures.

• Critical Extraneous Material

  A sample unit shall be classified as critical and rejected when any of the following conditions are found:

  • The presence of any material which has not been derived from poultry and which poses a threat to human health (such as glass, etc.); or
  • Distinct and persistent odour of any material which has not been derived from poultry and which poses a threat to human health (such as solvents, fuel oil, etc.).
• Contamination

  A carcass or part shall be considered defective if any bile, ingesta or non-critical extraneous material is present. Faecal material shall result in rejection of the lot.

• Other Defects

  A sample unit shall be considered defective when any of the following conditions are found:

  • Dehydration (freezer burn) where more than 10% of the surface area is affected;
  • Overscalded, dark coloured carcass and inadequate bleeding;

Any evidence of the above will be considered critical, major or minor as defined in the attached "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts".

D.5.3. Workmanship

Those defects which are present as a result of poor workmanship and should have been previously removed:

• Dressing/processing defects such as the presence of parts of the viscera or feathers;
• Trimming defects such as trimmable pathology, bruises and scabs;
• Bones in boneless poultry parts.

Any evidence of the above will be considered as a major or minor defect as defined in the attached "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts".

D.6. Examination Methods

D.6.1. Definitions

• Acceptance Number (Ac)

  The maximum number of defective units in the sample permitting the lot to be accepted because the requirements of this standard have been met.

• Cull

  The removal of individual product pieces affected with defects. (Only permitted for domestic product. It is not permitted to cull or rework unsatisfactory imported product.)

• Defective Unit

  A defective unit is a sample unit whose subsample exceeds the allowable number of defects as stated in the defect criteria.

• Inspection

  The visual examination of a subsample of poultry carcasses or parts for the presence of defects.

• Lot Size (N)

  The number of containers (boxes/totes or combos) similar in size, type and style which have been processed under identical conditions. Specifically, the lot size may be the number of containers (boxes/totes or combos) from a specified production period, or from an incoming or outgoing shipment.

• Sample Size (n)

  The number of sample units comprising the total sample drawn from the lot.

• Sample unit

  The individual container (boxes/totes or combos) that is examined as a separate unit.

• Subsample

  A representative portion of the contents of the sample unit withdrawn for the purpose of inspection.

D.6.2. Scope

The methodology described in this section outlines a procedure for the examination of poultry carcasses and parts. The examination shall be made of products of a defined lot (N), in the fresh or tempered state for decomposition, wholesomeness and workmanship related defects.

D.6.3. Presentation/staging of the Lot

The establishment is required to present the lot so that:

• its placement ensures the safety of the inspector;
• each unit in the lot has an equal chance of being selected for the sample;
• the lot is distributed uniformly to facilitate the verification of the lot size;
• the main panel of each shipping container is plainly visible to the inspector; and
• its placement allows adequate space for the inspector to select samples and visually examine the lot for transportation damage.

The inspector shall conduct an overall inspection of the lot which includes general condition, label and count verification, and accuracy of any related documentation.

D.6.4. Inspection Procedure

The inspector shall thoroughly examine all carcasses and parts as specified under section D.6.5.2, "Poultry carcasses packaged in boxes or totes", or D.6.5.3 "Poultry carcasses or parts packaged in bulk combos", and:

• All defects from the lot shall be recorded, removed, and identified with the carcass, part and sample unit, from which they were found;
• If the lot is rejected, all defects found, their respective carcasses or parts, and the sample unit from which they where found, shall be saved should an examination of the defects be requested;
• If the lot is accepted, all defects found in inspected product shall be discarded; and
• Poultry carcasses or parts found free of defect upon inspection shall be returned to the lot.

D.6.5. Sampling

D.6.5.1. Sampling of lots for Sensory Examination

The sampling of lots for the sensory examination of the product shall be in accordance with the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius "Sampling Plan for Prepackaged Foods" as follows.

D.6.5.2. Poultry Carcasses or Parts Packaged in Boxes or Totes

• The sample unit shall consist of a box or tote;
• Calculate the number of boxes or totes in the lot (N);
• Using the label weight to determine the net weight of a box or tote, pick out the number of boxes / totes required under the sampling plan selected from tables D.8.1 or D.8.2 according to the average net weight of the boxes or totes;
• The sampling plans dictate the minimum sample size (n) to be taken. The inspector chooses the samples at random as explained in the random sampling procedure. If necessary, in the opinion of the inspector, more than the minimum sample size specified may be taken, provided that it corresponds to a sampling level from table D.8.1 or D.8.2. In the case of an import shipment, the boxes shall be pre-selected by the import tracking system;
• The sample unit must be sufficiently tempered to permit a thorough inspection;
• From each sample unit, choose a representative subsample consisting of at least 10% of the product;
• In each subsample, examine the carcasses or parts for defects and, if present, assign them as Critical, Major or Minor, as defined in Section D.7, "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts". Any critical defect found will result in the rejection of the lot. The presence of at least a major defect or any two minor defects in a subsample will result in that corresponding sample unit being considered defective;
• Using the Acceptance (Ac) number corresponding to the level of the sampling plan selected, determine the acceptability of the lot based on the number of defective sample units. If this number is less than or equal to the acceptance number, the lot is accepted; otherwise, the lot is deemed to fail;
• In the case of domestic product, if a lot fails using the appropriate sample plan due to workmanship related conditions, the lot may be culled and re-inspected using the same sampling plan previously used. However, under reinspection each subsample to be examined shall comprise 20% of the product from the corresponding sample unit.

D.6.5.3. Poultry Carcasses or Parts Packaged in Bulk Combos

• As per table D.8.3, a maximum of 13 combos are to be randomly sampled from the lot (a full combo is approximately 1000 kg). If the lot consists of less than 13 combos, then each combo shall be inspected;
• The bulk combo must be tempered sufficiently to permit an inspection of a representative sample;
• Take a representative 50 kg subsample* from each selected combo;
• In each combo, examine the carcasses or parts for defects and if present assign them as Critical, Major or Minor as defined in Section D.7 "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts". Any critical defect found will result in the rejection of the lot. The presence of at least five Major defects, any ten Minor defects, or any combination of Minor and Major defects totalling ten in any subsample, will result in that corresponding combo being considered defective;
• Using the Acceptance (Ac) number corresponding to the number of combos in the lot, determine the acceptability of the lot based on the number of defective sample units. If this number is less than or equal to the acceptance number, the lot is accepted; otherwise, the lot is deemed to fail;
• In the case of domestic product, if a lot fails under this inspection procedure due to workmanship related conditions, the lot may be culled and re-inspected by repeating the above steps. However, for the purpose of re-inspection, the subsample selected from each combo is now to be twice the original weight and the criteria for the acceptance of the lot is to be adjusted proportionally;

* If less than a full combo is selected, take a representative subsample for inspection corresponding to 5% of the combo's weight. Any critical defect found will result in the rejection of the lot. The presence of at least d Major defects, any 2d Minor defects or any combination of 2d (Major and Minor) defects in the subsample will result in that combo being considered defective.

Where d = Combo unit weight (kg) / 200

Note: d and 2d are rounded up to the next whole number.

D.7. Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts

Decomposition Off-Conditions

Type	Description	Classification
Odours	Persistent and distinct off-odours in a poultry carcass.	Critical
Colour	Distinct green colour in a poultry carcass.	Critical
Slime	Moist and sticky gelatinous-like carcass surface. Note: Some slaughter methods (slack scald and ritual slaughter) may leave wholesome carcasses that are slightly sticky to the touch. This should not be characterized as slime for the purpose of this program.	Critical

 

Unwholesomeness

Type	Description	Classification
Extraneous Material	Extraneous material > 3 mm will result in rejection of the lot. For example: Glass, wood, metal, etc.	Critical
Extraneous Material	Extraneous material covering an area > 25 mm in the largest dimension. For example: Grease, unattached feathers, bile contamination, yolk, crop contents, ingesta, stains or specks too numerous to count; Whole spleen and/or gall bladder.	Major
Extraneous Material	Extraneous material covering an area ≤ 25 mm in the largest dimension. For example: Grease, unattached feathers, bile remnants, yolk, crop contents, ingesta, stains or specks too numerous to count; Part of a spleen and/or gall bladder.	Minor
Hair	Each incidence of 26 hairs ≥ 6 mm per sub-sample counts as one defect.	Minor
Faeces	Any material (solid, liquid or stain), determined to be from the lower gastrointestinal tract.	Critical
Pathology	Any evidence of pathological lesions such as cellulitis, salpingitis, tumours, airsacculitis or peritonitis.	5 Major defects
Others	Sores, scabs, or inflamed wounds >13 mm in the largest dimension or a cluster of smaller lesions in close proximity covering a surface > 13 mm.	Major
Others	Sores, scabs, or inflamed wounds measuring in their largest dimension 3 to 13 mm.	Minor

 

Workmanship

Type	Description	Classification
Bruises	A black, blue, or green bruise > 25 mm in the greatest dimension.	Major
Bruises	A black, blue, or green bruise, 6 to 25 mm in the greatest dimension.	Minor
Bruises	Bruises other than black and/or green > 13 mm * Very small bruises other than black and/or green less than 13 mm (dime size) and areas showing only slight reddening shall not be counted as defects.	Minor
Lungs	Portion ≥ 6 mm.	Minor
Trachea	Any identifiable portion	Minor
Oil gland	Recognizable fragment(s) up to and including both lobes	Minor
Breast Blister	Inflamed tissue, fluid or pus filled	Minor
Compound fracture	Any compound fracture (not including the rib cage)	Minor
Mutilation	Extensive mutilation	Minor
Bursa of Fabricius	Bursa of Fabricius or any identifiable portion.	Minor
Crop	Any complete crop	Major
Crop	Any portion of the crop that includes the mucosal lining	Minor
Intestine/ cloaca	Any identifiable portion of intestine or cloaca	= 5 Major defects
Intestine/ cloaca	Any identifiable portion of oesophagus, proventriculus or gizzard.	Minor
Long shank	Complete coverage of the tibial-tarsal articulation ≥ 3 mm (both condyles covered).	Minor
Kidneys or testes/ovaries	Kidneys or testes/ovaries in chickens weighing greater than 2 kg or ducks greater than 3 kg.	Minor
Reproductive organs	Reproductive organs in spent fowl.	Minor
Bones	In the case of boneless poultry parts: Any bone > 1 cm	Major
Bones	Any identified bone 3 mm to 1 cm.	Minor
Feathers or pinfeathers	25 mm or less: Score each multiple of 8 as one defect.	Minor
Feathers or pinfeathers	Greater than 25 mm: Score each multiple of 2 as one defect.	Minor
Heads	Heads on dressed carcasses not designated as "head and feet attached".	Major

D.8. Sampling Plans for Poultry Carcasses and Parts

D.8.1. For Sample Units Under 4.5 kg

D.8.2. For Sample Units 4.5 kg or Greater

D.8.3. If the Sample Unit is a Combo

D.9. Records

An example of the Poultry Reinspection Worksheet is available in Annex A of this chapter.

D.10. Examples

D.10.1. Poultry Carcasses or Parts Packaged in Boxes or Totes

Example 1)

17,990 kg of whole chicken carcasses packed in 18 kg boxes.

• The number of boxes in the lot is 1000;
• Net weight of a box is 18 kg; therefore, use the level 2 sampling plan found in D.8.2;
• This sampling plan states that for a lot of 1000 boxes, the sample size is to be 21 boxes;
• Choose the 21 boxes randomly from the lot;
• The 21 boxes must be thawed sufficiently to permit inspection;
• Choose a representative 10% subsample from each box; that is 1.8 kg of the product or the smallest number of carcasses aggregately weighing 1.8 kg;
• In each subsample, examine the carcass(es) for defects and assign them as Critical, Major or Minor as defined in the "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts" section of this document;

Suppose the inspection reveals the following defects:

Box #3 - 1 Major
Box #8 - 1 Minor
Box #12 - 1 Minor
Box # 15 - 1 Major and 2 Minor
Box # 20 - 2 Minor

• In this case, boxes # 3, 15 and 20 are considered defective, since they contained at least either a major defect, two minor defects or both in their subsamples;
  • Based on the accept (Ac) number of 3, this lot would be accepted since 3 defective sample units are permissible in the randomly selected sample of 21 boxes.

If in the opinion of the inspector, a larger sample size should be selected from this lot, then a random sample of 29 boxes could be selected for inspection and rated for defects as above and a decision taken on the acceptability of the lot based on the corresponding Acceptance number of 4.

D.10.2. Poultry Carcasses or Parts Packaged in Bulk Combos

Example 1)

Five bulk combos of poultry carcasses containing approximately 1000 kg per combo.

• The combos must be thawed sufficiently to permit inspection;
• Take a representative 50 kg sample from each combo;
• Examine the carcasses for defects and assign them as Critical, Major or Minor as defined in the "Defect Criteria for Graded and Ungraded Poultry Carcasses and Parts" section of this document;

The findings are as follows:

Combo #1 - 1 Critical Defect, 1 Major and 4 Minors
Combo #2 - 3 Majors and 3 Minors
Combo #3 - 5 Majors and 8 Minors
Combo #4 - 2 Majors and 12 Minors
Combo #5 - 4 Majors and 9 Minors

• Based on the accept and reject values, combo numbers 1, 3, 4 and 5 would be rejected, since they exceed the acceptance numbers of zero Critical defects, four Major defects, nine Minor defects or a combination of any nine Major or Minor defects;
• As per table D.8.3., the maximum number of defective combos permitted is 1. In this example, the lot would be rejected since 4 defective combos were found. The lot would also be immediately rejected since a Critical defect was found.

Example 2)

One bulk combo containing 500 kg of poultry parts.

• The combo must be thawed sufficiently to permit inspection;
• Since in this case the sample unit is less than 1000 kg, take a representative sample consisting of 5% of the total weight of the combo;
• Sample size is 500 kg x .05 = 25 kg;
• Examine the poultry parts for defects and assign them as Critical, Major or Minor as defined in the "Defect Criteria for Poultry Carcasses and Parts" section of the Canadian Poultry Standard;

The findings are as follows: 1 Major and 4 Minor defects

• Calculate the accept and reject criteria using the formula from section D.6.5.3. The number of major defects accepted is 500kg/200 = 2.5, rounded up to 3. The number of minor defects accepted is 5 (2 X 2.5);
• For this example, the sample will pass, since the defects found fall within the accept criteria which was calculated at 3 Major, 5 Minor defects or any combination of 5 Major and Minor defects.

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