FRAUDS IN THE SALE OF MEAT IN INDIA

Adulteration of meat involves substitution of costly or superior quality meat with cheaper and inferior quality meat. The substitutions of meat generally practiced are

o Beef for buffalo meat

o Mutton for goat meat

o Rabbit for chicken

• Since, meat adulteration is a fraudulent practice, which is objectionable on the grounds of health, religion and economics, so identification of meat is very important.

• The common methods used for the identification of meats of various species of animals are as follows:

• To avoid sale of meat unfit for human consumption, proper ante mortem and post mortem inspection should be carried ou

• The muscles, fat and bones of different animals have different characteristics. Hence, it is essential to know the physical character of different types of meats to detection of fraud.

o Rigor Mortis: The onset time of rigor mortis varies in different species. So by looking at the rigor mortis we can identify the type of the meat.

o Meat of dead animals: Animals which have died of natural causes show fullness of blood vessels and the meat is dark red due to lack of proper bleeding. Such carcasses undergo decomposition very quickly. So such meat should not be allowed for human consumption.

• Meat is dark red in colour

• Ammonical odour

• Muscle fibres is firm and dense in consistency

• Rich fat deposition in between groups of muscles

• Fat is not intermixed with muscles

• Fat is white in colour, hard and firm

• Bone marrow is slightly red

• Paler than mutton

• Muscles contain very little fat

• Goat meat odour resembles odour of buck

• Whitish grey in colour and in advanced age it becomes grey-red in colour

• Consistency is soft

• Fat is intermixed with muscles

• Fat is white and granulated

• Bone marrow is pink-red in colour

• Urine-like odour

• Fat is slightly intermixed with muscles

• Dark red in colour

• Fat is white in colour

• Saturated Red in colour with a brown tinge

• Fat is intermixed with muscles

• After chilling fat acquires a firm consistency

• Lighter in colour

• Coarse fibres

• Fat is yellow and less firm

• Yellow fat

• Bone marrow is pure white to reddish yellow

• Fine fibres

• Fat is not inter mixed with muscles

• Bone marrow is pink-red in colour

• Meat is dark red in colour

• When meat is exposed to air to becomes blackish in colour

• Fat is golden to dark yellow in colour

• Bone marrow is greasy

• Muscular tissues are firm with fine fibres

• Fat is intermixed with muscles

• Meat is white in colour

• Entire muscular mass of each side comprises a single muscle plate

• Fat is finely distributed in the muscles

• Meat contains large quantity of water

• Apart from the physical examination of meat, examination of bones is also helpful in determining adulteratio

Following tests are used

Glycogen test

• Meat of horse contains more of glycogen that the meat of other animals.

• Pig’s liver contains a high percentage of glycogen. Glycogen test should be done whenever a piece of liver is examined.

• Horse flesh is supposed to contain maximum glycogen 2.28 where as in normal mammalian muscles it varies from 0.5 to 1%.

Tests based on fats of the animals

• Sometimes, the fat of horse is mixed with the fat of cattle and sheep. Fat of horse is identified by the presence of 1 to 2 percent linolenic acid.

• In fat of other animals, the percentage of linolenic acid is not more than 0.1 per cent.

Iodine value

• Iodine value is the amount of iodine absorbed by unsaturated fatty acids present in the fat.

Species Iodine value

Horse                  71 to 86

Ox                             38 to 46

Sheep                     35 to 46

Pig                                         50 to 70

• The fat of different animals have different refractive index. For this purpose, the fat of the animal is converted into liquid by heat and refractive index is estimated.

o Refractive index of horse fat is 35.5

o Refractive index of ox fat is not above 40

o Refractive index of pig fat is not above 51.9

• Some other chemical methods are now increasingly being applied in meat inspection. These methods are specific and often the only means available for detection of foreign proteins in the meat or meat products.

Serological tests employed for differentiation of flesh

• Immuno – precipitation test

• Electrophoretic methods

• Isoelectric focusing

Rigor Mortis time Refractive Index and Iodine value – various species

Species— Rigor mortis Time (Min)—— Refractive index Iodine value

Sheep

Lamb

Ox Pig

Horse 80

60

163

50

238 — —

40

51.9

53.5 35 to 46

—

38 to 46

50 to 70

71 to 86

• Antemortem inspection should be carried out / made on the premises of the slaughter house on the day of slaughter.

• Following categories of animals should be condemned

o Any animal suffering from high temperature (> 106ºF).

o All animals showing symptoms of rabies, scrapie, tetanus or anthrax.

o All animals showing symptoms of some disease condition that would cause condemnation of carcass on postmortem inspection.

o Any animal found to be dead or in dying condition.

o Any animal used for research investigations.

o Any animal vaccinated against Anthrax in last 6 weeks.

o Hogs showing symptoms of hog cholera or swine erysipelas.

o Animals treated with some medicines whose residues are expected.

• If any animal on ante-mortem inspection is suspected of being affected with any disease or condition that would cause condemnation of only part of the carcass then on postmortem examination should be marked “suspect”.

• Following categories of animals should marked suspect

o Any animal seriously crippled.

o Animals which have reacted to tuberculin test.

• A careful postmortem inspection of the carcass and the parts thereof should be made at the time of slaughter.

• Whole carcass and its parts found to be healthy, wholesome and fit for human consumption should be marked “Inspected” and passed.

• Each carcass or parts, which is found to e unhealthy and unfit for human food should be marked “Inspected and condemned”.

• Carcasses of animals in a well nourished condition showing uncomplicated localized lesions of actimomycosis, or actinobacillosis may be passed after the infected organ or parts have been removed and condemned.

• As per the detailed list of the conditions on the basis of which the carcass is completely condemned (Anthrax generalized T.B).

• Carcasses in following conditions should be condemned.

o Carcasses showing generalized pigmentary deposits.

o Carcasses of animals affected with mange, scab in advanced stages.

o Carcasses showing any degree of icterus.

o All carcasses of animals so affected that consumption of the products thereof may give rise to food poisoning (eg) Generalised inflammatory conditions septicemia or gangrenous conditions -Abscess.

o Carcasses which give off pronounced odour of urine (or) of any medicinal or chemical substance.

o Carcasses of all unborn and still born animal.

o Carcasses of those animals, the meat of which give appearance of water soaked, flabby and tears easily.

o Carcasses infested with parasites transmissible to man.

o Carcasses of the animals affected with or showing lesions of any of the following diseases should be condemned except when recovery has occurred to the extent that only localized.

Meat Colour Consistency Fat

Sheep Dark red Firm & Dense Ammonical odour White fat deposition in between groups of muscles

Buffalo Dark red Firm Pale white

Horse Flesh Dark red Soft Golden to dark yellow

Dog meat Dark red — White fat is slightly intermixed with muscles

Beef Red Fairly firm Yellowish white fat is intermixed with muscles

Camel Red Fairly firm Pale yellow

Goat Light red very firm

Similar to Buck Pure white, muscles contain very little fat

Pork Light red very soft

Urine like odour White and granulated fat is intermixed with muscles

Poultry White Firm Fat intermixed with muscles

Fish meat White Entire muscular mass of each side comprises a single muscle plate Fat is finely distributed in muscles

Reference-on request