Karoo Meat of Origin standard:
Abattoir
Doc. No.: Rev. No.: 8 Abattoir Aug 2014 Approved by: Johann Kirsten Owner: KDF Page 2 of 16
Karoo Meat of Origin Standard: Abattoir
1. Origin of animals
a. Farm declaration of origin
b. Accredited producers only
2. Carcass specification
3. General
a. HAS point compliance
b. Management Responsibility
4. Animal welfare
a. Unloading
b. Lairage (at Abattoir)
5. Killing and slaughtering
6. Carcass chilling
7. Facilities & premises
8. Personnel hygiene and Protective clothing
9. Quality management
a. pH report
b. Certificate of Conformance
c. Micro Records
d. Calibration of equipment
10. Traceability
11. Cleaning and sanitation
12. Maintenance
13. Pest control
14. Storage
15. Transport
16. Document and record control
17. Audits
18. Non-conformance to specifications
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1. Origin of animals
a. Farm declaration of compliance to KAROO MEAT OF ORIGIN standards
The following options are allowable:
Option 1
i. The farmer delivers the animals and signs the “verwyderings sertifikaat”/
“ontvangsbewys” or something similar where it states that the animals
are free range and conforms to the rest of the specs for free range and
Karoo animals.
ii. Keep a copy of this document on file for auditing purposes.
Option 2
i. Animals, ready for slaughter, may only be removed from the farm if accompanied by a DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE TO KAROO MEAT OF ORIGIN STANDARDS (Addendum 1).
ii. This form must be completed and signed by the producer (or an authorized person).
iii. The producer will keep a copy of the DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE TO
KAROO MEAT OF ORIGIN STANDARDS, while the other copy will
accompany the specific truck to the dedicated abattoir. The abattoir will
only accept animals for slaughter that are accompanied by a Declaration of
Compliance.
iv. Keep this copy on file for auditing purposes.
b. Accredited/ certified producers only
i. Check the KMOO database to confirm that the producer/ farmer are
certified and that their certification is still valid.
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2. Carcass specification
Lamb and mutton
Only carcasses falling in the following categories of the South African meat
classification system (as specified in Meat Classification Regulations No R863
published in the RSA Government Gazette of 1 September 2006) qualify for
certification as Karoo sheep meat of origin:
Breed Preferably meat breed types with good bone: muscle ratio with an even fat distribution.
Carcass mass A-grades >14 but < 25kg
AB-grade >14 but <29kg
B-grades >14 but <31kg
C-grades >14 but <31kg
Classification Age classes A, AB, B and C
Fat classes 1 to 6
Conformation 3, 4 and 5
Damage Only F1 damage allowed
In particular, the following classes of carcasses do not qualify for certification:
Age classes: AB, BBB, CCC stamped MD indicating rams or carcasses
showing signs of late castration in those age groups
Carcasses with code 2 and 3 damage
3. General
a. HAS point compliance
i. A minimum of 75% average score to be obtained during HAS audit as
conducted by the Department of Agriculture.
ii. It will be expected of the abattoir to supply the summary page of the HAS
audit report to the auditor. This will be forwarded to KMOO with the KMOO
audit report.
b. Management Responsibility
i. Management will ensure that all relevant staff have sufficient knowledge
and training in meat hygiene principles and practices
ii. Management will ensure that hygiene standards are understood and
complied with by all personnel, visitors and contractors before entering the
premises.
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iii. Management will ensure that there is a documented customer complaint
system and/or procedure in place.
iv. There shall be periodic review and verification of the food safety system on-
site which covers the entire process. The review process shall include
customer complaints, audits and corrective actions, etc.
v. Management will ensure that meat is only sold to certified KMOO clients.
This can be checked on the database that is send through on a regular basis
by the MOOK office.
4. Animal welfare
a. Unloading
i. Injury free.
ii. Non slip floor.
iii. Correct slope <30°.
iv. No delay in unloading.
v. Good lighting.
b. Lairage (at Abattoir)
i. Clean drinking water to be available freely.
ii. Shade to be provided.
iii. Lairage to be cleaned between each batch.
iv. Non slip floor.
v. Not to be overcrowded :≥0.56 m² per animal
vi. Animals should not be transported more than 250km to an abattoir. Any
distance further than 250km needs to be approved by KMOO first.
vii. Animals to be rested before slaughter as follows:
a. Transport distance <100km: resting period 1 hour minimum
b. Transport distance 100km to 250km: resting period 2 hours minimum
viii. Adequate ventilation is required.
ix. Feeding of animals when required.
x. Lairages equipped with notices specifying the number and type of species
permitted.
5. Killing and slaughtering
a. Humane procedures must be in place.
b. Veterinary inspector to inspect animals before killing (Act 87 of 1967).
c. Animals heavily contaminated with faeces and/ mud should be excluded.
d. Congestion and excitement to be prevented from lairage to stunning area.
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e. Sticks should not be used on moving animals. The animals should be moving in
single file.
f. No animal should be left in the stunning area during breaks.
g. Emergency slaughter facility and SOP in place.
h. Stunning must be effective and done according to the manufacturers
specifications. Recommended to be done for 3 seconds at 90 Volts (0.8
Ampere).
i. The animal should be shackled, hoisted and neck slit open within 30 seconds.
j. Electrical stimulation should once again be done according to the specifications
of the manufacturer. Recommended to be done for 40-60 seconds/ 23-35
Volts/0, 6 Amp. It is critical that the pH of the loin muscle is lower than 6.0
about 1 hour after kill.
k. A system should be in place to ensure knifes are sharp.
l. A 2 knife system should be in place. No mixing of clean and dirty knifes.
m. No dressing started before the completion of the bleeding. Minimum of 6
minutes for sheep.
n. Inspect carcass and offal for diseases.
o. SOP in place for contaminated and/or dropped carcasses.
p. No signs of hair, blood, faeces, soil, etc. may be present on the carcass before
cooling.
q. If allowed, wash the carcass with cold water with 2ppm available chlorine.
r. All sterilisers should be ≥82°C with proper overflow to ensure clean water.
s. Carcass correctly tagged with Lot no/ tracking number on KMOO tag. If the
specific abattoir’s process does not allow for the carcass to be tagged as per
requirement above, it should be discussed with a MOOK representative. The
MOOK rep needs to give permission in writing.
t. Carcasses need to be clearly and correctly marked/ stamped for KMOO.
i. The lamb needs to be roller marked with the following:
CERT KMOO
ii. The lamb also needs to be marked with a KMOO stamp on the upper
leg. Example:
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iii. The issuing of stamps and roller marks will be strictly controlled and
the abattoir will be expected to sign for it.
iv. The stamp/roller marks needs to be returned to MOOK if not
slaughtering certified KMOO lamb anymore.
v. When stamp/ roller mark is not in use it should be cleaned and kept in
secure place on the abattoir premises.
u. Only ink approved for use on foodstuffs should be used.
6. Carcass chilling
a. Cold room to operate between 0 and 2°C, RH 85-90% and air speed 0.75m/sec.
b. Deep leg muscle temperature to be below 10°C within 16 hours after
slaughtering. Temperature to be below 5°C before carcasses can be dispatched.
c. No mixing of hot and cold carcasses.
d. No non-food item or product other than meat stored in carcass chillers.
e. Floors to be rinsed daily. All floors, doors, walls and rails to be cleaned and
sanitised after each cycle.
f. Meat should not to be in direct contact with floor and walls.
g. Sufficient spacing to be left between carcasses for optimum air circulation.
h. Cold room to be free from bad smells and odors.
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7. Facilities & premises
Covered in HAS audit. Refer where necessary.
a. Design and facilities
b. Personnel facilities, toilets and hand washing facilities (R962 of 23 November
2012)
c. Site and premises
8. Personnel hygiene and Protective clothing
Covered in HAS audit. Refer where necessary.
9. Quality management
a. pH-report (spec is less than 6)
i. The pH of at least one carcass per every second cradle (5 or 6 per cradle)
must be checked before entering the chiller. The pH should be lower than 6
about 1 hour after kill. Reject carcasses with pH>6. Record these pH's.
ii. Keep these records on file for auditing purposes.
b. Certificate of Conformance
i. It is expected that each load of carcasses (per customer) must be
accompanied by a Certificate of Conformance. The COC must be completed
as follows:
a) Option 1
Complete the COC in full.
OR
b) Option 2
The temperatures and pH’s of every 20th carcass should be filled in.
This is only allowed if/ when a Serial Number Tracking Invoice per
customer is also attached. The batch numbers of each farmer needs to
be linked to the certification numbers of the farmers. This can be
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incorporated with the SNTI (or similar) or the batch numbers can be
forwarded by e-mail to the MOOK office for further distribution.
ii. The abattoir must be able to proof full traceability throughout this process.
iii. Duplicates should be kept on record for auditing purposes.
iv. See Addendum 2
c. Micro records
i. Carcass:
Total count <50 000/g
E.Coli <10/g
Coliforms <100/g
Staph. aureus Absent/20g
Salmonella Absent/25g
Clostridium perfringens Absent/g
Listeria monocytogenes Absent/g
ii. Water:
Total count <1000/mℓ
Coliforms <10/mℓ
E coli Absent/ml
d. Calibration of equipment
i. Calibration and verification of measuring equipment:
1. All scales and thermometers shall be calibrated annually and calibration
certificates shall be kept on file.
2. Mass pieces used for the verification of scales shall be calibrated every
two years and calibration certificates obtained. The mass pieces used
for the verification of scales shall be a mass that is similar to the final
mass of the product being weighed.
3. Equipment shall be labelled with the calibration details.
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4. Monthly verification of the equipment is to be done on site and records
kept.
ii. Scale verification:
1. Once a month the scales must be verified to ensure they are accurate.
2. Calibrated mass pieces must be put on the scale and the weight
recorded. All readings must be recorded. Any readings that are more
than one division out must be reported to Management. All non-
conformances must be recorded on the corrective action form, and the
necessary action and follow up recorded.
3. Management should get the scales to be calibrated by the company
servicing the scales. The scale company is to supply a calibration
certificate for each scale calibrated.
iii. Thermometer verification:
1. The verification of the thermometer should be done monthly by using
the ice point method.
2. Ice Point Method: Fill a glass with crushed ice. Add clean cold tap water until the glass is half full and stir well.
3. Put the probe of the thermometer into the glass. Ensure the sensing area of the thermometer is submerged in the ice water and stir the water and ice with the probe.
4. Wait at least 30 seconds or until the indicator stops moving. 5. Record the temperature on the indicator on a verification sheet. 6. If the thermometer does not read between +1C and –1C it must be
reported to Management. All non-conformances must be recorded on a corrective action form, and the necessary action and follow up recorded. Management should send the thermometer to a SANAS accredited supplier in order to be fixed and calibrated. The company repairing the thermometer must supply a calibration certificate when returning it.
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iv. Fridge, freezer and truck gauges:
1. Once a month the fridge, freezer and truck gauges must be verified by
placing the already verified thermometer inside the fridge, freezer or
truck and leaving it there for a few minutes until the indicator stops
moving.
2. The reading on the dial and that of the thermometer must be recorded
on the verification sheet. Should the readings be more than 1C apart it
must be reported to management. All non-conformances must be
recorded on the corrective action form, and the necessary action and
follow up recorded.
3. When the gauges are not accurate, an accredited company must
calibrate the gauges and supply a calibration certificate.
10. Traceability
a. Only animals from Certified KMOO farmers may be used for KMOO.
b. The abattoir will only accept Karoo Meat of Origin animals if a Declaration of
Origin and/or a “verwyderings sertifikaat”/”ontvangsbewys” accompanies the
specific truck.
c. Karoo Meat of Origin animals should be kept separately in a dedicated pen.
d. Tracking number: The animals should each receive a unique carcass number
(tracking number), which must ensure full traceability to the live animal and the
farmer.
e. The identification mark must be visible at all times.
f. All relevant information must be documented and recorded.
g. At the point of carcass classification and weighing, a specific Karoo Meat of
Origin mark must be stamped on as well as rolled onto the specific carcasses.
h. All Karoo Meat of Origin carcasses must be easily identifiable in the chiller as
well as in the truck delivering the carcasses.
11. Cleaning and sanitation
Covered in HAS audit. Refer where necessary.
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12. Maintenance
a. An effective maintenance program shall be implemented to ensure the proper
functioning of equipment, buildings and vehicles.
b. Any equipment that is critical to food safety shall be identified and a planned
maintenance program set up. The planned maintenance program shall stipulate
the equipment to be maintained; work to be carried out on equipment,
frequency of maintenance.
c. Only food grade lubricants may be used on equipment within the butchery.
Material safety data sheets (MSDS) shall be kept on file for the lubricants used
on site.
d. Whenever any maintenance is carried out in the abattoir a job card is to be
completed. The equipment and area is to be properly cleaned after
maintenance has been completed and this is to be signed off on the job card.
e. Planned maintenance should be done as far as possible outside of production
hours. SOP (to prevent contamination of product) to be in place when
maintenance needs to be done in production area while production is taking
place.
13. Pest control
a. Effective measures shall be taken to eliminate flies, other insects, rodents or
other pests in the abattoir.
b. Fly electrocuters shall be of the design with glue boards to catch the flying
insects and shall be serviced at least monthly. The unit shall be positioned in the
abattoir where is will not be over or close to any meat and away from natural
light. The ultraviolet tubes shall be replaced annually and it should be protected
against shattering.
c. The facility shall be properly proofed at the bottom of the external doors and at
windows to prevent the entry of pests.
d. The facility shall be kept clean to prevent the attraction of pests to the facility.
14. Storage
Covered in HAS audit. Refer where necessary.
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15. Transport
a. Deep bone muscle temperature of carcasses transported by truck should be less
than 5°C maximum and should be delivered at 5°C maximum.
b. Trucks should be pre-cooled to 2°C at least before loading carcasses.
c. Trucks need to be clean, free of taints or smells.
d. Loading area temperature must be a maximum of 12°C when in use.
e. Carcass should be transported in hanging position. Meat not to be in direct
contact with the floor of the vehicle.
f. Sufficient spacing to be left between carcasses for optimum air circulation.
g. Personal clothing as well as protective clothing should be clean.
16. Document and record control
a. All documents and records developed for the food quality and safety program
shall be written in a similar format and approved before use to ensure that the
correct and most updated version is available for use.
b. All documentation must be written in a standard format and must include the
following:
Page number
Revision/ Version number
Effective date
Approved by and designation
Documentation number
c. Controlled documentation must be readily available for use by employees
conducting tasks described in the applicable documents. No hand written
changes are permitted.
d. When documents and records need to be updated the date and the revision
number is to be updated and the document then re-issued.
e. Documentation Distribution Register
This document is to be used every time a new or revised document is issued for
use. The person issued to, document title; page number, version number and
date issued must be recorded. Where the documentation is replacing existing
documentation the old documentation shall be recalled from the responsible
person. The person receiving the documentation must sign the document.
f. Amendment Register: Whenever a document is amended this document must
be completed. The Doc. No., page no., version, a brief description of the
amendment and effective date must be recorded. The assigned person
amending the documentation must sign the document. When amending the
documents the version number and effective date must be changed.
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g. Examples of forms that may be used are available on request from KMOO.
17. Audits
In order to ensure full compliance to above-mentioned specifications, the Karoo
Meat of Origin scheme will be conducting annual (unless otherwise specified) audits.
This will be conducted by an independent auditing body (e.g. SAMIC), as appointed
by the KDF and will be done at the abattoirs cost.
This audit will include a paper audit to cross check figures with farmer’s capacity/
animals received by abattoir/ animals received from abattoir, etc. It will also include
a full traceability audit from the start to the final paperwork.
18. Non-conformance to specifications
a. Carcasses which do not comply with the above-mentioned specifications will
not be eligible to be used as Certified Karoo Meat of Origin carcasses.
b. The right to use the certification mark will be terminated immediately if an
abattoir is found, at any stage, not to be adhering to the specifications.
c. We also ask that any person who is aware of malpractices anywhere in the
chain to report it to KMOO via our Website “Contact Us” at
www.karoomeatoforigin.com.
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Addendum 1
DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE TO KAROO MEAT OF ORIGIN STANDARDS
Verklaring dat die eienaar van die diere gelewer (aan die slagpale) voldoen aan die Karoo Meat of
Origin standaarde.
Declaration that the owner of animals delivered to the abattoir complies with the Karoo Meat of
Origin standards.
Ek / I, ________________________________________________________ (volle name)
(full name)
van die plaas/plase _____________________________________________ (plaas se naam)
of the farm(s) (farm name/s)
en gesertifiseer as ‘n “Karoo Meat of Origin” verskaffer met nommer _____________
and accredited as a “Karoo Meat of Origin” supplier with number
verklaar hiermee / hereby declare:
dat die diere gelewer deur my aan (Slagpale Naam)
that the animals delivered by me to _________________________________ (Name of Abattoir)
aan al die “Karoo Meat of Origin” spesifikasies voldoen.
comply with all the “Karoo Meat of Origin” specifications.
Geteken / Signed: ____________________________________
Datum/Date: ________________________
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Addendum 3
CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE
Date: _____________ It is hereby confirmed that this batch of meat has been inspected by the meat inspector and is fit for human consumption. It has been sourced and slaughtered in accordance to the Meat Safety Act 40/2000. All measures have been taken to ensure the meat is free of physical, chemical and microbiological contamination. All meat complies with the Certified Karoo Meat of Origin standard and has been marked as such.
Tracking number Batch number
From farmer certification no
Temperature (Every 20th carcass to be
measured)
pH
As per traceability documentation
As per traceability
documentation
Abattoir: ________________________ Certification number _______________ Signed: ________________________ Designation: _______________