Risk-based meat inspection and integrated meat safety assurance (RIBMINS)

The RIBMINS network was created to combine and strengthen Europe-wide research efforts on modern meat safety control systems. Its goal is to help further develop and implement the general principles of a meat safety assurance system across Europe for the benefit of consumers, industry, and the protection of animal health and welfare.

So, what does the future of risk-based meat inspection look like and what are the challenges delaying the implementation of a more modern Risk-based approach? This was debated last April, in Brussels, at the closing meeting of RIBIMINS Cost Action. Representatives of Academia, the private sector, and national competent authorities attended this meeting, to discuss the main conclusions of the work conducted by the RIBIMINS network and the way forward to the implementation of Risk-based meat safety assurance system (RB-MSAS).

Our colleagues Isabel Lechner and Pedro Moura presented the findings of a pre-event questionnaire capturing participants' views and perspectives on the current main hazards and operational challenges in meat inspection and barriers to the implementation of RB-MSAS.

In subsequent discussions, the following points were stressed among the different stakeholders:

• The need to assess and enhance the efficiency of risk-based meat inspection and integrated meat safety assurance systems.
• The general shortage of official veterinarians across Europe, demonstrates the need to encourage young veterinarians to take up this profession.
• The need for EU legislation updates to facilitate the implementation of computer vision systems for meat safety assurance.
• The importance of collaboration between the public and the private sector to promote change and sustain future developments in meat inspection systems.

This cost action is now coming to an end after 4.5 years of extensive exchange and work. Numerous meetings and workshops were conducted and more than 30 scientific papers have been published in international journals.

Link: Meat inspection is to be more risk based (cost.eu)

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