Division 1 Collection and transport

One whole carcass per slaughter batch shall be collected immediately after chilling but before further processing such as freezing, cutting or packaging. In some slaughterhouses this may mean that samples are taken after pre-chilling when this is the last step before further processing.

The sample collected shall be placed in a separate sterile plastic bag, avoiding cross-contamination and be sent to the laboratory where skin sampling shall be undertaken.

Cross-contamination by other carcasses or caeca samples must be avoided during the collection of the carcasses. Precautions must therefore be taken at all stages to ensure that the equipment used during sampling, transport and storage are not contaminated with the pathogens investigated in the survey.

All relevant information available from the sample shall be recorded on a sampling form produced by the competent authority to enable the recording requirements in Part E to be fulfilled.

Each sample and its sample form shall be labelled with a unique number which shall be used from sampling to testing. The competent authority must arrange for the issue and use of a unique numbering system. The same identifier of the slaughter batch shall be used as the one for the caeca samples.

The samples shall be kept at between + 2 to 8 °C and free of external contamination during transportation.

All samples shall ideally reach the laboratory within 24 hours of sampling. In exceptional situations (for example, long journeys, weekends and public holidays) that period may be extended to 80 hours.

In the case that different laboratories are used for Campylobacter and Salmonella testing then the laboratory testing Campylobacter should take preference in receipt of the sample.