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In contemporary veterinary science, integrating advanced technologies into traditional practices represents a significant leap toward enhancing food safety and operational efficiency. This thesis evaluates the application of camera-based vision technology (VISION) in detecting fecal contamination on pig carcasses during the post-mortem inspection phase in Danish slaughter-houses. The study aimed to determine VISION's sensitivity and specificity in comparison to traditional meat inspection methods, thereby assessing its potential as a viable tool for meat inspection within the Danish meat industry. The research was conducted using data collected over 18 days from a major Danish pig abattoir, involving the analysis of 87,561 pig carcasses. The methodology encompassed descriptive statistics to analyze the camera outputs, agreement calculations between VISION and the official inspection (OI), and latent class modeling to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of both inspection methods without assuming a perfect gold standard. Findings revealed that VISION demonstrates a sensitivity of 38% and specificity of 97%, against the OI's sensitivity of 19% and near-perfect specificity. Although VISION identified a higher proportion of carcasses as fecally contaminated compared to the OI, it also exhibited a tendency towards false positives. The study underscores the potential of VISION in augmenting traditional meat inspection by providing a means to standardize the detection process, thereby mitigating the subjective biases present in manual evaluations. The research contributes to the ongoing discourse on incorporating VISION technologies into veterinary fields, highlighting both the strengths and limitations of employing it in meat inspection. It proposes a hybrid approach, leveraging VISION as a supplementary tool to traditional methods, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and reliability of meat inspection processes. This thesis lays the groundwork for future

In this study we present a quantitative risk assessment model to estimate the risk of human toxoplasmosis from consuming pork in Denmark. The model conceptualized in this study estimates the risk of human toxoplasmosis from ingestion of tissue cysts present in pork. The model predicted that approximately 8-13% of the human population would be infected with the T. gondii parasite after 50 years of consuming certain pork products. The total probability of infection is higher for infected pork portions coming from conventional pigs, as compared to organic pigs, due to a much higher consumption rate (despite a higher risk per portion for organic meat). Our model suggests that utilization of tissue cysts as unit of exposure in the model, instead of bradyzoites, is more suitable as a means to quantify risk of exposure to T. gondii infection in humans.

Den bakteriologiske undersøgelse (BU) er en pålidelig metode af ældre dato til at belyse, om læsioner observeret på en slagtekrop og tilhørende organer er et udtryk for en lokal eller systemisk lidelse med mulig indvirkning på fødevaresikkerhed og konsumegnethed. Dette er konklusionen af en case-kontrolundersøgelse udført på 65 slagtede kreaturer. Øget brug af BU må formodes at medvirke til at mindske antallet af unødvendige kassationer og hermed reducere madspild.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing de-boning of sows with chronic purulent lesions indicative of prior septicaemia with local condemnation of effected parts. Meat inspection recordings from all animals slaughtered at Skærbæk Sow Abattoir in Denmark, outcome of de-boning (approved/rejected), and additional information from abattoir employees were obtained and analysed. Abscesses and muscle samples from 105 sows sent for de-boning and 60 muscle samples from fully approved sows were collected at the abattoir. The isolated bacteria were identified using MALDITOF. Results from a logistic regression analysis showed that sows from conventional farms had a higher risk of de-boning than sows from alternative production (organic and free-range). However, sows from alternative production had a higher risk of total condemnation. The condition “Pale Soft Exudative” (PSE) was the main reason for condemnation after de-boning. Staphylococcus aureus was assessed to be the only potential food safety hazard. There was no association between presence of bacteria in muscle samples and abscesses from the same animals, neither for bacteria in general (P= 1) nor for Staphylococcus aureus, specifically (P= 1). Furthermore, no association regarding presence of bacteria was found in the meat from de-boned sows and fully approved sows (P= 0.67). It was concluded that the de-boning procedure is not contributing to food safety. The authors suggest replacing de-boning with a more thorough inspection of the predilection sites of septicaemia and local cleansing of lesions. If de-boning is no longer required, it is expected that most abscesses will be found in the rework area, during cutting or routine de-boning because the meat is cut to relatively small sizes mainly without bone before it reaches the consumer.

The primary purpose of meat inspection is to protect the public health by ensuring that no meat unfit for human consumption enters the market. EU Regulation 854/2004 specifies that lesions indicative of a generalised condition should result in the condemnation of the carcass. However, the correct procedure concerning carcasses with lesions indicative of a prior septicaemia is not specified. In Denmark, such carcasses are de-boned to avoid the presence of abscesses in the muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the food safety value of this specific use of de-boning. Retrospective data from 1 year, in the form of meat inspection lesion codes for all finishing pigs slaughtered, at the seven largest Danish abattoirs were obtained from the Danish Slaughterhouse Database. These data revealed some differences between abattoirs in the proportion of carcasses sent for de-boning (min: 0.14%; max: 0.29%; P < 0.001) and showed large differences in how often abscesses were found at de-boning (min 0.34%; max 24.14%; P < 0.001). Less than 1% of the carcasses were totally condemned after de-boning. Samples from 102 finishing pig carcasses sent for de-boning (due to lesions indicative of prior septicaemia) underwent bacteriological examination. Samples were taken from each carcass, including from abscesses and muscle. The presence of bacteria in the muscle samples was compared to that of similar samples collected from carcasses unconditionally approved in another study (N = 60). A total of 6% of the abscesses and 83% of the muscle samples from the carcasses sent for de-boning were sterile (or below detection level). The only potential foodborne pathogen identified was Staphylococcus aureus, which was found in 15 abscesses and one muscle sample from the 102 carcasses sent for de-boning and in one of the 60 control muscle samples (P = 0.86). Based on the bacteriological findings, the human health risk related to meat from de-boned carcasses and meat from unconditionally, The primary purpose of meat inspection is to protect the public health by ensuring that no meat unfit for human consumption enters the market. EU Regulation 854/2004 specifies that lesions indicative of a generalised condition should result in the condemnation of the carcass. However, the correct procedure concerning carcasses with lesions indicative of a prior septicaemia is not specified. In Denmark, such carcasses are de-boned to avoid the presence of abscesses in the muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the food safety value of this specific use of de-boning. Retrospective data from 1 year, in the form of meat inspection lesion codes for all finishing pigs slaughtered, at the seven largest Danish abattoirs were obtained from the Danish Slaughterhouse Database. These data revealed some differences between abattoirs in the proportion of carcasses sent for de-boning (min: 0.14%; max: 0.29%; P < 0.001) and showed large differences in how often abscesses were found at de-boning (min 0.34%; max 24.14%; P < 0.001). Less than 1% of the carcasses were totally condemned after de-boning. Samples from 102 finishing pig carcasses sent for de-boning (due to lesions indicative of prior septicaemia) underwent bacteriological examination. Samples were taken from each carcass, including from abscesses and muscle. The presence of bacteria in the muscle samples was compared to that of similar samples collected from carcasses unconditionally approved in another study (N = 60). A total of 6% of the abscesses and 83% of the muscle samples from the carcasses sent for de-boning were sterile (or below detection level). The only potential foodborne pathogen identified was Staphylococcus aureus, which was found in 15 abscesses and one muscle sample from the 102 carcasses sent for de-boning and in one of the 60 control muscle samples (P = 0.86). Based on the bacteriological findings, the human health risk related to meat from de-boned carcasses and meat from unconditionally

Current EU regulation requires that every bovine carcass is examined for bovine cysticercosis (BC) at meat inspection. This is costly and might be superfluous at low BC prevalence. However, from a consumer view-point it may be important to identify and manage infected carcasses to avoid human infection. If relevant data could be effectively used to classify animals with respect to their risk of being infected, then the current meat inspection could be replaced by a more cost-effective system targeting high-risk animals. This study aimed to (1) describe the distribution of BC cases in the Danish cattle population, (2) estimate the animal level prevalence (3) provide descriptive statistics of potential risk factors for BC, and (4) determine attributable risks and fractions of selected risk factors potentially useful for a future risk-based meat inspection system. In total, 348 cases of BC were recorded among all cattle slaughtered (n=4,090,661) in Denmark between 2004 and 2011. The true animal level prevalence of BC was estimated to be 0.06%. The herd of origin of the cases were defined as the herd in which the animals spent most of their lifetimes. The detected cases were found to originate from 328 herds, with a maximum of two cases per herd indicating sporadic occurrence. Even though organic farming was associated with a higher risk (RR=1.9 in univariable analysis) of BC-positive animals being detected at slaughter, the population attributable fraction showed that only 5% of the animals with BC could be attributed to organic farming practices at the level of organic farming practiced in Denmark in the study period. Thus, organic farming status was not a suitable risk factor to use to target future risk-based meat inspection. However, 54% of the animals with BC in the cattle population were attributed to female gender. Increasing age at slaughter was also associated with high risk of BC. There may be overlaps between these effects in animals with multiple risk facto

Der har officielt ikke været fritlevende vildsvin (Sus scrofa) i Danmark siden 1801. Et stigende antal observationer nær den dansk-tyske grænse, samt et øget vildtudbytte i Slesvig-Holsten har rejst spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt vildsvinet nu er tilbage. Den seneste udgave af den danske vildtudbyttestatistik beretter, at der nu også nedlægges vildsvin i Danmark. Landbruget er modstandere af en fritlevende bestand af vildsvin idet man frygter, at vildsvinet kan være smittekilde til en række sygdomme herunder klassisk svinepest. Denne rapport søger at kortlægge, hvorvidt der findes fritlevende vildsvin i Danmark, om der er egnede habitater samt, om disse er tilgængelige for vildsvinet således, at arten på sigt vil kunne etablere sig i Danmark. Forekomsten af vildsvin i Danmark blev undersøgt gennem seks forskellige kilder og metoder: 1) Et kvantitativt spørgeskema sendt til 1625 landbrug i Sønderjylland, 2) et landsdækkende elektronisk spørgeskema, 3) en hjemmeside og app, hvor man kan indberette observationer af vildsvin, 4) deInstitut for Geovidenskab og Naturforvaltningn reviderede vildtudbyttestatistik for vildsvin i Danmark, 5) observationer af vildsvin samlet af Naturstyrelsen og Fødevare-styrelsen samt observationer af vildsvin omtalt i medierne, 6) oplysninger om hegnede besætninger med vildsvin. Gennem en GIS analyse blev potentielle habitater for vildsvin udpeget under forskel-lige scenarier. Habitatkortlægningen omfattede hele Danmark, Bornholm undtaget samt det nordligste Tyskland. Habitatkortene blev brugt i en individbaseret spredningsmodel for at undersøge den potentielle spredning af vildsvin. Forskellige scenarier baseret på spredningsafstande, habitatkrav og potentielle kilder til spredning af vildsvin blev undersøgt. De opstillede scenarier var baseret på habitatkrav beskrevet i litteraturen. Undersøgelserne bekræfter, at der er fritlevende vildsvin i Jylland. Der er gjort observationer i hele Jylland, men den største koncentratio, Denmark was considered to have no established freeranging wild boar (Sus scrofa) population for 200 years. Recent observations of wild boar near the Danish-German border challenged this assumption. Hunting bag statistics from northern Germany indicate an increasing wild boar population close to the border, and this population may be a source of immigration into Denmark. Denmark’s position as a large pig- and porkexporting country might be threatened by the introduction of wild boar as a potential reservoir for economically important diseases like Classical Swine Fever. We assessed the recent situation of wild boar presence based on six sources: 1) a questionnaire survey mailed to 1,625 farmers north of the border, 2) an electronic questionnaire available online 3) a home page and an app where citizens can report observations of wild boar in the entire country, 4) the Danish hunting bag statistics, 5) wild boar reported between 2008 and 2013 in newspapers, by the Danish Nature Agency and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) (road kill, drowned, shot, observed), 6) geo-referenced data on fenced wild boar populations provided by DVFA. Wild boar habitat quality of Denmark and the border region was estimated using a GIS based habitat model of the species. The resulting habitat maps were used in an individualbased wild boar population and immigration model. This model was used to assess the potential for establishment of a wild boar population in Denmark under different scenarios based on dispersal distance, habitat requirements and possible sources (immigration / escaped animals). The study showed that there are free range wild boars in Jutland. Wild boars have been observed in all parts of Jutland, but with the highest concentration in southeast Jutland. This were confirmed by data from the Nature Agency and by the questionnaires, while data from DVFA, the hunting bag statistics, the media and the digital questionnaires document