Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide ante- and post-mortem meat inspection duties at plants licensed under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 and enforce the act, regulation(s) and related legislation. To conduct food safety and regulatory compliance inspections of meat processing plants.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Conducting antemortem inspection of live animals including cattle, hogs, poultry, small ruminants and exotic species according to established procedures, approving normal animals for slaughter and identifying and referring abnormal animals for veterinary consultation; recording observations on pathological and non-pathological conditions; enforcing humane handling practices.

2. Supervising slaughter of animals including ritual slaughter and sanitary dressing of carcasses and ensuring compliance with food safety and animal welfare legislation and good manufacturing principles.

3. Conducting post-mortem inspection of carcasses according to established procedures, approving normal carcasses for human consumption and identifying and referring abnormal carcasses for veterinary consultation; recording observations on pathological and non-pathological conditions.

4. Monitoring of post-slaughter operations including chilling, cutting and boning operations, harvesting of product for further processing, packaging, labeling and shipping of meat and meat products, ensuring compliance with food safety and other consumer protection legislation, Standards of Compliance, the National Meat and Poultry Code and branch policy.

5. Monitoring plant activities, conducting daily assessments of the plant, ensuring that practices for food handling and disposal of inedible/condemned material are safe and in compliance with legislation, Standards of Compliance, the National Meat and Poultry Code and branch policy for equipment operation, sanitation and temperature, vermin and chemical control, employee adherence to personal hygiene and operational procedures; conducting a preoperational inspection of the plant before slaughter operations commence.

6. Reviewing and evaluating operator's records relating to various process control programs-on-farm health data, sanitation and pest control, time/temperature logs, pH, Aw, chlorine residuals and other prerequisite program measures; taking independent measurements to verify records on a random basis or according to a sampling plan; collecting samples for laboratory analysis according to a sampling plan.

7. Completing and maintaining a variety of electronic records and preparing electronic and paper reports; participating in the electronic communication of information by regular uploads and downloads of information between the local computer and the central database; receiving and sending electronic email messages regularly; utilizing data to plan priorities for in plant inspection duties and corrective action followups.

8. Regularly collecting a variety of samples from animals, fresh meat, carcasses, products, water and the plant environment to test for disease agents, residues and contamination as part of baseline study, monitoring or surveillance programs or to support veterinary diagnosis; carrying out random sampling within the plant according to study designs; packaging samples appropriately and arranging for shipment to the laboratory, completing electronic records of sampling activities and submitting samples electronically; identifying and holding carcasses and product where appropriate; receiving results of testing and disposition data and taking appropriate action on held product.

9. Conducting grading activities for various livestock commodities as required.

10. Monitoring and enforcing compliance with packaging and labeling requirements; monitoring and controlling the Inspection Legend at the plant according to branch policies and procedures.

11. Carrying out enforcement activities and preparing reports as assigned under other Acts such as the Dead Animal Disposal Act, the Livestock and Livestock Products Act, the Beef Cattle Marketing Act, the Farm Products Grades and Sales Act and Acts of other agencies such as the Ministry of the Environment. Support industry monitoring programs under the Farm Products Marketing Act and assist in communications to operators, producers and organizations at the plant level.

12. Carrying out training activities as assigned under the meat Inspection Field Placement training program and other training activities of Food Inspection Branch programs; evaluating and coaching trainees; monitoring progress of trainees through training activities and providing written assessment to the Area Manager for final evaluation.

13. Monitoring operator's progress with corrective action plans related to the plant audit and reporting operator's progress through electronic reports.

14. Providing documentation, reports and statements for hearings, investigations and other compliance actions as may be taken by the Ministry.

15. Monitoring complex food processing operations such as canning, cooking, curing, smoking, fermenting and drying and a combination of these; carrying out on-site testing of product where warranted or collecting samples for laboratory investigations; advising operator on corrective actions when monitoring activities indicate that the process in uncontrolled; monitoring and evaluating HACCP systems.

Staffing and Licencing :

N/A

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of the Food Safety Quality Act, 2001 and regulations, Meat Inspection Policies and Procedures Manual, and humane animal handling practices and procedures, to conduct ante- and post mortem inspections, and supervise/monitor plant activities. Job requires knowledge of specialized inspection procedures and knowledge of normal physiology of animals/carcasses to inspect animals/carcasses, detect abnormal conditions, identify extent of abnormality and direct handling of limited abnormalities, referring more extensive ones to veterinarian. Job also requires knowledge of sampling procedures and techniques including aseptic techniques to collect laboratory samples (e.g. incising lymph nodes). Job requires knowledge of related legislation such as Beef Cattle Marketing Act, Dead Animal Disposal Act, Farm Products Grades and Sales Act. Livestock & Livestock Products Act, Livestock Community Sales Act and knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice Standards and Food Inspection Branch Standards of Compliance to assess whether plant operations are in compliance with applicable legislation and operational practices meet required standards and health and safety standards are met. Job requires knowledge of grading procedures and practices in order to grade hog and beef carcasses by measuring and evaluating carcass characteristics. Job requires knowledge of microbiological principles and application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) in meat plants to advise meat plant operators on principles of HACCP and meat hygiene. Job requires knowledge of adult learning principles, in order to deliver training on the Meat Inspection Field Placement training program and other training activities; evaluating and coaching trainees, monitoring progress and providing written assessment to Area Manager to enable the industry to meet standards for facilities and products. Within designated authority, job requires knowledge of proper inspection protocols and enforcement techniques to inspect facilities and investigate complaints to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations (e.g. Dead Animal Disposal Act). Job requires knowledge of computers and software to locate, adapt, manipulate and store data/information to be used for policy analysis/review, program evaluation, report generation and development.

Skills :

Job requires reasoning and problem solving skills to inspect and monitor plant operations, observing and assessing conditions (sanitation, cleanliness, cooler temperature, tagging of carcasses) against legislation, regulations and guidelines and determines compliance. Job identifies nature/seriousness of non-compliance situations and selects type of follow-up required, e.g. regulatory action, intervene in operations, negotiate with operator re corrective action(s), delay operations pending action, consult with manager/veterinarian, shut down plant. Job reviews audit action plans to assess whether required corrective actions have been taken. Job collects information on condition of carcasses and animals through own observation and use of standard inspection methods during ante- and post-mortem examinations, interprets observations, identifies extent of abnormalities. In instances of limited abnormalities, job selects from among limited options (condemning viscera, trimming carcass), and refers instances of more extensive abnormalities to veterinarian. Job reviews non-ambulatory veterinary certificates and assesses compliance with policy/legislation, ensuring condition of animal(s) as described in certificate matches actual condition. Job conducts research when completing plant reports and developing inspection protocols by interviewing operators, workers, suppliers, rendering companies, and by consulting reference materials, standards and procedural manuals. Job assesses operator concerns/issues regarding deficiencies, methods, techniques, critical control points, hazards etc. and provides recommendations on ways to address the issues through corrective measures or other options. Job requires communication skills to provide information to clients regarding outcomes or application of legislation/regulations. Job requires verbal and written communication skills to provide technical advice. Job requires writing skills to carryout record-keeping and reporting procedures. Job requires communication skills to promote acceptance of procedures/outcomes, understanding of instructions and compliance with legislation when clarifying legislative requirements and acceptable practices to clients. Job is required to encourage compliance with all regulations to ensure safe product for public health. Job also requires interpersonal skills to deal with disputes, adversarial or confrontational situations which occur when client's perceived interests and meat inspection requirements conflict (e.g. when changes and expenditures are required to ensure operations comply with legislation/regulations, or when plant operations have to be delayed to achieve required level of sanitation/cleanliness). Job requires the ability to interpret, discuss and explain underlying principles of technology, legislation and policies related to the meat inspection industry. Job requires the ability to establish and maintain good professional relationships with clients and fellow workers. Job requires the ability to deliver training on the theories and principles of operating equipment to workers and industry personnel. Minimal to extensive travel may be required.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working with minimal supervision, and working within the practices, policies, standards, and recognized methods and objectives of program, related to processing of meat. Job exercises latitude in making decisions in regard to determining effectiveness of inspection activities; education/training; and providing advice to clients individually or in groups. Job requires working within procedures, standards and policies defined in Meat Inspection Policies & Procedures Manual, and uses standard meat inspection methods to conduct ante/post mortem inspections. Job requires making decisions by: deciding which procedures in program manual apply and which alternative is appropriate in situations of non-compliance with standards and regulations, e.g. discuss with operators, consult with veterinarian/manager, delay operations or shut down plant. Work is reviewed as part of program delivery audit which assesses inspection services in relation to established and detailed standards and through normal performance review.

Job refers unusual situations to manager for direction, such as meat samples packaged for shipment having been tampered with; and refers to veterinarian abnormalities in animals/carcasses (other than those where abnormality is of a limited nature) and refers to veterinarian instances of abnormal animal behaviour.