Home: Veterinary Services: Veterinary Laboratory: VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH
Services rendered by the section
- Monitoring of imported meat, poultry, and red meat, as well as related meat products.
- Hygiene monitoring of meat products from local abattoirs (poultry, red meat, and ostrich).
- Bacteriological monitoring of water from import- and export institutions, as well as local abattoirs and meat/food processing plants.
- Hygiene surface monitoring to check cleaning agents, as well as the supply of media for monitoring.
- Examination for antibiotic residues in fresh meat products.
- Bacteriological monitoring of fluff and breeding house litter.
Sample collection
Meat samples
Samples submitted to the section must reach the laboratory either cooled or frozen. The samples must be taken as sterile as possible and must be submitted to the laboratory in sterile containers, either in a "Stomacher bag", or a sterile sample bottle.
Care must be taken that samples are clearly marked, so that it is easily identifiable. Full bacterial counts are done on the samples, as well as anaerobic culture.
Counts are given per gram. In the case of Salmonella, the presence is indicated. Salmonella is sent away to Onderstepoort for typing on request.
Water samples
Water samples are taken according to the European Union HACCP system and are also done accordingly to the same protocol at import- and export institutions. Water for this purpose must be collected in a sterile manner in a sterile container and must be sent to the laboratory under cooled conditions.
The sample is incubated at 37°C, as well as 22°C. An anaerobic culture is also performed. Counts are indicated per millilitre.
When required, the technologist of the section will also collect samples.
Antibiotic residues
Samples submitted to the section for testing for antibiotic residue, must be submitted as fresh as possible.
The sample must preferably be cooled and not frozen. Samples to be submitted include the kidneys and about 50 g of the diaphragm tissue. If injection lesions are seen, samples of the muscle tissue around the lesion are to be submitted to the laboratory.
With this test procedure, only the presence of antibiotic residues/inhibitory substances are indicated.
Media supply
Media are supplied by the section for the specific task of monitoring surfaces and to test the efficacy of cleaning agents. Please inform the technician at least 2 days in advance if such media are going to be purchased. The person collecting the media is responsible for the correct transport and handling thereof.
Test fees
Please refer to the laboratory’s latest price list, or contact the laboratory, for prices of the tests you wish to have done.
Contact person (technical matters)
Theo Potgieter: Chief veterinary technician
Tel: +27 021-887-0324
Fax: +27 021- 886-5341
E-mail: theop@wcape.agric.za
