The Food (Meat Inspection) (Scotland) Regulations 1988

Bovine animals over 6 weeks

1.  In the case of bovine animals over 6 weeks old the inspection shall include in particular an examination of—

(a) the head and the throat; the surface of the tongue after it has been freed to permit a detailed inspection of the mouth and the fauces; the retro-pharyngeal, submaxillary and parotid lymph nodes shall be examined in detail; the external (masseter) cheek muscles in which at least two deep incisions shall be made and internal (pterygoid) cheek muscles in which at least one deep incision shall be made; all incisions shall be made parallel to the mandible from its upper muscular insertion;

(b) the lungs, the trachea and oesophagus; the oesophagus shall be palpated; the trachea and the main branches of the bronchi shall be opened lengthwise and the lungs shall be incised in their posterior third, at right angles to their main axes; save that these incisions are not necessary where the lungs are excluded from human consumption; the bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes shall be examined in detail;

(c) the pericardium, which shall be opened, and the heart; the latter shall be incised lengthwise so as to open the ventricles and t o cut through the intra-ventricular septum;

(d) the diaphragm;

(e) the surfaces and substance of the liver and the hepatic lymph nodes; an examination of the bile ducts shall be carried out by means of incisions into the gastric surface of the liver and at the base of the caudate lobe; the hepatic lymph nodes shall be palpated;

(f) the alimentary tract, the mesentery and the gastric, pancreatic and mesenteric lymph nodes; these lymph nodes shall be palpated and, if an inspector considers it necessary, the gastric and mesenteric lympth nodes shall be examined in detail;

(g) the surface of the spleen;

(h) the kidneys which, if an inspector considers it necessary, shall be incised and the renal lymph nodes examined in detail;

(i) the pleura and the peritoneum;

(j) the genital organs;

(k) the udder which, if an inspector considers it necessary, shall be incised; in the case of a cow the udder must be opened by a long deep incision as far as the lactiferous sinuses unless it is to be excluded from human consumption; if an inspector considers it necessary the supramammary lymph nodes shall be palpated and examined in detail;

(l) the feet, if an inspector considers it necessary.

2.  Where evidence of tuberculosis is found, an inspector shall—

(a) split the carcase, examine the vertebrae, ribs, sternum, spinal cord and brain, incise the kidneys;

(b) examine in detail such of the following lymph nodes as he has not already so examined: superficial inguinal, prescapular, prepectoral, presternal, suprasternal, xiphoid, subdorsal, intercostal, iliac, sublumbar, ischiatic, precrural and popliteal, the lymph nodes least likely in the particular case to show evidence of infection being examined first.