Every animal slaughtered in the State is subjected to veterinary examination, ante- and post-mortem.
However, the examination for cattle differs from that for sheep and pigs.
There is a mandatory identification check for cattle, which are put through a crush (a long narrow pen) and have the prominent tags on their ears read and listed.
In the case of sheep and pigs, they are inspected in groups and are best viewed in motion when any lameness, sluggishness or breathing difficulties can be detected. The inspector can see each animal as it passes by. Post-mortem, every carcass is subjected to a detailed examination, which includes the head, thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity, legs, external and internal surfaces, stomach and intestines.
The symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease are vesicles (blisters) on the tongue, lower gum and lower lip and lesions on the foot which lead to lameness.
On Friday last week Mr Patrick Rogan, deputy chief veterinary officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food, circularised all veterinary officers in meat plants and told them to pay specific attention to the feet and heads of sheep and pigs.
On Monday last additional veterinary inspectors were sent to the processing plants to check for lameness, slowness or lethargy, and additional documentation on clinical signs for foot-and-mouth disease was sent out.
According to Mr Rogan, the tags on the ears of sheep imported from Britain or Northern Ireland are very small and would not be seen in the ante-mortem inspection. It would not be unusual for sheep slaughtered here to have originated in the United Kingdom and they would still carry their tags.
Documentation is not required for sheep or pigs arriving in factories here from Northern Ireland; if those animals came directly from Britain, they would carry ministry veterinary certificates.