Up to eight veterinary clinics complete the certification process and can now test wild boars for Trichina
The Valencian centers have assumed a considerable investment to finance the digestion method equipment, their professionals have been specifically trained and have undergone a control program by CECAV.
Trichinosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease (transmitted from animals to humans) produced by nematodes of the genus Trichinella. Infestation occurs when pork (Sus scrofa domesticus) or wild boar (Sus scrofa) with the presence of Trichina larvae is consumed. It can cause serious conditions, cardiac complications (failure, myocarditis, arrhythmias), neurological (encephalitis, meningitis, visual or hearing disorders, seizures) or lung (pneumonitis, pleurisy), hence the authorities require that these meats be subject to control and analysis to rule out the presence of the aforementioned parasite.
In 2020 a new community regulation established that the taking of samples and the aforementioned tests had to comply with a method and requirements established in the ISO 18743 Standard. For pigs domestic, these analyzes are carried out in the slaughterhouses and the change was not a major problem. The conflict dragged on in recent years has occurred with the pieces of wild game and home slaughter intended for private consumption for which, basically, there was only one official site to carry out these tests: the Poultry Quality Center of the Valencian Community (CECAV) clinics with trained professionals and the necessary equipment to carry out these tests.
Since 2015, community regulations (Execution Regulation 2015/1375) obligate trichinosis tests to be carried out under the so-called digestion method. The regulatory change was consummated after a case of one of the three species of Trichina (T. pseudospiralis) that was not capable of detecting with the traditional trichinoscope was confirmed in Catalonia in 2014, forcing a change in the regulation referring to such analyzes and carry them out by the aforementioned method, which requires more expensive equipment and special knowledge, in addition to -according to regional regulations- a CECAV certification.
Since then, however, there have been several cases serious cases of this disease, such as the one confirmed in May 2019 in Ciudad Real after sacrificing a pig at home and without veterinary control, or like, without going any further, what happened less than two months ago in León when 16 people they were poisoned by a home-made chorizo made from wild boar meat. More recently, Implementing Regulation 2020/1478 also modified the carcass sampling and treatment system.
Food safety
“From the beginning, we have sought solutions from the Administration to try to provide more facilities but always guaranteeing food safety”, he assures the president of the CVCV, Inmaculada Ibor. Indeed, already in 2019 and with the intention of complying with the regional regulation regarding local sales (Decree 201/2017) the CVCV signed an agreement with the CV Hunting Federation itself so that hunters could comply with what is prescribed and carry out, among other issues, on-site controls of the collected parts. Veterinary colleges, in addition, have helped to train veterinarians specifically over the years to comply with regulatory procedures. In December 2022, finally, an agreement was promoted with the Conselleria de Sanitat Universal to regulate the conditions of these analyzes and facilitate a greater supply of laboratories.
The eight centers that have now been enabled ( 1 in the province of Alicante, 3 in Valencia and 4 in Castellón) have made a considerable investment to acquire the equipment for the digestion method according to the reference method according to ISO 18743; they have veterinarians trained to take samples and carry out these tests and have successfully undergone control programs by CECAV (an initial verification and subsequent periodic evaluations, every 18 months). The CVCV keeps the certification process open and it is possible that in the coming months more centers will also be able to offer this service.
The list of veterinary centers authorized to perform Trichinella tests is available at this link.
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VeterinarianSchoolValenciaTrichinosisTrichinosis
