Microbiology of the food chain - Detection of Trichinella larvae in meat by artificial digestion method (ISO 18743:2015)

ISO 18743:2015 specifies a method of detection of Trichinella spp. muscle stage larvae in meat of individual animal carcasses intended for human consumption. It is applicable to the examination of meat from domestic and sylvatic animal species, which can be infected by nematodes of the genus Trichinella. This method does not allow the identification of the species or genotype of detected parasites; species or genotype identification can be carried out by molecular methods. The method described in this International Standard is intended to be used in conjunction with the guidelines in the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines and by the International Commission on Trichinellosis (ICT) for Trichinella testing and the inspection of carcasses intended for human consumption, unless it has been demonstrated by other means that the animal was not at risk for exposure to Trichinella. The artificial digestion/magnetic stirrer method is considered to be the standard method because it has proven to give the most reliable results in validation studies. NOTE Provided equivalence with the method described within this International Standard can be documented, alternative methods can be used for analysis.