Veterinarian's Duties After Postmortem Meat Inspection With Current Technology

Abstract

Postmortem meat inspection is a fundamental component of modern food safety, animal health surveillance, and veterinary public health practices. Post-slaughter findings guide veterinarians in multifaceted tasks such as controlling zoonoses, detecting animal welfare violations, and conducting forensic procedures. Traditional palpation- and incision-based inspections have increasingly evolved into visual inspection and risk-based systems (RB-MSAS). This approach integrates elements such as Farm Chain Information (FCI), regional disease status, and slaughterhouse hygiene data, allowing inspection procedures to be tailored to the level of risk. The veterinarian's role has evolved from that of an inspector who merely detects lesions to a risk manager who evaluates the entire food chain. Decision-making processes are influenced by cognitive, systemic, and economic factors, and therefore, decision support systems are used to increase objectivity. Technological advances are significantly changing the nature of postmortem examinations. Artificial intelligence systems enable the automatic detection and scoring of lesions, while remote postmortem examination techniques reduce geographic constraints and ensure service continuity. Furthermore, digital pathology and big data analysis contribute to surveillance efforts. Furthermore, veterinarians are responsible for maintaining the chain of evidence in forensic medicine processes and are obligated to provide objective reporting. This review comprehensively evaluates the veterinarian's multifaceted duties after the postmortem examination, the impact of technological advances on professional practice, and future requirements.