Because food safety is of a great concern to consumers, it is important that producers play their part in ensuring the safety of the food supply. This can be done by inspecting all goats before they are sold or slaughtered for human consumption. The inspection should include the goat’s skin, eyes, nose, external reproductive system, mouth, feet, and locomotion. The inspector should look for conditions such as caseous lymphadenitis, epithelioma, lethargy, locomotion problems, missing eyes, bloat, swellings, respiratory problems, swollen lymph nodes, lumpy jaw, or signs of central nervous system problems. Some diseases that should be monitored include anthrax, rabies, tetanus, foot and mouth disease, scrapie, brucellosis, and goat pox.
Producers should also know about the postmortem inspection. It is usually done simultaneously with the slaughter and dressing process. It is divided into three sections: the head, the viscera (organs), and the rail inspection. The inspector examines and palpates the external surface of the heart, liver, bile duct, spleen, paunch, intestines, and lymph nodes of the lungs. The surface of the carcass and kidneys and the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities are examined. All tissues are examined for the presence of contaminating fecal material.
If it is determined that the carcass has the following conditions, it will be condemned and not allowed to enter the system for human consumption:
1. Anthrax
2. Rabies
3. Extreme emaciation
4. Pneumonia
5. Uremic poisoning
6. Tuberculosis
7. Icterus
8. Septicemia
9. Caseous lymphadenitis
10. Abscesses
11. Fecal material
12. Scrapie