Specified Risk Materials (SRM) are best described as...

Specified Risk Materials (SRM) are best described as...

• A. Nutritional supplements for cattle
• B. Parts of cattle identified as carrying heightened risk for disease transmission and must be removed
• C. Packaging materials used in meat processing
• D. Microorganisms that cause spoilage

Answer: (B)

SRMs are the tissues of cattle that carry a heightened risk of transmitting diseases, particularly prion diseases such as BSE. Because these materials can harbor infectious agents that aren’t eliminated by normal cooking, they must be removed from the edible carcass and disposed of separately to prevent contamination of the meat supply. Examples include the brain, spinal cord, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, skull, and vertebral column (with age-related rules). This is why the best description is that SRMs are parts of cattle identified as carrying heightened disease transmission risk and must be removed.

SRMs are the tissues of cattle that carry a heightened risk of transmitting diseases, particularly prion diseases such as BSE. Because these materials can harbor infectious agents that aren’t eliminated by normal cooking, they must be removed from the edible carcass and disposed of separately to prevent contamination of the meat supply. Examples include the brain, spinal cord, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, skull, and vertebral column (with age-related rules). This is why the best description is that SRMs are parts of cattle identified as carrying heightened disease transmission risk and must be removed.