(a) OIE standard setting procedure for animal disease control. (10 marks) (b) Neutralization of cream. (10 marks) (c) How is…

(a) OIE Standard Setting Procedure for Animal Disease Control

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, historically OIE) establishes international standards to prevent the transboundary spread of animal diseases and zoonoses while facilitating safe global trade. The standard-setting process follows a democratic, science-based, five-step procedure. First, specific disease issues or trade risks are identified by member countries or specialist commissions. Second, ad hoc expert groups draft new standards or revise existing texts. Third, these working drafts are circulated twice to all 183 member countries for rigorous scientific review and commentary. Fourth, the relevant Specialist Commissions (such as the Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commissions) refine the draft texts incorporating member feedback. Finally, the proposed standards are presented to the World Assembly of Delegates at the annual General Session for formal adoption, normally by consensus (each Member has one vote). Revision follows the same cycle, usually over two years. Once adopted, they are published in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code and Aquatic Animal Health Code. Standards on diagnostic tests and vaccines are published in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals. The process is informed by disease data that Members report through the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), and WOAH also grants official disease-status recognition (for FMD, PPR, CSF, CBPP, BSE and African horse sickness) using criteria in the Code. These standards are formally recognized under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) as the definitive international benchmark for animal health.

(b) Neutralization of Cream

Neutralization of cream is the industrial reduction of excessive titratable acidity in sour cream prior to heat processing during butter manufacturing. When high-acid cream is pasteurized, casein precipitates and traps milk fat, leading to elevated fat losses in buttermilk, curdy texture, and rapid development of oxidation defects such as metallic, oily, or fishy off-flavors during cold storage. The chemical process employs food-grade alkalis, categorized into sodium neutralizers like sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) and sodium carbonate (Na_2CO₃), and lime neutralizers such as calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) or magnesium oxide (MgO). The precise quantity of neutralizer is calculated mathematically based on initial cream weight, initial acidity, target churn acidity (typically 0.10–0.12% lactic acid), and the neutralizer's specific acid-combining capacity. Proper neutralization ensures optimal fat recovery, prevents butter churning difficulties, and enhances the product’s keeping quality. Conversely, over-neutralization must be avoided, as it causes saponification of fat, leading to soapy off-flavors, foaminess, and severe textural breakdown.

(c) Processing of Acidophilus Milk and Bulgarian Buttermilk

Acidophilus milk and Bulgarian buttermilk are distinct fermented milks differing in starter cultures, thermal processing, and fermentation kinetics.

Acidophilus milk is a dietary therapeutic product produced using Lactobacillus acidophilus. Standardized whole or skim milk is subjected to severe heat treatment, such as autoclaving or prolonged pasteurization at 90–95°C for 30–60 minutes, to eliminate competing microflora and reduce oxidation-reduction potential. The milk is cooled to 37°C, inoculated with 1–2% active L. acidophilus culture, and incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours until a soft, delicate coagulum forms with an acidity around 0.8–1.0%. Because the organism can survive gastric acid and bile, the product is valued as a probiotic.

In contrast, Bulgarian buttermilk is a traditional high-acid fermented beverage processed with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The milk is heated to 85–90°C for 30 minutes, cooled to a thermophilic range of 40–43°C, inoculated with 2–3% starter culture, and incubated at 40–43°C for 10–14 hours. This organism produces sharp lactic acidity (1.5–2.0%), higher viscosity, and characteristic volatile aromatics like acetaldehyde. After rapid cooling below 5°C to halt acid development, both milks are filled hygienically into sterile containers and kept refrigerated.

(d) Principles and Methods of Low Temperature Preservation of Meat

Low temperature preservation operates on the thermodynamic principle that reducing kinetic energy decelerates enzymatic autolysis, lipid oxidation, and microbial proliferation, thereby extending the shelf life of fresh meat without altering its natural characteristics.

Chilling involves reducing the internal deep-muscle temperature of carcass meat to 0–4°C using blast or conventional air chillers. This permits short-term storage (1–3 weeks). Care is taken to prevent "cold shortening"—an irreversible muscle contraction causing tough meat—by ensuring carcass temperature does not fall below 10°C before the completion of rigor mortis (or by applying post-slaughter electrical stimulation).

Freezing provides long-term preservation by lowering internal temperatures to between –18°C and –40°C, immobilizing free aqueous phases as solid ice crystals. Quick freezing (plate or cryogenic blast freezing) generates minute, intracellular ice crystals, preserving myofibrillar structural integrity and minimizing drip loss during thawing. Slow freezing produces large, irregular extracellular crystals that rupture muscle cell membranes, causing excessive exudative nutrient and moisture loss upon thawing. Freezing methods include still-air and air-blast freezers, plate (contact) freezers for boxed meat, immersion in cold brine for packaged products, and cryogenic freezing with liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Frozen meat is stored at –18°C or below without temperature fluctuation, and is thawed under refrigeration; an unbroken cold chain is essential.

(e) Quality Control and Grading of Carpet Wool

Quality control and grading of carpet wool ensure fleeces satisfy the mechanical and aesthetic prerequisites for floor coverings: resilience, abrasion resistance, and tensile durability. Carpet wool requires an optimal blend of true wool fibers and medullated fibers.

Key objective quality parameters evaluated include average fiber diameter (optimally 30–45 microns), percentage of medullation (heterotypic and hairy fibers between 20–40% to impart necessary bulk and carpet resilience), staple length (50–100 mm), vegetable matter contamination, and natural fleece color, where creamy white commands premium market value. In India, indigenous sheep breeds such as Magra (Bikaneri), Jaisalmeri, Marwari, and Malpura produce premium-grade carpet wools characterized by natural springiness.

Grading is conducted through traditional manual skirting and hand-sorting—removing dag-ends, burrs, stained wool, and kemp—followed by standardized grading under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and AGMARK classifications. Wool testing laboratories (such as those of ICAR-CSWRI, Avikanagar and the Central Wool Development Board) measure fibre diameter by airflow or projection microscope, count medullated fibres, and estimate clean wool yield and colour. Better-graded, cleaner and whiter lots fetch higher prices, while kemp, coloured fibres and vegetable matter reduce value. Integrating these objective measurements with mechanized sorting establishes standardized, high-value commercial lots suited for modern automated carpet weaving.