UK Offence Report

Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Northern Ireland Statutory Rule 1997 No. 493 — creates 2 criminal offences.

2offences created
0recorded in force
0revoked
Made
13 November 1997
In force from
8 December 1997
Extent
Not stated
Subject
Food, consumer protection, trading standards, product safety and age-restricted sales
Made under
European Communities Act 1972

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

These Regulations give effect to Council Directive 91/497/EEC (OJ No. L.268, 24.9.91, p. 69) which amends and updates Directive 64/433/EEC on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat to extend it to the production and marketing of fresh meat, and in part to Council Directive 91/495/EEC (O.J. No. L.268, 24.9.91, p. 41) concerning public health and animal health problems affecting the production and the placing on the market of farmed game meat and Council Directive 92/45/EEC (O.J. No. L.268, 16.6.92, p. 35) on public health and animal health problems relating to the killing of wild game and the placing on the market of wild game meat. The Regulations do not apply to premises where fresh meat is used exclusively for the production of meat products, meat preparations, minced meat and mechanically recovered meat or to premises where fresh meat is cut up or repackaged for sale to the final consumer from those premises or to premises used for carcase competitions or to cold stores (subject to specified restrictions); fresh meat intended for exhibitions, special studies or analysis, or for sale to international organisations; and fresh meat not intended for human consumption (regulation 3). Slaughterhouses, cutting premises, re-packaging centres, cold stores, farmed game handling facilities and farmed game processing facilities must have a current licence issued by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (“the Department”). Such a licence will be issued only if the premises comply with the prescribed requirements as to structure and hygiene (regulation 4). There are different structural requirements for low throughput slaughterhouses, cutting premises and farmed game processing facilities (regulation 4(2); Schedule 5 and Part III of Schedule 6). The slaughter of farmed game at a farmed game handling facility is permitted subject to certain conditions (regulation 4(2) and Part I of Schedule 6). A licence may be refused or revoked subject to a right of appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction (regulations 4 and 5). Slaughterhouses and farmed game handling facilities may not be used for the slaughter of animals not intended for human consumption except in specified circumstances (regulation 6(3)). There will be veterinary supervision of all licensed premises. The Department will appoint designated official veterinary surgeons and Meat Inspectors to supervise licensed premises (regulation 7). The Department may revoke or suspend the designation of an official veterinary surgeon who is deemed to be unfit to perform his duties (regulation 8). Official veterinary surgeons may prohibit the use of equipment or the use of part of the premises or reduce the rate of operations and a person aggrieved by such a decision may appeal (regulation 9). The requirement to apply the health mark applies to fresh meat produced in all licensed premises. The Department is required to provide the health marking equipment and to arrange for the mark to be applied to fresh meat which has been passed as fit for human consumption (regulation 10(2)). Times of operation of licensed premises are controlled (regulation 11). Fresh meat may not be sold or offered for sale for human consumption unless it has been obtained from licensed premises, has met the hygiene requirements specified in the Schedules and is accompanied by a commercial document or health certificate (regulations 12 and 13). An official veterinary surgeon or a Meat Inspector can in certain circumstances prohibit the slaughter or the dressing of an animal in a slaughterhouse (regulation 14), and an official veterinary surgeon may permit an animal to be kept in a lairage in exceptional circumstances for more than 72 hours (regulation 15). Conditions are laid down regarding the documentation to accompany a diseased or injured animal to a slaughterhouse (regulation 16); similarly, specified conditions must be complied with before a dead or slaughtered animal is brought into a slaughterhouse (regulation 17). The Department must keep records in respect of inspections (regulation 18) and the occupier of licensed premises must also keep specified records (regulation 19). The Regulations create offences and prescribe penalties (regulation 20), apply various Articles of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (regulation 21), make provision for fresh meat produced in Great Britain or the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands (regulation 23) and contain amendments, repeals and revocations (regulations 24 and 25).

Offences created by this instrument

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