UK Offence Report

The Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1987

UK Statutory Instrument 1987 No. 2237 — creates 1 criminal offence.

1offences created
0recorded in force
0revoked
Made
10 December 1987
In force from
5 February 1988
Extent
Not stated
Subject
Food, consumer protection, trading standards, product safety and age-restricted sales
Made under
European Communities Act 1972, Food Act 1984

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, which apply to England and Wales only, come into force on 5th February 1988. They re-enact with amendments the Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1981, as amended. They implement in part the provisions of Council Directive No. 86/587/EEC (OJ No. L339, 2.12.86, p.26. Corrigendum at OJ No. L178, 2.7.87, p.12) which last amended Council Directive No. 64/433/EEC (OJ No. L121, 29.7.1964; OJ/SE 1963—64, p.185) on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat, while continuing to implement other provisions of Directive No. 64/433/EEC. The principal changes are— a the relaxation of the restriction on removal of parts from a carcase so as to allow heads of sheep and goats and penises to be discarded, in specified circumstances, immediately after slaughter (Schedule 7, paragraph 1(h)); b the replacement of Schedule 8 to the Regulations with a new Schedule which specifies in eight parts the requirements for post-mortem health inspections. Part I sets out the general instructions; Parts II, III, IV, V and VI contain the detailed instructions for bovine animals over six week old, bovine animals under six weeks old, swine, sheep and goats, and solipeds, respectively; Part VII contains additional instructions where tuberculosis is suspected and Part VIII describes indications of unfitness for human consumption; c the specification of the temperatures at which carcases, cuts and offal intended for export should be stored (Schedule 13, paragraph 3(a)) and at which frozen meat should be transported (Schedule 15, paragraph 1). The Regulations apply to fresh meat of domestic bovine animals (including buffalo), swine, sheep, goats and solipeds, but not to minced meat or meat which is similarly finely divided. They prescribe conditions which must be satisfied for the production, cutting up, storage and transport of such meat when it is intended for export, or for sale for export, to a Member State of the EEC for human consumption. In particular, the Regulations— a provide that only premises which are approved by the appropriate Minister may be used for the production, cutting up, storage and loading of fresh meat for intra-Community trade, and that such premises must comply with prescribed requirements as to structure and hygiene (regulations 4 to 7 and 10 and Schedules 1 to 4); and b lay down requirements as to slaughter, dressing and cutting practices, ante-and post-mortem inspection, hygiene, health control of cut meat, health marking, certification, storage, wrapping, packing and transport of such meat (regulations 8 to 11 and Schedules 5 to 15). Apart from the approval, suspension and revocation of approval of premises for intra-Community trade (regulations 4 and 6), which are functions of the appropriate Minister, enforcement of the Regulations is the responsibility of local authorities (regulation 17(2)). They are required to provide the necessary supervision and inspection resources at approved premises (regulation 12), for which they may make charges (regulation 13). The Regulations also make provision for powers of entry by persons authorised by the appropriate Minister or local authorities (regulation 14); offences, and penalties (regulation 17(1)). The Regulations do not affect the application to export-approved premises of the provisions of the Slaughterhouses (Hygiene) Regulations 1977 and the Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Regulations 1958 or the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970, as appropriate, but they disapply certain provisions of the Meat Inspection Regulations 1987 (regulation 7(8)).

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