The Beef Bones Regulations 1997

UK Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 2959 — creates 1 criminal offence.

1offences created

0recorded in force

1revoked

Made: 15 December 1997
In force from: 16 December 1997
Extent: Not stated
Subject: Food, consumer protection, trading standards, product safety and age-restricted sales
Made under: Schedule 1 to, the Food Safety Act 1990

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 Great Britain, make provision under the Food Safety Act 1990 in relation to bones, bone-in beef and other food and ingredients for human consumption derived from bovine animals aged over six months at slaughter. The age of a bovine animal at slaughter is presumed to be over six months in the absence of available records as to its age at slaughter. Expressions used in the Regulations not already defined in the Act are defined for the purposes of the Regulations in regulation 2(1). Regulation 3(1) prohibits the sale of bone-in beef to the ultimate consumer and regulation 3(2) prohibits the use of bone-in beef in the preparation of any food or ingredient for sale direct to the ultimate consumer. Regulation 4 contains prohibitions in relation to the sale of bones and the use of bones in the preparation of food and ingredients for sale for human consumption. Regulation 5 prohibits the sale of food containing ingredients consisting of or derived from bones removed from bone-in beef deboned in Great Britain. It also prohibits the sale of substances derived from those bones for use in the preparation of food and ingredients for sale for human consumption and the use of those substances for that purpose. There is a three month period before this regulation applies to food other than bone-in beef and bones. Regulation 6 prohibits the deboning of bone-in beef in the course of a business for preparation, preparation for sale or sale for human consumption except at food premises. It requires the occupier of food premises to ensure that deboning of bone-in beef at those premises is carried out so as to avoid risk of contamination of food. Regulation 7 imposes requirements in relation to the storage of bones on food premises. Regulation 8 requires bones removed from bone-in beef deboned in Great Britain to be disposed of as if they were animal by-products referred to in Part II of Schedule 1 to the Animal By-Products Order 1992. Regulation 9 requires the occupier of food premises to keep records on the premises relating to any bones removed from bone-in beef, used or stored there. These records must contain sufficient information to ensure that the origin of bones removed from bone-in beef, used or stored at the premises, and any commercial operations previously carried out in relation to the bones (whether or not at those premises and whether or not in Great Britain), can be clearly traced and identified by an authorised officer. Regulation 10 provides offences and penalties and regulation 11 applies provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 for the purposes of the Regulations. Regulation 12 makes provision for the enforcement of the Regulations. A Regulatory Appraisal in relation to these Regulations has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from the Meat Hygiene Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.

Offences created by this instrument

If any person contravenes— a paragraph (1) above; or b any other provision of these Regulations, he shall be guilty of… regulation 10(2) · Revoked · Strict liability

What Parliament said about it

Contributions, debates and written statements mentioning this instrument by name. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Beef Bones Regulations 1997 Lords · Lords Chamber · 27 January 1998
Beef Bones Regulations 1997 Lords · Lords Chamber · 7 May 1998
Beef On The Bone Commons · Commons Chamber · 4 June 1998 · The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dr. John Cunningham)
The Beef Bones Regulations 1997 are being kept under review, as is the case with all BSE-related control measures. Any future decision will be taken in the light of scientific developments and progress with the eradication of BSE.
Beef On The Bone Commons · Commons Chamber · 4 February 1999 · The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Nick Brown)
The chief medical officer, Professor Liam Donaldson, submitted advice to me and to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 18 January. His advice follows the latest scientific assessment of the public health risk from beef bones by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, which was published on 30 November 1998. SEAC concluded that the risk from infectivity in bone marrow and dorsal root ganglia is now less than it was 12 months ago. That assessment reflected the continued decline in the number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases. The CMO has concluded that a…
Points Of Order Commons · Commons Chamber · 28 April 1999 · Dr. Liam Fox (Woodspring)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. May I seek your help in sorting out some confusion that has arisen over the Government of Wales Act 1998? Last year, in the other place, Lord Willoughby asked whether "the Welsh assembly will not have the power to revoke the beef bones legislation because it will be subject to joint consultation with the Minister of Agriculture?" The Minister replied: "Because the powers remain joint, the assembly alone will not be able to revoke them." —[Official Report, House of Lords, 2 June 1998; Vol. 590, c. 226.] However, last week, the Secretary of State for Wales…
Beef On The Bone: Powers Of Welsh Assembly Lords · Lords Chamber · 28 April 1999 · The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)
My Lords, the National Assembly for Wales will have the power to revoke or amend the controls on the sale, use and disposal of beef bones in Wales, including the ban on beef on the bone. The Beef Bones Regulations 1997 are made under the Food Safety Act 1990, which is included in the transfer order made by both Houses. But in considering whether to take such a step no doubt the National Assembly for Wales will take into account the advice of the relevant Chief Medical Officer.

How Parliament handled it

Parliament's Statutory Instruments service records procedure from May 2017 onwards, and this instrument predates it. That is a limit of the source, not a statement that nothing happened.

Check the source

This instrument on legislation.gov.uk The authoritative text, including amendments made since
Other instruments from 1997