Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilDangos y teitl llawn

[X1 SECTION III: FOOD CHAIN INFORMATION U.K.

Food business operators operating slaughterhouses must, as appropriate, request, receive, check and act upon food chain information as set out in this Section in respect of all animals, other than wild game, sent or intended to be sent to the slaughterhouse.

1.

[F1 Slaughterhouse operators must not accept animals onto the slaughterhouse premises unless they have requested, and been provided with, relevant food chain information contained in the records kept at the holding of provenance in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.]

2.

Slaughterhouse operators must be provided with the information no less than 24 hours before the arrival of animals at the slaughterhouse, except in the circumstances mentioned in point 7.

3.

[F1 The relevant food chain information referred to in point 1 is to cover, in particular:]

(a)

the status of the holding of provenance or the regional animal health status;

(b)

the animals' health status;

(c)

veterinary medicinal products or other treatments administered to the animals within a relevant period and with a withdrawal period greater than zero, together with their dates of administration and withdrawal periods;

(d)

the occurrence of diseases that may affect the safety of meat;

(e)

the results, if they are relevant to the protection of public health, of any analysis carried out on samples taken from the animals or other samples taken to diagnose diseases that may affect the safety of meat, including samples taken in the framework of the monitoring and control of zoonoses and residues;

(f)

relevant reports about previous ante - and post-mortem inspections of animals from the same holding of provenance including, in particular, reports from the official veterinarian;

(g)

production data, when this might indicate the presence of disease;

and

(h)

the name and address of the private veterinarian normally attending the holding of provenance.

4.

(a)

However, it is not necessary for the slaughterhouse operator to be provided with:

(i)

the information referred to in point 3(a), (b), (f) and (h), if the operator is already aware of this information (for example, through a standing arrangement or a quality assurance scheme);

or

(ii)

the information referred to in point 3(a), (b), (f) and (g), if the producer declares that there is no relevant information to report.

(b)

The information need not be provided as a verbatim extract from the records of the holding of provenance. It may be provided through electronic data exchange or in the form of a standardised declaration signed by the producer.

5.

Food business operators deciding to accept animals onto the slaughterhouse premises after evaluating the relevant food chain information must make it available to the official veterinarian without delay and, except in the circumstances mentioned in point 7, no less than 24 hours before the arrival of the animal or lot. The food business operator must notify the official veterinarian of any information that gives rise to health concerns before ante-mortem inspection of the animal concerned.

6.

If any animal arrives at the slaughterhouse without food chain information, the operator must immediately notify the official veterinarian. Slaughter of the animal may not take place until the official veterinarian so permits.

7.

[F2 If the competent authority so permits and provided it does not jeopardise the objectives of this Regulation, food chain information may arrive less than 24 hours before the arrival of the animals of all species to which it relates at the slaughterhouse or accompany these animals to the slaughterhouse.

However, any item of food chain information, knowledge of which may result in serious disruption of the slaughterhouse activity, is to be made available to the food business operator operating the slaughterhouse in sufficient time before the animals arrive at the slaughterhouse, in order for that food business operator to plan the slaughterhouse activity accordingly.

The food business operator operating the slaughterhouse must evaluate the relevant information and must submit the food chain information received to the official veterinarian. The slaughter or dressing of the animals may not take place until the official veterinarian so permits.]

8.

Food business operators must check passports accompanying domestic solipeds to ensure that the animal is intended for slaughter for human consumption. If they accept the animal for slaughter, they must give the passport to the official veterinarian.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1020/2008 of 17 October 2008 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin and Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005 as regards identification marking, raw milk and dairy products, eggs and egg products and certain fishery products (Text with EEA relevance).

F2 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1161/2009 of 30 November 2009 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards food chain information to be provided to food business operators operating slaughterhouses (Text with EEA relevance).

Editorial Information

X1 Substituted by Corrigendum to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (Official Journal of the European Union L 139 of 30 April 2004).