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 (c. 853)

[X1 ANNEX III U.K. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

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).

SECTION IV: U.K. WILD GAME MEAT

CHAPTER I: U.K. TRAINING OF HUNTERS IN HEALTH AND HYGIENE

1. Persons who hunt wild game with a view to placing it on the market for human consumption must have sufficient knowledge of the pathology of wild game, and of the production and handling of wild game and wild game meat after hunting, to undertake an initial examination of wild game on the spot. U.K.

2. It is however enough if at least one person of a hunting team has the knowledge referred to in point 1. References in this Section to a ‘ trained person ’ are references to that person. U.K.

3. The trained person could also be the gamekeeper or the game manager if he or she is part of the hunting team or located in the immediate vicinity of where hunting is taking place. In the latter case, the hunter must present the wild game to the gamekeeper or game manager and inform them of any abnormal behaviour observed before killing. U.K.

4. Training must be provided to the satisfaction of the competent authority to enable hunters to become trained persons. It should cover at least the following subjects: U.K.

(a)

the normal anatomy, physiology and behaviour of wild game;

(b)

abnormal behaviour and pathological changes in wild game due to diseases, environmental contamination or other factors which may affect human health after consumption;

(c)

the hygiene rules and proper techniques for the handling, transportation, evisceration, etc. of wild game animals after killing;

and

(d)

legislation and administrative provisions on the animal and public health and hygiene conditions governing the placing on the market of wild game.

5. The competent authority should encourage hunters' organisations to provide such training. U.K.

CHAPTER II: U.K. HANDLING OF LARGE WILD GAME

1. After killing, large wild game must have their stomachs and intestines removed as soon as possible and, if necessary, be bled. U.K.

2. The trained person must carry out an examination of the body, and of any viscera removed, to identify any characteristics that may indicate that the meat presents a health risk. The examination must take place as soon as possible after killing. U.K.

3. Meat of large wild game may be placed on the market only if the body is transported to a game-handling establishment as soon as possible after the examination referred to in point 2. The viscera must accompany the body as specified in point 4. The viscera must be identifiable as belonging to a given animal. U.K.

[F1 4.

(a)

If no abnormal characteristics are found during the examination referred to in point 2, no abnormal behaviour was observed before killing, and there is no suspicion of environmental contamination, the trained person must attach to the animal body a numbered declaration stating this. This declaration must also indicate the date, time and place of killing.

The declaration need not be attached to the animal body and may cover more than one animal body, provided that each animal body is appropriately identified and the declaration bears an indication of the identification number of each animal body covered by it, with the corresponding date, time and place of killing. All animal bodies covered by a single declaration may only be sent to a single game-handling establishment.

The head and the viscera need not accompany the body to the game-handling establishment, except in the case of species susceptible to trichinosis (porcine animals, solipeds and others), whose heads (except for tusks) and diaphragm must accompany the body.

However, the competent authority may authorise that heads of animals susceptible to Trichinella infestation be sent to a technical plant for the production of game trophies, which has been approved in accordance with Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002. The technical plant shall be indicated in the declaration of the trained person. A copy of that declaration shall be sent to the technical plant. Where the results of the Trichinella examination of the carcase are positive, the competent authority shall carry out an official check to verify the proper handling of the head in the technical plant.

However, hunters must comply with any additional requirements imposed F2 ... where hunting takes place, in particular to permit the monitoring of certain residues and substances in accordance with Directive 96/23/EC.]

(b)

In other circumstances, the head (except for tusks, antlers and horns) and all the viscera except for the stomach and intestines must accompany the body. The trained person who carried out the examination must inform the competent authority of the abnormal characteristics, abnormal behaviour or suspicion of environmental contamination that prevented him or her from making a declaration in accordance with (a);

(c)

If no trained person is available to carry out the examination referred to in point 2 in a particular case, the head (except for tusks, antlers and horns) and all the viscera except for the stomach and the intestines must accompany the body.

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 150/2011 of 18 February 2011 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards farmed and wild game and farmed and wild game meat (Text with EEA relevance).

5. Chilling must begin within a reasonable period of time after killing and achieve a temperature throughout the meat of not more than 7 °C. Where climatic conditions so permit, active chilling is not necessary. U.K.

6. During transport to the game-handling establishment, heaping must be avoided. U.K.

7. Large wild game delivered to a game-handling establishment must be presented to the competent authority for inspection. U.K.

[F3 8. In addition, unskinned large wild game: U.K.

(a)

may be skinned and placed on the market only if:

(i)

before skinning, it is stored and handled separately from other food and it is not frozen;

(ii)

after skinning, it undergoes a final inspection in a game-handling establishment in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 854/2004;

(b)

F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

Textual Amendments

F4 Annex 3 Section 4 Ch. 2 para. 8(b) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Specific Food Hygiene (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/640), regs. 1, 19(4)(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Textual Amendments

F3 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 633/2014 of 13 June 2014 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the specific requirements for handling large wild game and for the post-mortem inspection of wild game (Text with EEA relevance).

9. The rules laid down in Section I, Chapter V, apply to the cutting and boning of large wild game. U.K.

CHAPTER III: U.K. HANDLING OF SMALL WILD GAME

1. The trained person must carry out an examination to identify any characteristics that may indicate that the meat presents a health risk. The examination must take place as soon as possible after killing. U.K.

2. If abnormal characteristics are found during the examination, abnormal behaviour was observed before killing, or environmental contamination is suspected, the trained person must inform the competent authority. U.K.

3. Meat of small wild game may be placed on the market only if the body is transported to a game-handling establishment as soon as possible after the examination referred to in point 1. U.K.

4. Chilling must begin within a reasonable period of time of killing and achieve a temperature throughout the meat of not more than 4 °C. Where climatic conditions so permit, active chilling is not necessary. U.K.

5. Evisceration must be carried out, or completed, without undue delay upon arrival at the game -handling establishment, unless the competent authority permits otherwise. U.K.

6. Small wild game delivered to a game-handling establishment must be presented to the competent authority for inspection. U.K.

7. The rules laid down in Section II, Chapter V, apply to the cutting and boning of small wild game.] U.K.