The Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) (Scotland) Regulations 1987

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires –

“the Act” means the Food and Drugs (Scotland) Act 1956;

“animals” means domestic animals of the following species: bovine animals (including buffalo), swine, sheep, goats and solipeds;

“ante-mortem health inspection” means inspection of live animals in a slaughterhouse in accordance with the requirements of regulation 8 and Schedule 6;

“carcase” means the whole body of a slaughtered animal after bleeding and dressing in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 7;

“cold store” means premises, not forming part of a slaughterhouse or cutting premises, used for the cold storage of meat intended for sale for human consumption;

“country of destination” means the Member State to which fresh meat is sent;

“cutting premises” means premises used for the purpose of cutting up meat intended for sale for human consumption, whether or not they form part of a slaughterhouse;

“cutting up” means cutting meat into cuts smaller than half carcases cut into three wholesale cuts or boning meat;

“disinfect” means to apply hygienically satisfactory chemical or physical agents or processes with the intention of eliminating micro-organisms;

“examine in detail” means to examine by making multiple deep incisions into lymph nodes;

“export” means to send to a Member State;

“export cold store” means a cold store currently approved by the Secretary of State under these Regulations for the cold storage of fresh meat for export;

“export cutting premises” means cutting premises currently approved by the Secretary of State under these Regulations for the purpose of cutting up fresh meat for export;

“export slaughterhouse” means a slaughterhouse currently approved by the Secretary of State under these Regulations for the purpose of producing fresh meat for export;

“fresh” as applied to meat means all meat which has not undergone any preserving process and which includes meat vacuum wrapped or wrapped in a controlled atmosphere; however chilled and frozen meat shall be considered to be fresh meat;

“health mark” means a mark made by or under the supervision and responsibility of an official veterinary surgeon in accordance with regulation 8 and of a kind and in the manner set out in Schedule 11;

“inspector” means a person who is qualified in accordance with regulation 18 of the Food (Meat Inspection) (Scotland) Regulations 1961((1)) and who is appointed in accordance with regulation 12(2);

“lairage” means that part of a slaughterhouse used for the confinement of animals awaiting slaughter there;

“local authority” means the council of an islands area or district and in relation to any land or premises means the local authority within whose area the land or premises is or are situated;

“meat” means the flesh or other edible part of animals;

“occupier” means any person carrying on the business of an export slaughterhouse, export cutting premises or export cold store, either together or separately;

“offal” means meat other than that of the carcase whether or not naturally connected to the carcase;

“official veterinary surgeon” means a veterinary surgeon designated by the Secretary of State;

“packing”, in relation to meat, means placing wrapped meat into a carton or similar receptacle, and “package” shall be construed accordingly;

“post-mortem health inspection” means inspection of slaughtered animals in a slaughterhouse in accordance with the requirements of regulation 8 and Schedule 8;

“sell” includes offer or expose for sale or have in possession for sale;

“slaughterhouse” means any premises used for slaughtering animals, the flesh of which is intended for sale for human consumption, and includes any place used in connection therewith but does not include any place used in connection with a slaughterhouse solely for the manufacture of bacon and ham, sausages, meat pies or other manufactured meat products, or for the storage of meat used in such manufacture;

“transhipment centre” means an export slaughterhouse or export cutting premises currently approved by the Secretary of State under these Regulations for the purpose of unloading, assembling, inspecting and loading consignments of fresh meat for export where such meat bears the health mark of other premises approved by the Secretary of State under these Regulations or the meat comes from outside Scotland and satisfies the requirements of the European Economic Community;

“veterinary officer” means a veterinary officer of the Secretary of State;

“viscera” means offal from the thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cavities, including the trachea and oesophagus;

“workroom” means any part of a slaughterhouse (other than a slaughterhall), or cutting premises, in which meat is handled, hung or stored;

“wrapping”, in relation to meat, means placing in a material which comes into direct contact with the meat.

(2) Except insofar as the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation or Schedule shall be construed as a reference to the regulation or Schedule bearing that number in these Regulations.

(1)

S.I. 1961/243, amended by S.I. 1963/1231, 1979/1563, 1981/996, 1983/702 and 1985/1068.