The Minced Meat and Meat Preparations (Hygiene) Regulations 1995

PART III CONDITIONS FOR THE MARKETING OF MINCED MEAT AND MEAT PREPARATIONS

General conditions for the marketing of minced meat

7.—(1) No person shall consign or sell for consignment to a relevant EEA State for human consumption any minced meat produced in Great Britain unless it is derived from meat of bovine animals, pigs, sheep or goats, and—

(a) it has been produced in approved premises;

(b) it has been prepared from striated muscle (other than heart muscle), including the adjoining fatty tissues, which, in the case of pigmeat, has been examined for trichinae (trichinella spiralis) or has undergone the appropriate treatment as described in Council Directive 77/96/EEC(1) on the examination for trichinae upon importation from third countries of fresh meat derived from domestic swine;

(c) it has been produced in accordance with the appropriate requirements of Schedule 4;

(d) it has been checked in accordance with the relevant provisions of paragraph 1 of Schedule 6;

(e) it has been labelled and given a health mark in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 7;

(f) it has been wrapped and packaged in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 8 and stored in a cold store in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 9;

(g) it is transported in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 10;

(h) it is accompanied during transportation by a commercial document and, where appropriate, by a health certificate in accordance with regulation 9;

(i) where the meat from which it is derived has been frozen or deep frozen, such meat was de-boned prior to freezing or deep-freezing and, after freezing or deep-freezing, was stored for not more than 18 months in the case of beef or veal, 12 months in the case of sheep meat or goat meat and 6 months in the case of pig meat, except that the boning of sheep meat and pig meat may have taken place immediately before mincing provided that this operation was carried out under hygienic conditions;

(j) where the meat from which it is derived has been chilled, such meat has been minced within 6 days of slaughter or, in the case of boned, vacuum-packed beef or veal, within 15 days thereof;

(k) it has undergone cold treatment within one hour of portioning and wrapping, except where processes were used requiring the lowering of the internal temperature of the meat during production;

(l) where it is packaged and presented chilled, it is obtained from meat as described in sub-paragraph (j) above and cooled to an internal temperature below 2°C as quickly as reasonably possible, except that a limited quantity of frozen meat as described in sub-paragraph (i) above may be added to the meat before mincing to accelerate the refrigeration process, provided that this addition is mentioned on the label and the cooling time referred to above does not exceed one hour;

(m) where it is packaged and presented deep frozen, it is obtained from meat as described in sub-paragraph (i) or (j) above and complies with the conditions specified in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs Regulations 1990(2);

(n) it has not been treated by ionising or ultraviolet radiation; and

(o) where any of the designations specified in the table in paragraph 1 of Schedule 11 are used as described in that table on the packaging, the requirements as to total fat content, and collagen content of meat protein, appearing opposite that designation in that table are met.

(2) No person shall sell for human consumption in Great Britain minced meat produced in the United Kingdom unless—

(a) it has been produced in approved premises or in registered premises which comply with the requirements of Schedule 1 or Schedule 3, as appropriate;

(b) it has been produced in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 1, 2 and 6 of Schedule 4;

(c) it has been checked in accordance with the relevant provisions of paragraph 1 of Schedule 6;

(d) it has been wrapped and packaged in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 8 and stored in a cold store in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9; and

(e) where any of the first three designations specified in the table in paragraph 1 of Schedule 11 are used as described in that table on the packaging, the requirements as to total fat content, and collagen content of meat protein, appearing opposite that designation in that table are met.

(3) Paragraph (1) above shall not apply to minced meat originating in a relevant EEA State or a third country, save that such minced meat shall be handled and transported in accordance with these Regulations.

(4) No person shall affix the health mark to any minced meat which does not satisfy the requirements specifed in paragraph (1) above.

General conditions for the marketing of meat preparations

8.—(1) No person shall consign or sell for consignment to a relevant EEA State for human consumption any meat preparation unless—

(a) it has been produced in approved premises;

(b) where it is derived from pig meat, such meat has been examined for trichinae (trichinella spiralis) or has undergone the appropriate treatment as described in Council Directive 77/96/EEC;

(c) where the meat from which it is derived has been deep frozen, such meat has been used within, in the case of beef and veal, 18 months of slaughter, in the case of sheep meat, goat meat, poultry meat, rabbit meat and farmed game meat, 12 months thereof and, in the case of other meat, six months thereof;

(d) where it is packaged and presented chilled, it has been cooled as quickly as reasonably possible to an internal temperature below—

(i) 2°C where it contains minced meat;

(ii) 7°C where it contains fresh meat;

(iii) 4°C where it contains poultry meat; and

(iv) 3°C where it contains offal;

(e) where it is packaged and presented deep frozen, it complies with the conditions specified in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Quick-frozen Foodstuffs Regulations 1990;

(f) it has been produced in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 5;

(g) it has been checked in accordance with the relevant provisions of paragraph 1 of Schedule 6;

(h) it has been labelled and given a health mark in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 7;

(i) it has been wrapped and packaged in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 8 and stored in a cold store in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 9;

(j) it has been transported in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 10; and

(k) it has not been treated by ionising radiation, save where this has taken place for medical purposes.

(2) No person shall consign or sell for consignment to a relevant EEA State for human comsumption meat preparations containing pre-prepared minced meat of bovine animals, pigs, sheep or goats unless such minced meat satisfied the requirements of regulation 7(1), except that this provision shall not apply to fresh sausage and sausage meat.

(3) No person shall sell for human consumption in Great Britain any meat preparation produced in the United Kingdom unless—

(a) it has been produced in approved premises or in registered premises which comply with the requirements of Schedule 2 or Schedule 3, as appropriate;

(b) it has been produced in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 1 and 2 (ii) of Schedule 5;

(c) it has been checked in accordance with the relevant provisions of paragraph 1 of Schedule 6;

(d) it has been stored in a cold store in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9, or, where it is unpackaged, in a licensed cold store; and

(e) it has not been treated by ionising radiation save where this has taken place for medical purposes.

(4) Paragraphs (1) and (2) above shall not apply to meat preparations orginating in a relevant EEA State or a third country, save that such meat preparations shall be handled and transported in accordance with these Regulations.

(5) No person shall affix the health mark to any meat preparation which does not satisfy the requirements specified in paragraph (1) above.

Transport documentation

9.—(1) The occupier of approved premises shall ensure that minced meat and any meat preparation intended for consigment to a relevant EEA State is accompanied during the transportation from the premises—

(a) by an invoice or delivery note containing the following information—

(i) the approval number of the premises in which the minced meat or meat preparation was produced and, in the case of frozen minced meat, the month and year of freezing; and

(ii) in the case of minced meat destined for Finland or Sweden, a statement that the minced meat is free from salmonella bacteria; and

(b) in the case of minced meat or any meat preparations—

(i) which is obtained from any premises situated in a region or area subject to a prohibition or restriction under the Animal Health Act 1981(3); or

(ii) which will be transported through a third country; by a health certificate corresponding in form and content to that specified in Schedule 12 or Schedule 14, as the case may be, such certificate to be kept by the consignee for presentation upon request to the enforcement authority.

(2) In the case of minced meat or any meat preparation which has been consigned to a relevant EEA State and is intended for export to a third country, where the competent authority in the relevant EEA State so requests, veterinary certification shall be provided at the expense of the occupier of the approved premises in which the minced meat was produced.

(3) Any person who receives minced meat or meat preparations direct from any approved premises shall keep the invoice or delivery note so that it can be produced at the request of the enforcement authority.

(1)

OJ No. L26, 31.1.77, p.67. The annexes have been amended three times, by Council Directives 84/319/EEC (OJ No. L167, 27.6.84, p.34) and 89/321/EEC (OJ No. L133, 17.5.89, p.33) and Commission Directive 94/59/EC (OJ No. L315, 8.12.94, p.18).

(2)

S.I. 1990/2615, as amended by S.I. 1992/2596 and 1994/298.

(3)

1981 c. 22.