The young lamb stamp
16.—(1) Where a sheep or goat is slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, and at the time of slaughter there were no permanent incisor teeth erupted through in the sheep or goat or it was aged not more than 12 months, the carcase of the animal shall be marked immediately after slaughter with the young lamb stamp in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) The young lamb stamp shall consist of a circular mark 5 centimetres in diameter containing in legible form in letters 1cm high the words “VS” and “YL”, and shall be applied by an official veterinary surgeon, an authorised officer or a meat inspector acting under the responsibility of an official veterinary surgeon.
(3) A person other than any person mentioned in paragraph (2) shall not apply the young lamb stamp to any sheep or goat or possess the equipment for applying the stamp.
(4) A person shall not mark a carcase with a stamp so resembling the young lamb stamp, or in such a way, as to be likely to suggest that the carcase was of a sheep or goat in which there were no permanent incisors erupted.
(5) For the purposes of this regulation a “meat inspector” means an inspector appointed pursuant to regulation 7(2) of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997.