Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624Show full title

CHAPTER II U.K. OFFICIAL AUXILIARY

1. Only people who have undergone training and passed a test in accordance with the requirements set out in point 5 are allowed to carry out the tasks of an official auxiliary. U.K.

2. The competent authorities shall make arrangements for the tests referred to in point 1. To be eligible for these tests, candidates must prove that they have received: U.K.

(a)

at least 500 hours of training, including at least 400 hours of practical training, covering the areas referred to in point 5; and

(b)

any additional training required to enable official auxiliaries to undertake their duties competently.

3. The practical training referred to in point 2(a) must take place in slaughterhouses, game-handling establishments and/or cutting plants under the supervision of an official veterinarian. U.K.

4. Training and tests must concern principally red meat or poultry meat. However, people who undergo training for one of these two categories and pass the test must only be required to undergo abridged training to pass the test for the other category. The training and tests must cover wild game, farmed game and lagomorphs, where appropriate. U.K.

5. Training for official auxiliaries must cover, and tests must confirm knowledge of, the following subjects: U.K.

(a)

in relation to holdings:

(i)

theoretical part:

• background related to the farming industry organisation, production methods, international trade standards for animals;

• good livestock husbandry practices;

• basic knowledge of diseases, in particular zoonoses by viruses, bacteria and parasites;

• monitoring for disease, use of medicines and vaccines, residue testing;

• hygiene and health inspection;

• animal welfare on the farm and during transport;

• environmental requirements — in buildings, on farms and in general;

• relevant laws, regulations and administrative provisions;

• consumer concerns and quality control;

(ii)

practical part:

• visits to holdings of different types and using different rearing methods;

• visits to production establishments;

• observation of the loading and unloading of animals;

• laboratory demonstrations;

• veterinary checks;

• documentation;

(b)

in relation to slaughterhouses, game-handling establishments and cutting plants:

(i)

theoretical part:

• background related to meat industry organisation, production methods, international trade standards for food and slaughter and cutting technology;

• basic knowledge of hygiene and good hygienic practices, and in particular industrial hygiene, slaughter, cutting and storage hygiene, hygiene at work;

• basic knowledge of HACCP and the audit of HACCP-based procedures;

• animal welfare on unloading after transport and at the slaughterhouse;

• basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of slaughtered animals;

• basic knowledge of the pathology of slaughtered animals;

• basic knowledge of the pathological anatomy of slaughtered animals;

• relevant knowledge concerning TSEs and other important zoonoses and zoonotic agents, as well as important animal diseases;

• knowledge of methods and procedures for the slaughter, inspection, preparation, wrapping, packaging and transport of fresh meat;

• basic knowledge of microbiology;

• ante-mortem inspection;

• sampling and analysis for Trichinella;

• post-mortem inspection;

• administrative tasks;

• knowledge of the relevant laws, regulations and administrative provisions;

• sampling procedure;

• fraud aspects;

(ii)

practical part:

• animal identification;

• age checks;

• inspection and assessment of slaughtered animals;

• ante-mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse;

• post-mortem inspection in a slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment;

• sampling and analysis for Trichinella;

• identification of animal species by examining typical parts of the animal;

• identifying and commenting on parts of slaughtered animals in which changes have occurred;

• hygiene control, including the audit of the good hygiene practices and the HACCP-based procedures;

• recording the results of ante-mortem inspections;

• sampling;

• traceability of meat;

• documentation such as evaluation of food chain information and record reading.

6. The competent authorities may decide to reduce training and tests as regards: U.K.

(a)

the theoretical part if the official auxiliary demonstrates sufficient education on specific bullet points laid down in point 5(a)(i) or (b)(i) of this Chapter;

(b)

the practical part if the official auxiliary demonstrates sufficient working experience on specific bullet points laid down in point 5(a)(ii) or (b)(ii) of this Chapter.

7. The official auxiliary must have aptitude for multidisciplinary cooperation. U.K.

8. Official auxiliaries must keep up-to-date and abreast of new developments through regular continuing education activities and professional literature. The official auxiliary must, wherever possible, undertake annual continuing training activities. U.K.

9. If official auxiliaries carry out only sampling and analysis in connection with examinations for Trichinella and microbiological criteria, the competent authorities are only required to ensure that they receive training appropriate to these tasks. U.K.

F1 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.K.

Textual Amendments

F1 Annex 2 Ch. 2 para. 10 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1631), regs. 1(2), 13(14)(b) (with regs. 33-36)