Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Part V Admission and Detention in Slaughterhouses and Farmed Game Processing Facilities of Animals and Carcases

Alternative accommodation for certain animals

14.—(1) An OVS or a Meat Inspector acting under the supervision of an OVS may require the accommodation or alternative methods of operation and facilities referred to in paragraph 1(d) of Schedule 2 and paragraph 1(n) of Part II of Schedule 5 to be used for—

(a) the slaughtering and dressing of any animal which is brought into a slaughterhouse and which is known to be, or suspected of being, diseased or injured; or

(b) the dressing of any slaughtered and bled animal which is brought into a slaughterhouse in accordance with regulation 17.

(2) So long as any requirement to use alternative accommodation in such circumstances, or to prohibit the entry of a dirty animal in the circumstances set out in paragraph (3), is in effect, the licence in respect of the premises shall be treated as being altered by the addition of that requirement and the other provisions of the licence shall be subject to that requirement.

(3) A Meat Inspector or OVS—

(a) may require the detention in a lairage, or prohibit the slaughter, of any animal which in his opinion is so dirty as to be likely to prevent hygienic dressing operations if it is taken into the slaughterhall at that slaughterhouse; and

(b) may require the occupier of the slaughterhouse to clean the animal before presenting it to an OVS for an ante-mortem inspection.

(4) In the case of a slaughtered and bled animal which is brought into a slaughterhouse or farmed game processing facility in accordance with regulation 17 or paragraph (l)(g) of Part I of Schedule 6, a Meat Inspector or OVS may give notice that in his opinion any such animal is so dirty as to be likely to prevent hygienic dressing operations if it is taken into the slaughterhall at that slaughterhouse or the dressing room at that farmed game processing facility, and if such notice is given the occupier of the premises shall not take the animal in.

Period of time for keeping an animal in a lairage and removal of an animal from a slaughterhouse

15.—(1) A person shall not keep or permit to be kept in any lairage for a period exceeding 72 hours any animal intended for slaughter unless—

(a) the OVS gives his consent to it being kept in a lairage for a period exceeding 72 hours, which consent shall only be given in exceptional circumstances; and

(b) it is isolated from animals in respect of which no such consent has been given.

(2) In this regulation “lairage” means any covered part of a slaughterhouse used for the confinement of animals awaiting slaughter there, but does not include any field, pasture or other open lairage forming part of any slaughterhouse or otherwise.

(3) A person shall not, unless directed by an OVS or a veterinary officer, remove from a slaughterhouse an animal intended for slaughter if it is intended that meat from it shall be sold for human consumption.

Conditions on the admission of diseased or injured animals

16.—(1) A person shall not send an animal which he knows or suspects to be diseased or injured to a slaughterhouse unless he has given the occupier of the slaughterhouse reasonable notice of his intention to send it.

(2) A person shall not bring into, or permit to be brought into, a slaughterhouse any animal which he knows or suspects to be diseased or injured unless—

(a) he has already ensured that it is accompanied by a written declaration signed by the owner or person in charge of it containing the information specified in Schedule 18; and

(b) that declaration is handed to a Meat Inspector or an OVS as soon as is practical after the animal’s arrival at the slaughterhouse.

(3) The occupier of the slaughterhouse shall ensure that on arrival at the slaughterhouse the animal—

(a) is slaughtered without delay following ante-mortem inspection; or

(b) is taken without delay under the direction of a Meat Inspector or the OVS to that part of the lairage provided for the isolation of diseased or injured animals.

Conditions on the admission of dead or slaughtered animals

17.—(1) A person shall not bring into, or permit to be brought into, or to remain in, a slaughterhouse the body of an animal which has died unless—

(a) it died in transit to the slaughterhouse; and

(b) it is removed from the slaughterhouse immediately following the carrying out of any necessary examination performed under the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.

(2) A person shall not bring into, or permit to be brought into, a slaughterhouse the slaughtered body of an animal, unless—

(a) it has been bled;

(b) the animal has undergone an ante-mortem inspection by a veterinary surgeon;

(c) the animal has been slaughtered as a result of an accident or because it was suffering from a serious physiological or functional disorder;

(d) the body of the animal has not been dressed;

(e) the body of the animal is accompanied to the slaughterhouse by a certificate in the form set out in Schedule 19; and

(f) the body of the animal is transported to the slaughterhouse in a container or vehicle under hygienic conditions and, if it cannot be delivered to the slaughterhouse within one hour of slaughter, it is transported there in a container or vehicle under hygienic conditions in which the ambient temperature is between 0°C and 4°C.

(3) Paragraph (2) does not apply to the slaughtered and bled body of farmed game if it comes from a farmed game handling facility and the occupier of the facility has performed in relation to the body the duty imposed on him by Part I of Schedule 6.

(4) Paragraphs 3 to 5 of Schedule 8 apply to an ante-mortem inspection under paragraph (2)(b).

(5) On arrival at the slaughterhouse the veterinary certificate which paragraph (2)(e) requires to accompany the body of the animal to the slaughterhouse must be given to a Meat Inspector or OVS.