The Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2018

Ovine and caprine animals in a slaughterhouse

9.—(1) When an ovine or caprine animal is slaughtered in a slaughterhouse or the carcase of an ovine or caprine animal is transported to a slaughterhouse following emergency slaughter elsewhere, the occupier of the slaughterhouse must remove all specified risk material (other than the spinal cord and specified risk material contained in or attached to offal) as soon as is reasonably practicable after slaughter and in any event before post-mortem inspection.

(2) The occupier must—

(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after post mortem inspection, consign any offal that has been removed from the carcase and that contains or is attached to specified risk material to an appropriate area of the slaughterhouse; and

(b) as soon as reasonably practicable after the offal is consigned there and in any event before the offal is removed from the slaughterhouse, remove the specified risk material.

(3) In the case of an ovine or caprine animal aged over 12 months at slaughter, or that has a permanent incisor erupted through the gum, the occupier must as soon as is reasonably practicable after slaughter—

(a) remove the spinal cord at the slaughterhouse before the post-mortem inspection; or

(b) send the carcase to—

(i) a cutting plant authorised under paragraph 13(1)(b);

(ii) a cutting plant authorised under corresponding legislation elsewhere in the United Kingdom; or

(iii) in accordance with point 10(1) of Annex V, a cutting plant located in a member State.

(4) In sub-paragraph (3)(b)(iii), “cutting plant” means an establishment—

(a) approved or conditionally approved as such under Article 31(2) of Regulation 882/2004; or

(b) operating as such under Article 4(5) of Regulation 853/2004 pending such approval.

(5) Failure to comply with this paragraph is an offence.