The Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1994

Regulations 4(3)(a), 8(1)(d), 14(1)(h)

SCHEDULE 13 WRAPPING AND PACKAGING OF FRESH MEAT

1.—(a) Packaging (for example packing cases, cardboard boxes) shall fulfil all rules of hygiene, and in particular:

(i) shall not alter the organoleptic characteristics of the meat,

(ii) shall not be capable of transmitting to the meat substances harmful to human health,

(iii) shall be strong enough to ensure effective protection of the meat during transportation and handling;

(b) packaging shall not be re-used for meat unless it is made of corrosion-resistant materials which are easy to clean and has been previously cleaned and disinfected.

2.—(a) Where cut fresh meat or offal is wrapped, that operation shall be carried out immediately after cutting and in accordance with the requirements of hygiene.

(b) Wrapping shall be transparent and colourless or, in the case of coloured transparent wrapping, designed in such a way as to leave the wrapped meat or offal partially visible.It shall also fulfil the conditions of paragraph 1(a)(i) and (ii) above; it shall not be used again for wrapping meat.

(c) Parts of birds, rabbits or offal separated from the carcase shall always be wrapped in a firmly sealed protective covering satisfying the above criteria.

3.  Wrapped meat shall be packaged.

4.  However, when wrapping fulfils all the protective conditions of packaging it need not be transparent and colourless and placing in a second container shall not be necessary provided that the other conditions of paragraph 1 above are fulfilled.

5.  Cutting, boning, wrapping and packaging operations shall not take place in the same room unless the packaging is re-usable as described in paragraph 1(b) above or where the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) the room shall be sufficiently large and so arranged that the hygiene of the operations is assured;

(b) the packaging and wrapping shall be enclosed in a sealed protective covering immediately after manufacture; this covering shall be protected from damage during transport to the licensed premises and stored under hygienic conditions in a separate room in such premises;

(c) the rooms for storing packaging material shall be dust and vermin-free and have no air connection with rooms containing substances which might contaminate fresh meat.Packaging shall not be stored on the floor;

(d) packaging shall be assembled under hygienic conditions before being brought into the room;

(e) packaging shall be hygienically brought into the room and used without delay.It shall not be handled by staff handling fresh meat;

(f) immediately after packaging the meat shall be placed in the storage room provided.

6.  The packaging referred to in this Schedule may contain only fresh meat.