The Minced Meat and Meat Preparations (Hygiene) Regulations 1995

Regulations 7(1)(o) and (2)(e)and 11(2)(c)

SCHEDULE 11 Sampling requirements and compositional and microbiological criteria for minced meat

1.  Compositional criteria:

Designations	Fat content (%)	Collagen content in meat protein (%)
“Lean minced”, used in relation to meat of any permitted species	<=7	<=12
“Minced pure”, used in relation to meat of bovine animals	<=20	<=15
“Minced”, used in relation to meat of any permitted species and containing pig meat	<=30	<=18
“Minced”, used on relation to sheepmeat or goat meat	<=25	<=15

For the purposes of this table “meat of any permitted species” means the meat referred to in regulation 7(1) or (2), as the case may be.

2.  Microbiological criteria:

	Lower Threshold (per g.)		Upper Threshold (per g.)		Microbic Limit
	Solid media	Liquid media	Solid media	Liquid media
Aerobic mesophile bacteria	5 × 105	5 × 105	5 × 106	1.5× 107	5 × 108
Escherichia coli	50	50	5 × 102	1.5 × 103	5 × 104
Staphylococcus aureus	102	102	5 × 103	3 × 103	5 × 104

3.  Microbiologial tests shall be conducted—

(a) on each day of production on a representative sample of the minced meat referred to in regulation 7(1) and of pre-prepared minced meat for use in meat preparations to which regulation 8(2) applies; and

(b) at least once a week on a representaitve sample of any other minced meat or, alternatively, of any meat intended for the production of any such other minced meat, in the latter case the sample being taken from deep in the muscle after the surface has been cauterised.

For the purposes of this paragaph “a representative sample” means a sample comprising five separate units of a weight appropriate to the test to be carried out, taken at different times and at reasonable intervals during production.

4.  The quality of the minced meat or meat analysed shall be evaluated according to the following categories:

• Category (a): fully satisfactory—all results at or below the lower threshold;

• Category (b): acceptable subject to paragraph 5 below—all results at or below the upper threshold; or

• Category (c): unacceptable—any results above the upper threshold.

5.  In the case of category (b) above, if the results of tests on five consecutive samples show an incidence of samples which produce results above the lower threshold but at or below the upper threshold of above 2 in 5, the quality shall be considered unacceptable. However, where this occurs only in the case of aerobic mesophile bacteria, the occupier may consider submitting another sample from the same batch for further microbiological examination for aerobic mesophile bacteria.

6.  Where in respect of any sample the results are at or above the microbic limit, the minced meat shall be regarded as presenting an imminent health risk for the purposes of regulation 11(1)(g).

7.  Where in respect of any sample the result of the test for salmonella shows a presence in 10g, the quality shall be considered unacceptable.