Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Removal of specified risk material from carcases in slaughterhouses

33.—(1) When a bovine animal is slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, or slaughtered elsewhere and brought to a slaughterhouse to be dressed for human consumption, the occupier of the slaughterhouse shall ensure that –

(a) all specified risk material is removed from the rest of the carcase as soon as is reasonably practicable after the animal was slaughtered and before the carcase is presented for inspection pursuant to regulation 35; or

(b) in the case of a bovine animal imported into Northern Ireland from outside the United Kingdom and slaughtered in Northern Ireland, all specified risk material, except vertebral column, is removed at the slaughterhouse as soon as reasonably practicable after the animal is slaughtered and before the carcase is presented for inspection pursuant to regulation 35, and the rest of the carcase is consigned to a licensed slaughterhouse or licensed cutting premises.

(2) When a sheep or goat is slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, or slaughtered elsewhere and brought to a slaughterhouse to be dressed for human consumption, the occupier of the slaughterhouse shall ensure that –

(a) subject to regulation 37, all specified risk material is removed from the rest of the carcase at the slaughterhouse as soon as is reasonably practicable after the animal is slaughtered and before the carcase is presented for inspection pursuant to regulation 35; or

(b) in the case of a sheep or goat with one or more permanent incisor teeth erupted, all specified risk material, except spinal cord, is removed at the slaughterhouse as soon as is reasonably practicable after the animal is slaughtered and before the carcase is presented for inspection pursuant to regulation 35, and the rest of the carcase is consigned to a licensed slaughterhouse or licensed cutting premises.

(3) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation and to regulation 36, the occupier of the slaughterhouse shall ensure that the specified risk material which has been removed is stained blue immediately after removal from the carcase.

(4) Without prejudice to the storage requirements of regulation 53, the occupier of the slaughterhouse shall ensure that, while in the slaughterhouse, the specified risk material does not come into contact with any other animal material (except material derived from animals tested for the presence of TSE which is required to be disposed of as if it were specified risk material) and that it is disposed of in accordance with these Regulations.

(5) An occupier of a slaughterhouse in possession of any material derived from a carcase of an animal in relation to which there is carried out (whether by an inspector or on behalf of the occupier or any other person) any test for the presence of a TSE shall, if he disposes of the material before a negative result in respect of the test is received, ensure that the material is stained, stored and consigned for disposal as if it were specified risk material.

(6) Material which is not specified risk material may be separated from intestines which have been removed from the carcase before the intestines are stained.

(7) In the case of specified risk material which is intended to be examined by or on behalf of an inspector or an official veterinary surgeon, the specified risk material shall not be stained until after the completion of the examination.

(8) In the case of scheme animals, the occupier of the slaughterhouse shall ensure that, once the specified risk material has been removed, the remainder of the carcase (excluding the hide), is immediately stained blue or yellow.

(9) Nothing in paragraph (2) shall require the removal of a spinal cord, being specified risk material, from the carcase of a sheep which has been slaughtered in a slaughterhouse if –

(a) the carcase is intended for export whole direct to listed premises;

(b) the occupier of the slaughterhouse concerned provides a written declaration to an official veterinary surgeon –

(i) indicating that he believes that the carcase is intended for export whole direct to listed premises; and

(ii) specifying the date on which and the place and time at which the carcase was loaded into the particular sealed vehicle by which it is intended that it be moved for the purpose of exporting it whole direct to listed premises; and

(c) the carcase has been marked in accordance with regulation 16A of the Specified Risk Material Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(1).

(10) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall require –

(a) the removal of the vertebral column from the carcase of a bovine animal which was accompanied at the time of slaughter by a slaughter certificate under the Beef Assurance Scheme as described in regulation 3(3)(a) or (b) of the Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(2) if the carcase is consigned to licensed cutting premises; or

(b) the removal of vertebral column from the carcase of a bovine animal imported into Northern Ireland from outside the United Kingdom and slaughtered in Northern Ireland if the carcase is consigned to licensed cutting premises.

(1)

S.R. 1997 No. 552 as amended by S.R. 1999 Nos. 157 and 431, S.R. 2000 Nos. 78 and 295 and S.R. 2001 Nos. 48, 196 and 376

(2)

S.R. 1996 No. 404 as amended by S.R. 1996 No. 506, S.R. 2000 No. 78 and S.R. 2001 No. 155