The Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994

PART III CONDITIONS FOR THE HANDLING, STORING AND MARKETING OF MEAT PRODUCTS

General

General conditions

8.  No person shall sell for human consumption from approved meat products premises any meat product manufactured in Great Britain unless—

(a) it has been handled and stored in accordance with the appropriate requirements of Schedule 1, 2 and 3;

(b) it has been prepared from raw materials which complied with the requirements of Part III of Schedule 2;

(c) it has been checked in accordance with regulation 13.

Information requirements

Wrapping etc.

9.  No person—

(a) shall sell for human consumption from approved meat products premises any meat product manufactured in Great Britain which is intended for consignment to a relevant EEA State; or

(b) shall sell for human consumption any meat product handled or stored in Great Britain after 31st December 1995,

unless it has been wrapped, packaged or labelled at manufacturing premises in accordance with the provisions of Part V of Schedule 2 or at an approved rewrapping centre.

Health marking

10.—(1) No person shall sell for human consumption from approved meat products premises any meat product manufactured or rewrapped in Great Britain and intended for consignment to a relevant EEA State unless it carries the British EC health mark.

(2) No person shall consign to a relevant EEA State any meat product which was imported into Great Britain and stored but not rewrapped there unless it carries—

(a) if it was imported from a relevant EEA State, a mark applied in accordance with legislation having effect in that State and corresponding to the provisions of these Regulations relating to the British EC health mark; and

(b) if it was imported from a third country, the health marking required under Directive 72/462/EEC(1).

(3) No person shall sell for human consumption in Great Britain any meat product manufactured or rewrapped in Great Britain after 31st December 1995 unless it carries—

(a) the British EC health mark; or

(b) the British national health mark.

Indication of storage temperature and durability

11.  No person—

(a) shall sell for human consumption from approved meat products premises any packaged meat product which was manufactured in Great Britain after these Regulations come into force and is intended for consignment to a relevant EEA State, and which cannot be stored at an ambient temperature; or

(b) shall sell for human consumption any packaged meat product which was handled or stored in Great Britain after 31st December 1995 and which cannot be stored at an ambient temperature,

unless the packaging carries—

(i) a clear and legible indication of the temperature at which the product should be stored and transported; and

(ii) the appropriate durability indication in accordance with the Food Labelling Regulations.

Storage and transportation

Storage and transportation conditions

12.—(1) No person shall sell for human consumption from approved meat products premises, any meat product manufactured in or imported into Great Britain after these Regulations come into force unless—

(a) it is or has been handled, stored and transported in accordance with Part VII of Schedule 2 and, after 31st December 1995, if it is stored in a cold store separate from the meat products premises from which it is sold, that store has been approved; and

(b) subject to sub-paragraph (c) below, it is accompanied during transportation by a health certificate signed by an authorised officer of the enforcement authority at the time of loading corresponding in form and content to that specified in Schedule 4 where—

(i) it contains meat from a slaughterhouse situated in a region or area subject to prohibition or restriction under the Animal Health Act 1981(2);

(ii) it contains meat bearing a special mark under regulation 14(2)(c) or (d) of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992(3); or

(iii) it is intended to be sent to a relevant EEA State after transit through a third country, in which case it shall be in a sealed means of transport;

(c) where—

(i) the product does not fall within sub-paragraph (b) above; and

(ii) the exemption specified in paragraph (2) below does not apply,

it is accompanied during transportation by a commercial document which bears the official approval code of the meat products premises of origin.

(2) The exemption mentioned in paragraph (1)(c)(ii) above is an exemption for meat products in hermetically sealed containers and having undergone one of the treatments referred to in paragraph B(a) of Part VIII of Schedule 2.

(3) The enforcement authority may make a reasonable charge for the issue of any health certificate pursuant to paragraph (1)(b) above.

(4) Any person who receives a consignment of meat products together with the commercial document referred to in paragraph (1)(c) above shall keep that document, and make it available for inspection by an authorised officer of the enforcement authority, when requested, for at least one year after receipt; in the case of meat products which cannot be stored at an ambient temperature, the period may be reduced to 6 months after the appropriate durability date of the product.

(1)

OJ No. L302, 31.12.72, p.28 (OJ/SE 1972 (31 December) p.7).

(2)

1981 c. 22.

(3)

S.I. 1992/2037.