The Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994

PART II SEPCIAL CONDITIONS OF HYGIENE FOR PREMISES PREPARING MEAT PRODUCTS

1.  Rooms used for storing or working on foodstuffs other than meat or meat products, liable to form part of the composition of meat products, shall be subject to the general rules on hygiene laid down in these Regulations.

2.  Raw materials and the ingredients forming part of the composition of meat products as well as the products themselves and products of animal origin and their containers shall not come into direct contact with the ground and shall be handled and stored under conditions which preclude any risk of contamination. Care shall be taken to ensure that there is no contact between raw materials and finished products.

3.  The use of wood is permitted in rooms in which meat products are smoked, cured, matured, pickled, stored or dispatched, when essential for technological reasons, provided there is no risk of the products being contaminated. Wooden pallets may be brought into those rooms but solely for transporting packaged meat or meat products and for no other purposes. In addition, the use of galvanised metals may be authorised for the drying of hams and sausages, provided that they are not corroded and do not come into contact with the meat products.

4.  The temperature in rooms or parts of rooms where work on meat, minced meat used as a raw material, meat products and meat preparations is carried out shall ensure hygienic production.

5.  Subject to paragraphs 6 and 7 below, where necessary during cutting, slicing and curing operations rooms for cutting and curing shall be kept at a temperature not exceeding 12°C.

6.  Paragraph 5 above does not apply to non-industrial meat products premises.

7.  The enforcement authority may grant a derogation from the requirement of paragraph 5 above where the authority considers such a derogation justified in the light of the technology used in manufacturing the meat products.