Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

1.  In the case of bovine animals under six weeks old the inspection shall include—

(a) visual examination of the head and the throat for which purpose the retropharyngeal lymph nodes shall be examined in detail; the mouth and fauces shall be examined and the tongue shall be palpated;

(b) visual examination of the lungs and trachea, for which purpose palpation of the lungs shall be carried out, the bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes shall be examined in detail and where the lungs are intended for human consumption the trachea and the main branches of the bronchi shall be opened lengthwise and the lungs shall be incised in their posterior third at right angles to their main axes;

(c) visual examination of the pericardium and the heart for which purpose the latter shall be incised lengthwise so as to open the ventricles and cut through the intraventricular septum;

(d) visual examination of the diaphragm;

(e) visual examination and palpation of the liver and the hepatic lymph nodes; visual examination of the pancreatic lymph nodes and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, incision of the liver and examination in detail of the hepatic lymph nodes;

(f) visual examination of the alimentary tract, the mesentery, the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes for which purpose the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes shall be palpated and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, examined in detail;

(g) visual examination and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, palpation of the spleen;

(h) visual examination of the kidneys and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, incision of the kidneys and examination in detail of the renal lymph nodes;

(i) visual examination of the pleura and peritoneum; and

(j) visual examination and palpation of the umbilical region and the joints; and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, the umbilical region shall be incised, the joints opened and the synovial fluid examined.