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

Part V Specific Requirements for Sheep and Goats

1.  In the case of sheep and goats the inspection shall include—

(a) unless the head, including the tongue and brains, is to be excluded from human consumption, visual inspection of the head after flaying and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, examination of the throat, mouth, tongue, retropharyngeal and parotid lymph nodes;

(b) visual examination of the trachea and lungs, for which purpose palpation of the lungs and of the bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes shall be carried out and where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, incision of the lungs and examination in detail of the bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes;

(c) visual examination of the pericardium and the heart; and, where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, incision of the heart;

(d) visual examination of the diaphragm;

(e) visual examination and palpation of the liver and the hepatic lymph nodes; and visual examination of the pancreatic lymph nodes; the gastric surface of the liver shall be incised to examine the bile ducts;

(f) visual examination of the alimentary tract, the mesentery and the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes;

(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 of the genital organs except the penis if it has been discarded in accordance with paragraph 1(f)(ii) of Schedule 9;

(k) visual examination of the udder and its lymph nodes; and

(l) visual examination and palpation of the umbilical region and joints of young animals; where a Meat Inspector or OVS considers it necessary, the umbilical region shall be incised and the joints shall be opened.

2.  Where a Meat Inspector or OVS has reason to suspect that a suppurative condition exists in the carcase of any sheep or lamb he shall—

(a) examine by palpation as well as by observation such of the lymph nodes as are readily accessible; and

(b) in the case of a sheep, examine in detail such of the following lymph nodes as he has not already so examined: prescapular, superficial, inguinal, precrural; and, in the case of a lamb, examine in detail such lymph nodes if he has found evidence of disease in the course of visual examination or palpation.