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

Regulations 7(1)(e), 4(2)(a)(iv) and 12(1)(h)

SCHEDULE 13 Wrapping and Packaging of Meat

Part 1 Wrapping

1.  The occupier of any premises shall ensure that—

(a) any material for wrapping fresh meat does not cause a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics of such meat or transmit to it any substance harmful to human health;

(b) subject to paragraph 2, only transparent and uncoloured wrapping material is used except where the wrapping material used conforms to the requirements of sub-paragraph (e);

(c) the wrapping operation is carried out immediately after cutting and in a hygienic manner and that wrapping material is not re-used for wrapping fresh meat;

(d) cut fresh meat, other than cuts of pig belly and pork fat, is wrapped in accordance with sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) unless it is transported hanging up;

(e) wrapped fresh meat is packed in accordance with the requirements of Part II of this Schedule save that where the wrapping material used fulfils the requirement of packaging in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1(a), (b) and (c) of Part II of this Schedule, it does not in addition require to be packaged;

(f) all fresh meat wrapped in commercial portions intended for direct sale to the consumer bears the health mark, which may be of reduced dimensions, on the wrapping material or in a clearly visible label affixed to the wrapping material; and

(g) only livers, kidneys or hearts of the same species are packaged together.

2.  Paragraph 1(b) does not apply in the case of frozen meat intended to be used without further processing as a raw material for the products referred to in Council Directives 77/99 EEC and 88/657/EEC(1).

Part II Packaging

1.  The occupier of any premises shall ensure—

(a) that any material used for packaging fresh meat is strong enough to protect the meat during the course of handling and transport and does not cause a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics of the meat or transmit to it any substance harmful to human health, save that wood may be used only in the case of lamb and kid carcases where all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent contact between the meat and the wood packaging in the event of a tear in the wrapping;

(b) that any material used for packaging fresh meat is not re-used for this purpose unless it is made of a non-corrodible and impervious substance which is easy to clean and has been cleaned and disinfected prior to re-use for packaging meat;

(c) that every package bears the health mark either on the package or on a clearly visible label affixed to the package or wrapping material which fulfils the requirements of paragraph 1(f) of Part I;

(d) where meat is re-packaged in a plant other than that in which it was first wrapped, the wrapping shall bear the health mark of the cutting plant where it was first wrapped and the packaging shall bear the health mark of the re-packaging centre; and

(e) that the health mark is applied in such a way that it is torn when the package is opened, non-destruction of the mark being permissible only where the packaging itself is destroyed on opening.

2.  The occupier of every slaughterhouse or farmed game processing facility in which offal is prepared, cleaned, wrapped and packaged in the same room in accordance with paragraph 1(m) of Schedule 2, paragraph 1(w) of Part II of Schedule 6 and paragraph 1(t) of Part III of Schedule 6 and the occupier of all cutting premises in which fresh meat is cut up, wrapped and packaged in the same room shall ensure that the following conditions are observed—

(a) the packaging and wrapping materials shall, during storage, be enclosed in a protective cover under hygienic conditions in the separate room provided for this purpose; and such a room shall not be connected in any way with rooms containing substances which might contaminate fresh meat;

(b) the room in which packaging and wrapping materials are stored shall be free from dust and vermin and such material shall not be stored on the floor;

(c) packaging material shall be assembled under hygienic conditions before being brought to the room where fresh meat is packaged;

(d) the place in which fresh meat is packaged shall be sufficiently large and so arranged that the hygiene of operations is assured;

(e) packaging and wrapping material shall be brought to the room hygienically and shall be used without delay and persons who handle fresh meat shall not handle packaging unless it is non-porous and corrosion-resistant; and

(f) immediately after wrapping and packaging, the fresh meat shall be placed in the refrigerated room referred to in sub-paragraph 1(i) of Schedule 2 or sub-paragraph 1(a)(ii) of Schedule 3 or sub-paragraph 1(i) of Part I of Schedule 5 or sub-paragraph 1(i) of Part II of Schedule 6 or sub-paragraph 1(h) of Part III of Schedule 6.

(1)

O.J. No. L.382, 31.12.88, p. 3