The Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (Amendment No.3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Regulation 15

SCHEDULE

Regulation 10A

“SCHEDULE 1A REQUIREMENTS TO BE COVERED BY AN AGREEMENT RELATING TO THE SLAUGHTER OF A BOVINE ANIMAL OVER 30 MONTHS OF AGE

Animal identification and separation

1.   There must be a reliable system for identifying on arrival at the slaughterhouse—

(a) a bovine animal born or reared in the United Kingdom or imported into the United Kingdom before 1st August 1996;

(b) a bovine animal born or reared in the United Kingdom or imported into the United Kingdom on or after 1st August 1996;

(c) a bovine animal referred to in (a) or (b) which is subject to slaughter ordered by a veterinary surgeon following an accident or serious physiological or functional problems;

(d) a bovine animal referred to in (a) or (b) which is, or is suspected of, suffering from—

(i) a disease which is communicable to humans or animals; or

(ii) a disease or disorder of its general condition which is likely to make its meat unfit for human consumption;

(e) a bovine animal referred to in (a) or (b) which has, or is suspected of having—

(i) had administered to it substances with pharmacological effects; or

(ii) consumed substances,

which may make its meat unfit for human consumption.

2.   There must be a reliable system for ensuring that no bovine animal born or reared in the United Kingdom before 1st August 1996 or imported into the United Kingdom before 1st August 1996 is slaughtered for human consumption.

3.   A bovine animal which is over 30 months of age but born in the United Kingdom on or after 1st August 1996 or imported into the United Kingdom on or after 1st August 1996 must be clearly identified.

4.   Bovine animals which are over 30 months of age but born in the United Kingdom on or after 1st August 1996 or imported into the United Kingdom on or after 1st August 1996 and bovine animals which are 30 months of age and under must be separated into batches for subsequent separate slaughter.

Brain stem sampling

5.   There must be sufficient slaughterhouse staff trained and competent in the taking, labelling, packaging and despatch of brain stem samples. Health and safety guidelines to minimise the risk of exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy must be followed and hygienic facilities must be provided. Sampling procedures must not jeopardise the hygienic production of meat intended for human consumption.

Correlation of sample to carcase and all other body parts

6.   There must be a reliable system for linking the brain stem sample of each bovine animal over 30 months of age to the carcase of that animal and all other parts of the body of that animal including the blood and the hide.

Retention of carcases and all other body parts

7.   Unless there is a system in place at the slaughterhouse in question which prevents contamination between carcases there must be a reliable system (including the provision of suitable and sufficient chiller space) for ensuring that the carcase of a bovine animal tested for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“the tested animal”) plus the carcase of—

(a) the bovine animal immediately preceding the tested animal; and

(b) each of the two bovine animals immediately following the tested animal,

on the slaughter line are retained in slaughter order either in a sealed chiller or on a sealed rail in an unsealed chiller, pending the receipt of the results of the rapid test.

8.   Where there is a system in place at the slaughterhouse in question which prevents contamination between carcases there must be a reliable system (including the provision of suitable and sufficient chiller space) for ensuring that the carcase of a bovine animal tested for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“the tested animal”) is retained in either a sealed chiller or on a sealed rail in an unsealed chiller pending the receipt of the results of the rapid test.

9.   There must also be a reliable system (including the provision of suitable and sufficient chiller space) for ensuring that—

(a) all parts of the body, including the blood and hide, but excluding the carcase (“the body parts”) of a tested animal plus the body parts of—

(i) the bovine animal immediately preceding the tested animal; and

(ii) the two bovine animals immediately following the tested animal,

on the slaughter line; and

(b) mixed batches of the body parts of both a tested animal and any other bovine animal,

are disposed of by rendering and thereafter incineration or directly by incineration, with the exception of hides, retained at the slaughterhouse until rapid test results are available.

10.   Hides not retained at the slaughterhouse must be retained at premises under official control until rapid test results are available.

Delivery of sample to testing laboratory

11.   Brain stem samples for testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy must be packaged and delivered in a testable condition to a laboratory approved by the Department for the purposes of point 2 of Chapter C of Annex X to the Community TSE Regulation. The samples must be packaged and labelled in accordance with packaging instructions P650 of the European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (version applicable as from 1st January 2005)(1).

Receipt of rapid test results by the slaughterhouse

12.   There must be a system for the receipt of the correct test results from the laboratory, either by fax or by other electronic means.

Action following a positive or “no test” result

13.   Unless there is a system in place at the slaughterhouse in question which prevents contamination between carcases there must be effective arrangements to ensure that the carcase and all other parts of the body, including the blood and the hide (“the whole body”) of any bovine animal which tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“the BSE positive animal”), plus the whole body of the bovine animal immediately preceding the BSE positive animal and of each of the two bovine animals immediately following the BSE positive animal on the slaughter line (including any batched materials), are identified and disposed of by rendering and thereafter incineration or directly by incineration.

14.   Where there is a system in place at the slaughterhouse in question which prevents contamination between carcases there must be effective arrangements to ensure that the whole body of any BSE positive animal is identified and disposed of by rendering and thereafter incineration or directly by incineration.

15.   Unless there is a system in place at the slaughterhouse in question which prevents contamination between carcases there must be effective arrangements to ensure that the whole body of any bovine animal, samples of which cannot be tested for any reason (“the no test animal”) plus the whole body (but not the hide if it is separately identified) of the bovine animal immediately preceding the no test animal and of each of the two bovine animals immediately following the no test animal on the slaughter line (including any batched materials), are identified and disposed of by rendering and thereafter incineration or directly by incineration.

16.   Where there is a system in place at the slaughterhouse in question which prevents contamination between carcases there must be effective arrangements to ensure that the whole body of any bovine animal, samples of which cannot be tested for any reason, is identified and disposed of by rendering and thereafter incineration or directly by incineration.

Removal of vertebral column in cutting premises licensed under regulation 56(1)

17.   There must be effective arrangements to ensure that the vertebral column is not removed from the carcase of a bovine animal over 30 months of age which has tested negative for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the slaughterhouse but that it is removed from the carcase in cutting premises licensed under regulation 56(1).

Testing of the effectiveness of the controls put in place

18.   Before the first occasion on which the occupier of a slaughterhouse slaughters a bovine animal over 30 months of age, any part of which is intended for human consumption, there must be a test of all the control procedures in this Schedule by means of a trial using bovine animals under 30 months of age, which demonstrates that all of the control procedures are effective.”

(1)

Current edition (2005); ISBN 92-1-139097-4