The Foot-and-Mouth Disease Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Fresh meat etc. derived from a susceptible animal originating in a surveillance zone

3.—(1) This paragraph applies to fresh meat, minced meat, mechanically separated meat and meat preparations derived from a susceptible animal originating in a surveillance zone.

(2) A person shall not sell or consign for sale meat to which this paragraph applies or move such meat out of a surveillance zone unless—

(a) it falls within sub-paragraph (3); or

(b) it is meat (excluding heads, viscera and offals) which complies with sub-paragraph (4), (5) or (6);

(c) it falls within sub-paragraph (7).

(3) Meat falls within this sub-paragraph if it satisfies the following requirements—

(a) it was produced more than 21 days before the earliest infection date in the associated protection zone;

(b) after production, it was at all times stored and transported separately from products to which this paragraph applies produced on or after that date;

(c) it was health marked or identification marked and that mark was overstamped.

(4) Meat complies with this sub-paragraph if it is from ruminants and has been deboned so that it falls within paragraph 1 of Part III of Schedule 6 and from a carcase which has been matured such that it falls within paragraph 2 of Part III of Schedule 6.

(5) Meat complies with this sub-paragraph if—

(a) the animal from which it was produced was resident on the same premises for at least 21 days before slaughter and was identified so as to allow the tracing of those premises, and

(b) the meat has been clearly identified and detained under the supervision of the Department until any suspicion of infection on the premises of origin has been ruled out, but in any event for a period of at least 7 days.

(6) Meat complies with this sub-paragraph if—

(a) the animal passed the 21 days before slaughter on the same premises during which no susceptible animal was introduced onto those premises;

(b) samples taken within 48 hours before loading have been tested with negative result in an assay for the detection of antibodies against the disease virus; and

(c) the meat has been detained under the control of the Department for 24 hours and released only after a repeat inspection of the animals in the premises of origin has ruled out on clinical inspection the presence of infected animals or animals suspected of being infected.

(7) Meat falls within this sub-paragraph if—

(a) it is trimmed offal;

(b) it was health marked or identification marked and that mark was overstamped; and

(c) it was subsequently treated to form a meat product which falls within paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 6.

(8) In this paragraph, “trimmed offal” means any of—

(a) heart from which lymphatic glands, connective tissue and adhering fat has been completely removed;

(b) liver from which lymphatic glands, adhering connective tissue and fat has been completely removed;

(c) whole masseter muscles;

(d) tongues with epithelium and without bone, cartilage and tonsils;

(e) lungs from which the trachea and main bronchi and the mediastinal and bronchial lymphatic gland have been removed;

(f) other offal without bone or cartilage from which lymphatic glands, connective tissue, adhering fat and mucous membrane have been removed.