The Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Animal identification and separation

1.—(1) The RMOP (as defined in paragraph 5(1) of Part I) must describe the system that—

(a) enables bovine animals born or reared in the United Kingdom before 1st August 1996 or imported into the United Kingdom before 1st August 1996 to be identified and ensures that they are not slaughtered for human consumption;

(b) enables bovine animals over 48 months of age but born on or after 1st August 1996 to be identified and ensures that they are sampled in accordance with this Schedule;

(c) enables bovine animals over 48 months of age imported from a country listed in the Annex to Commission Decision 2008/908/EC to be identified and ensures that they are sampled in accordance with this Schedule;

(d) enables bovine animals over 30 months of age imported from a country other than a country listed in the Annex to Commission Decision 2008/908/EC to be identified and ensures that they are sampled in accordance with this Schedule;

(e) enables bovine animals specified in point 2(1) of Part I of Chapter A of Annex III of the Community TSE Regulation, as read with Commission Decision 2008/908/EC, to be identified and ensures that they are sampled in accordance with this Schedule;

(f) enables all bovine animals over 30 months of age from which any part of the vertebral column that is specified risk material must be removed in accordance with Schedule 7 to be identified and ensures removal in accordance with paragraph 8 of this Part.

(2) It must also describe the system that ensures that the animals described in sub-paragraphs (b) to (e) of paragraph 1(1) which require sampling for BSE testing are—

(a) batched together before slaughter; and

(b) slaughtered in their batches separately; and

(c) batched separately and slaughtered separately from animals described in sub-paragraph (1)(f).