The Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994

Other provisions

4.  Subject to paragraph 6 below, meat products shall carry the British EC health mark or British national health mark in an easily visible place. Marking shall be carried out during or immediately after manufacture in the meat products premises or wrapping in a re-wrapping centre. The mark shall be legible, indelible and its characters easily distinguishable. The mark may be applied to the product or to the wrapping, if the meat product is individually wrapped, or to a label affixed to the wrapping in accordance with paragraph 7 below.

5.  Subject to paragraph 6 below, where meat products marked in accordance with paragraph 4 are subsequently placed in a packaging, the health mark shall also be applied to the packaging. Where a meat product is individually wrapped and packaged, it shall be sufficient for the mark to be applied to the packaging.

6.  The health marking of meat products in palletised consignments intended for further processing or wrapping in approved premises is not necessary provided that:

(a) the consignments containing the meat products bear the health mark on the external surface;

(b) the recipient premises maintain a separate record of the quantities, type and origin of meat products received in accordance with this paragraph;

(c) the destination and intended use of meat products are clearly indicated on the external surface of the outer packaging except when this is transparent.

However, where a consignment of wrapped products is contained in a transparent packaging, it is not necessary to health mark the packaging as long as the British EC health mark or British national health mark on the wrapped products is clearly visible through the packaging.

7.  The British EC health mark or British national health mark may be applied to the product, wrapping or packaging by an ink stamp or by branding, or it may be printed on or applied to a label. If it is applied to the packaging, the mark shall be destroyed when the package is opened. Non-destruction of the mark is permissible only when the packaging is destroyed by being opened.

8.  The mark may also be on an irremovable plate of resistant material complying with the hygiene requirements laid down in these Regulations.