The Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995

Regulations 8(1)(c), 12(2), 14(1)(e), (2)(a), (3)(c), 15(1)(c)

SCHEDULE 11 HEALTH MARKING

1.  Subject to paragraph 4 below, the health mark shall include:

(a) for meat wrapped in individual units or for small packages—

(i) on the upper part, the initials “UK”;

(ii) in the centre, the veterinary approval number of the establishment or, where appropriate, the cutting premises or re-wrapping centre; and

(iii) on the lower part, the initials “EEC”;

The letters and figures shall be 0.2 centimetres high; and

(b) for large packages, an oval mark at least 6.5 cm wide by 4.5 cm high, including the information listed under sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph. The letters shall be at least 0.8 cm high and the figures at least 1 cm high.

2.  The health mark may, in addition, include an indication enabling the official veterinary surgeon who carried out the health inspection of the meat to be identified.

3.  The material used for marking shall meet all hygiene requirements and the information referred to in paragraph 1(a) above shall appear on it in perfectly legible form.

4.  In the case of fresh meat produced in low throughput premises the health mark shall consist of:

(a) for meat wrapped in individual units or for small packages, a square mark, containing in legible form in letters and figures 0.2 cm high the following information:

(i) on the upper part, the letters “UK”;

(ii) in the centre, the approval number of the premises; and

(iii) on the lower part, the letter “N”; and

(b) for large packages, a square mark 5.5 cm by 5.5 cm, containing in legible form in letters 0.8 cm high and figures 1 cm high the information listed under sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph.

5.—(a) The health mark referred to in paragraphs 1(a) and 4(a) above shall be made:

(i) on or legibly beneath wrapping or packaging of individually packed carcases;

(ii) on non-individually wrapped carcases by apposition of a seal or label, which may be used only once; or

(iii) on or legibly beneath wrapping or other packaging of parts of carcases or offal wrapped in small quantities.

(b) The health mark referred to in paragraphs 1(b) and 4(b) above shall be made on large packages containing carcases, parts of carcases or offal marked in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph.

(c) Where a health mark appears on the wrapping or packaging:

(i) it shall be applied in such a way that it is destroyed when the wrapping or packaging is opened; or

(ii) the wrapping or packaging shall be sealed in such a way that it cannot be re-used after opening.

6.  Subject to paragraph 7 below, in cases where the poultry come from a holding which is placed under animal health restrictions in connection with a poultry disease or which is situated in an area which has been declared an avian influenza or Newcastle disease infection area, the health mark referred to in paragraph 1 above shall be—

(a) overstamped in such a way that it is covered by a diagonal cross consisting of two straight lines crossing at right angles, with the point of intersection in the centre of the stamp and the information thereon remaining legible; or

(b) replaced by a single mark, consisting of the health mark referred to in paragraph 1, overstamped in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph.

7.—(a) In the event of an outbreak of Newcastle disease, the health mark referred to in paragraph 1 above may be applied to poultry meat which is obtained from poultry which—

(i) comes from a holding within a surveillance zone as defined in Article 9(1) of Council Directive 92/66/EEC(1) and in respect of which no contact with an infected holding has been recorded following an epidemiological investigation;

(ii) comes from a flock in respect of which a virological examination giving a negative result has been carried out by a specified officer on a representative sample of that flock no more than five days before consignment of any of that flock;

(iii) comes from a holding where no lesions or clinical signs have been found to indicate the presence of Newcastle disease following clinical examination by a specified officer which shall be carried out not more than 24 hours before consignment of the poultry;

(iv) is transported directly from the holding of origin to the slaughterhouse using a means of transport which is sealed by a specified officer and which shall be cleaned and disinfected before and after each transportation; and

(v) is examined in the slaughterhouse at the time of the pre-slaughter health inspection or the post-mortem health inspection with a view to detect lesions or clinical signs of Newcastle disease.

(b) In this paragraph “specified officer” means a veterinary inspector appointed by the Minister under the Animal Health Act 1981

8.  The health marking of carcases, parts of carcases or offal as provided for in paragraph 5(a) above shall not be necessary in the following cases:

(a) consignments of carcases, including those which have had parts removed pursuant to paragraphs 1(b) and 3(b) of Part II of Schedule 9, dispatched from a licensed slaughterhouse to a licensed cutting premises for cutting therein subject to the following conditions:

(i) the large packaging containing the fresh meat shall bear, on the external surface, the health mark in accordance with paragraphs (1)(b), 4(b) and 5(c) above;

(ii) the dispatch office shall maintain a record of the amount, type and destination of consignments dispatched in accordance with these Regulations;

(iii) the recipient cutting premises shall maintain a record of the amount, type and origin of consignments received in accordance with these Regulations;

(iv) the health mark on the large packaging shall be destroyed when the large packaging is opened in cutting premises under the supervision of the official veterinary surgeon; and

(v) the destination and intended use of the consignment shall be clearly indicated on the external surface of the large packaging in accordance with this paragraph and with Schedule 21;

(b) consignments of carcases, including those which have had parts removed pursuant to paragraph 1(b) and 3(b) of Part II of Schedule 9, parts of carcases and the following offal: hearts, livers and gizzards, dispatched from a licensed slaughterhouse, cutting premises or re-wrapping centre to a meat product establishment for preparation, subject to the following conditions:

(i) the large packaging containing the fresh poultrymeat shall bear, on the external surface, the health mark in accordance with paragraphs 1(b), 4(b) and 5(c) above;

(ii) the dispatch office shall maintain a record of the amount, type and destination of consignments dispatched in accordance with these Regulations;

(iii) the recipient meat and meat product establishment shall maintain a record of the amount, type and origin of consignments received in accordance with these Regulations;

(iv) when the fresh meat is intended for use in meat products for trade between EEA States, the health mark of the large packaging shall be destroyed when the large packaging is opened in an establishment under the supervision of the food authority or the Minister; and

(v) the destination and intended use of the consignment shall be clearly indicated on the external surface of the large packaging in accordance with this paragraph and with Schedule 21; or

(c) consignments of carcases, including those which have had parts removed pursuant to paragraph 1(b) and 3(b) of Part II of Schedule 9, dispatched from a licensed slaughterhouse, re-wrapping centre or cutting premises to restaurants, canteens and institutions for direct supply to the final consumer after heat treatment, subject to the following conditions:

(i) the packaging containing the fresh poultrymeat shall bear, on the external surface, the health mark in accordance with paragraphs 1(b), 4(b) and 5(c) above;

(ii) the dispatch office shall maintain a record of the amount, type and destination of consignments despatched in accordance with these Regulations;

(iii) the recipient outlet shall maintain a record of the amount, type and origin of consignments received in accordance with these Regulations;

(iv) those outlets shall be subject to control by the food authority, who shall be given access to the records kept; and

(v) the destination and intended use of the consignment shall be clearly indicated on the external surface of the large packaging in accordance with this paragraph and with Schedule 21.

(1)

OJ No L260, 5.9.92, p.1.