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

Prohibition and conditions of slaughter

16.—(1) An official veterinary surgeon or an inspector acting under the supervision of an official veterinary surgeon may require the occupier of any licensed premises or the producer of any specified group, bird or rabbit—

(a) not to slaughter for human consumption any bird or rabbit in respect of which there is evidence that it would be unfit for such consumption; or

(b) not to slaughter for human consumption any bird or rabbit in respect of which clinical signs of ornithosis or salmonellosis have been established, or any other bird or rabbit from the specified group from which that bird or rabbit, as the case may be, came.

(2) An official veterinary surgeon shall require any slaughter of a specified group which is subject to a programme for control of infectious disease under the Zoonoses Order 1989(1) to be subject to the following conditions—

(a) that all necessary precautions are taken by the occupier of the licensed slaughterhouse or low throughput slaughterhouse or the producer of the specified group, bird or rabbit, as the case may be, to avoid contamination of other birds or rabbits;

(b) that slaughter shall take place at the end of the current slaughtering period at that slaughterhouse or under such conditions that compliance with sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph is ensured; and

(c) that any equipment, instruments, fittings and facilities used in such slaughter are thoroughly cleansed and disinfected immediately after such use.

(3) The Minister may authorise the slaughter of a specified group, bird or rabbit which is subject to a requirement not to slaughter given under paragraph (1) above, upon application to the Minister by the producer of that specified group, bird or rabbit, as the case may be.

(4) The Minister may authorise the slaughter of a specified group, bird or rabbit under paragraph (3) above subject to the condition that—

(a) the meat obtained from that specified group, bird or rabbit, as the case may be, shall not be used for human consumption; and

(b) the conditions specified in paragraph (2) above are complied with.

(5) No person shall contravene—

(a) a requirement made under paragraph (1) above;

(b) a condition imposed under paragraph (2) above; or

(c) a condition of an authorisation for slaughter made under paragraph (4) above.

(1)

S.I. 1989/285.