S.I. No. 423/1997:

ABATTOIRS (HEALTH MARK) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1997

ABATTOIRS (HEALTH MARK) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1997

I, JOE WALSH, Minister for Agriculture and Food in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 40 and 63 of the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (No. 8 of 1988), hereby make the following Regulations:

1. ( a ) These Regulations may be cited as the Abattoirs (Health Mark) (Amendment) Regulations, 1997.

( b ) The Abattoirs (Health Mark) Regulations 1992 ( S.I. No. 90 of 1992 ) and these Regulations may be cited together as the Abattoirs (Health Mark) Regulations 1992 and 1997.

2. These Regulations shall come into force on the 27th day of October, 1997.

3. The Abattoirs (Health Mark) Regulations, 1992 ( S.I. No. 90 of 1992 ) are hereby amended by

( a ) The insertion in Regulation 3(1) of the following paragraph:

"ratite bird" means the running birds, ostriches, emus and rheas;

( b ) The insertion of a new paragraph 4 in the First Schedule as follows:

4. The form and design of the stamping instrument which shall be adopted by a local authority, for use in the application of a health mark to the meat of ostriches and other ratite birds, which has been passed as fit for human consumption, shall conform and comply in all respects, including dimensions, with the following requirements:

( a ) the mark shall be of a hexagonal pattern, as illustrated hereunder:

( b ) specifications:

-- a hexagonal with 3.5 cm. sides,

-- a 2 cm. margin at the top shall contain the word APPROVED, and a 2 cm. margin at the bottom shall contain the letters "OSTR" in the case of the meat of ostrich, the letters "EMU", in the case of the meat of emu, and the letters "RHEA" in the case of the meat of rhea,

-- the 2 cm. margin in the centre between the above specifications shall contain the appropriate abattoir number, as allocated by the Minister for Agriculture and Food,

-- all figures and letters used shall be at least 0.8 cm. high.

( c ) The insertion of a new paragraph (4) in the Second Schedule as follows:

(4) The carcasses of ostriches, emus and rheas shall be marked with the appropriate health mark for the species as indicated in paragraph 4 of the First Schedule, (a) on the external surface of each thigh, and (b) on the back or upper (dorsal) surface of the carcase,

Given under my Official Seal this 8th day of October, 1997.

JOE WALSH,

Minister for Agriculture and Food.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations provide for the application of the health mark by a veterinary inspector on the meat of ratite birds (ostriches, emus and rheas) which he has passed as fit for human consumption. They also prescribe the type of health mark to be used and the manner and place where it is to be applied to the carcasses.