S.I. No. 12/1998:

ABATTOIRS ACT, 1988 (ABATTOIRS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1998

ABATTOIRS ACT, 1988 (ABATTOIRS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1998

I, Joe Walsh, Minister for Agriculture and Food, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by sections 20 and 61 of the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (No. 8 of 1988), hereby make the following Regulations:

1 (a) These Regulations may be cited as the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (Abattoirs) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998.

(b) The collective citation "the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (Abattoirs) Regulations, 1989 to 1998" shall include these Regulations.

(c) The Abattoirs Act, 1988 (Abattoirs) Regulations, 1989 to 1998, shall be construed together as one.

2. These Regulations shall come into force on the 4th day of February 1998.

3. The Abattoirs Act 1988 (Abattoirs) Regulations, 1989 ( S.I. No. 152 of 1989 ) are hereby amended as follows

(a) Regulation 12(2) shall be added to as follows:

" A distinctly separated area within the slaughter and dressing room or area intended for stunning and bleeding must be provided and used for these purposes only. "

(b) Regulation 16 shall be substituted as follows:

" 16. A suitable and sufficient refrigerated hanging room or area, equipped with a centigrade thermometer, of adequate size for the veterinary inspection and storage of carcasses, other than offals intended for human consumption, under refrigeration at 12 degrees centigrade or cooler shall be provided, and shall be of adequate size as will allow chilled air to circulate freely at all times between carcasses unless a refrigerated cold room of adequate size, and satisfying these requirements, is provided and used for these purposes. "

(c) Regulation 17 (1) shall be substituted as follows:

" 17 (1) A refrigerated cold room of sufficient capacity and size, in relation to the size and type and number of animals slaughtered, equipped with a centigrade thermometer, shall be provided, for the storage of -

(a) carcasses and meat at an internal temperature of 7 degrees centigrade or cooler, and

(b) offal intended for human consumption at an internal temperature not exceeding 3 degrees centigrade or cooler. "

(d) Regulation 18 shall be substituted as follows:

" 18. A separate refrigerated area shall be provided in the refrigerated cold room referred to in Regulation 17(1) for storing detained carcasses and meat; and for the isolation and detention of meat requiring further examination or testing by a veterinary inspector, and every such accommodation or facility shall be capable of being securely locked. "

(e) Regulation 19(2) shall be substituted as follows:

" (2) (a) Where meat is cut up, or wrapped or vacuum wrapped in food grade plastic only but not packaged, refrigerated storage facilities for the storage of such meat, other than offal, at an internal temperature of 7 degrees centigrade or cooler, and for the storage of cut up, wrapped or vacuum wrapped offal at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler shall be provided:

(i) in a separate cold room, or in separate refrigerated accommodation, of adequate size and capacity, equipped with a centigrade thermometer, for the separate storage of such meat only or

(ii) in the case of cut up meat that has not been wrapped or packaged, in a separate area of the cold room referred to in Regulation 17, separate from carcasses and uncut meat, at the aforementioned temperatures, or

(iii) if permitted in writing by the Department of Agriculture and Food, wrapped meat, or vacuum wrapped meat, wrapped in food grade plastic only, may be stored under refrigeration at the aforementioned temperatures, in a separate area of the cold room referred to in Regulation 17, separate from exposed fresh meat or carcasses, if of adequate size, to satisfy this requirement, unless such permission is withdrawn.

Where cut up meat that is not wrapped, is stored in the same refrigerated accommodation referred to in (i) or (ii) or (iii) above, as wrapped or vacuum wrapped meat, the unwrapped cut up meat must be stored separately from wrapped or vacuum wrapped meat.

(b) Where meat is packaged at an abattoir, a separate cold room, or separate refrigerated accommodation, of adequate size and capacity equipped with a centigrade thermometer shall be provided and used for the refrigerated storage of packaged meat, other than offal, at an internal temperature of 7 degrees centigrade or cooler and for the storage of packaged offal at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler."

(f) Regulation 20(2) shall be substituted as follows:

" (2) Separate and adequate refrigerated accommodation shall be provided and used for the separate storage of uncooked processed meat at a temperature not exceeding 3 degrees centigrade or cooler. "

(g) Regulation 21(3) shall be substituted as follows:

" (3) Separate and adequate refrigerated accommodation shall be provided and used for the separate storage of cooked meat only, at a temperature not exceeding 3 degrees centigrade. "

(h) Regulation 59(6) shall be inserted as follows:

" (6)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulations 59(5), 60(6) and 63 the slaughter of sick or suspect animals in abattoirs to which these Regulations apply shall be prohibited except where the Minister grants a derogation in writing to an abattoir to slaughter such animals.

(b) The Minister may grant a derogation to any abattoir to slaughter sick or suspect animals, as the Minister sees fit and appropriate, and may withdraw any such derogation granted, as the Minister sees fit.

(c) Where the Minister grants a derogation to an abattoir, to slaughter sick or suspect animals,

(i) such slaughter must be performed under the supervision of a veterinary inspector,

(ii) steps shall be taken by the abattoir owner or occupier, during and after such slaughter, to prevent contamination,

(iii) the abattoir owner or occupier shall, after such slaughter, ensure that the abattoir premises is specially cleaned and disinfected under official supervision before being used again, and

(iv) the abattoir must have a suitable isolation pen in the lairage, with separate floor drainage to a drain, which must be used for such sick or suspect animals, and also adequate refrigerated meat detention facilities, for the isolation and detention of such the carcasses and meat of such animals. "

(i) Regulation 67(2) shall be substituted as follows:

" (2) Animals shall be suspended for bleeding but bleeding other than by suspension may be permitted only where

(a) the slaughter rate is such as readily facilitates hygienic bleeding and such animals are bled in a manner that ensures that they do not come into contact with the floor, and

(b) the physical layout and design of the slaughter area, including drainage, is such that hygienic bleeding is facilitated and achieved, and

(c) bleeding is carried out in a manner that ensures the hide of cattle and the skin and fleece of sheep are not subject to soiling or wetting, and the sticking area of the animal or meat are not contaminated. "

(j) Regulation 69(1) shall be added to as follows -

" The dressing area shall be separate from the bleeding area. "

(k) Regulations 77(1), (3), (5)(a) and (b) shall be substituted as follows:

" (1) Carcasses and meat shall, after dressing in an abattoir, be clean and free from contamination, and immediately after dressing -

(i) carcasses, other than offal intended for human consumption, shall be removed to the refrigerated hanging room or area, referred to in Regulation 16 or to the cold room referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a);

(ii) offal intended for human consumption shall be removed to the cold room referred to in Regulation 17(1)(b).

(3) Immediately after slaughter and dressing:

(a) carcasses must be stored under refrigeration, at a temperature of 12 degrees centigrade or cooler, in the refrigerated meat hanging room, or in the refrigerated cold room if sufficiently large to permit veterinary inspection, for not longer than 12 hours, after which carcasses must be chilled and stored under refrigeration at an internal temperature of 7 degrees centigrade or cooler, in accordance with Regulations 16 and 17(1)(a).

(b) offal intended for human consumption must be chilled and stored under refrigeration at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler, in accordance with Regulation 17(1)(b).

(5)(a) Cut up meat or wrapped or vacuum wrapped meat, wrapped in food grade plastic only, that has not been packaged, other than meat that is being deep frozen, shall be chilled and stored under refrigeration at an internal temperature of 7 degrees centigrade or cooler, in the case of meat other than offal, and at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler in the case of cut up or wrapped or vacuum wrapped offal, in accordance with Regulation 19(2)(a).

Unwrapped cut up meat must be stored separately from wrapped or vacuum wrapped meat.

(5)(b) (i) packaged meat other than meat that is being deep frozen, shall be chilled and stored under refrigeration at an internal temperature of 7 degrees centigrade or cooler, in the case of meat other than offal, and at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler in the case of offal, in a separate cold room or in separate refrigerated accommodation for such meat only in accordance with Regulation 19(2)(b);

(ii) processed meat shall be chilled and separately stored at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler, in accordance with Regulation 20(2), or shall be deep frozen and stored at minus 12 degrees centigrade or cooler in accordance with Regulation 17(2);

(iii) cooked meat shall be chilled and separately stored at an internal temperature of 3 degrees centigrade or cooler, in accordance with Regulation 21(3) or shall be deep frozen and stored at minus 12 degrees centigrade or cooler in accordance with Regulation 17(2);

(iv) meat containers and meat stored in refrigerated or freezer accommodation must be stored off the floor, in a position and manner that will avoid contamination. "

(v) cut up or processed or cooked meat that is deep frozen, must be wrapped or vacuum wrapped and packaged.

(l) Regulations 79(3) and (5) shall be substituted as follows:

" (3) During cutting, boning, wrapping and packaging, the internal temperature of the meat, other than offal, must be kept at a constant 7 degrees centigrade or less, and in the case of edible offal, at a constant 3 degrees centigrade or cooler, unless meat is cut while still hot after slaughter.

(5) As soon as meat is cut up, wrapped or vacuum wrapped, and, where appropriate, packaged, it shall be transferred, to the refrigerated or freezer accommodation referred to in Regulations 19(2) or 17(2) as appropriate. "

(m) Regulation 80(5) shall be substituted as follows

" (5) Cooked meat for deep freezing, shall be wrapped in accordance with Regulations 82 or 83. "

(n) Regulation 92(8) shall be added as follows:

" (8) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Regulation, all persons working on and handling fresh meat, and all persons recruited to work on or handle fresh meat, shall be required to prove, by a medical certificate, that there is no impediment to such employment and to provide such certificate to the abattoir owner or occupier, who shall be obliged to have a medical certificate for each such person, and to show such medical certificate to an authorised officer on request."

Given under my Official Seal this 16th day of January, 1998.

Joe Walsh,

Minister for Agriculture and Food

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Abattoir Act, 1988 (Abattoirs) Regulations, 1989.