Chapter IV: SLAUGHTER HYGIENEX1

Food business operators operating slaughterhouses in which domestic ungulates are slaughtered must ensure compliance with the following requirements.

1. 1..

   After arrival in the slaughterhouse, the slaughter of the animals must not be unduly delayed. However, where required for welfare reasons, animals must be given a resting period before slaughter.

2. 2..
   1. (a)

      Meat from animals other than those referred to in subparagraphs (b) and (c) must not be used for human consumption if they die otherwise than by being slaughtered in the slaughterhouse.

   2. (b)

      Only live animals intended for slaughter may be brought into the slaughter premises, with the exception of:

      1. (i)

         animals that have undergone emergency slaughter outside the slaughterhouse in accordance with Chapter VI;

      2. (ii)

         animals slaughtered at the place of production in accordance with Section III;

         and

      3. (iii)

         wild game, in compliance with Section IV, Chapter II.

   3. (c)

      Meat from animals that undergo slaughter following an accident in a slaughterhouse may be used for human consumption if, on inspection, no serious lesions other than those due to the accident are found.

3. 3..

   The animals or, where appropriate, each batch of animals sent for slaughter must be identified so that their origin can be traced.

4. 4..

   Animals must be clean.

5. 5..

   Slaughterhouse operators must follow the instructions of the veterinarian appointed by the competent authority in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 to ensure that ante-mortem inspection of every animal to be slaughtered is carried out under suitable conditions.

6. 6..

   Animals brought into the slaughter hall must be slaughtered without undue delay.

7. 7..

   Stunning, bleeding, skinning, evisceration and other dressing must be carried out without undue delay and in a manner that avoids contaminating the meat. In particular:

   1. (a)

      the trachea and oesophagus must remain intact during bleeding, except in the case of slaughter according to a religious custom;

   2. (b)

      during the removal of hides and fleece:

      1. (i)

         contact between the outside of the skin and the carcase must be prevented;

         and

      2. (ii)

         operators and equipment coming into contact with the outer surface of hides and fleece must not touch the meat;

   3. (c)

      measures must be taken to prevent the spillage of digestive tract content during and after evisceration and to ensure that evisceration is completed as soon as possible after stunning;

      and

   4. (d)

      removal of the udder must not result in contamination of the carcase with milk or colostrum.

8. 8..

   F1Carcases and other parts of the body intended for human consumption must be completely skinned, except in the case of porcine animals, the heads of ovine and caprine animals and calves, the muzzle and lips of bovine animals and the feet of bovine, ovine and caprine animals. Heads, including muzzle and lips, and feet must be handled in such a way as to avoid contamination.

9. 9..

   When not skinned, porcine animals must have their bristles removed immediately. The risk of contamination of the meat with scalding water must be minimised. Only approved additives may be used for this operation. Porcine animals must be thoroughly rinsed afterwards with potable water.

10. 10..

    The carcases must not contain visible faecal contamination. Any visible contamination must be removed without delay by trimming or alternative means having an equivalent effect.

11. 11..

    Carcases and offal must not come into contact with floors, walls or work stands.

12. 12..

    Slaughterhouse operators must follow the instructions of the competent authority to ensure that post-mortem inspection of all slaughtered animals is carried out under suitable conditions in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 854/2004.

13. 13..

    Until post-mortem inspection is completed, parts of a slaughtered animal subject to such inspection must:

    1. (a)

       remain identifiable as belonging to a given carcase;

       and

    2. (b)

       come into contact with no other carcase, offal or viscera, including those that have already undergone post-mortem inspection.

    However, provided that it shows no pathological lesion, the penis may be discarded immediately.

14. 14..

    Both kidneys must be removed from their fatty covering. In the case of bovine and porcine animals, and solipeds, the peri-renal capsule must also be removed.

15. 15..

    If the blood or other offal of several animals is collected in the same container before completion of post-mortem inspection, the entire contents must be declared unfit for human consumption if the carcase of one or more of the animals concerned has been declared unfit for human consumption.

16. 16..

    After post-mortem inspection:

    1. (a)

       the tonsils of bovine animals, porcine animals and solipeds must be removed hygienically;

    2. (b)

       parts unfit for human consumption must be removed as soon as possible from the clean sector of the establishment;

    3. (c)

       meat detained or declared unfit for human consumption and inedible by-products must not come into contact with meat declared fit for human consumption;

       and

    4. (d)

       viscera or parts of viscera remaining in the carcase, except for the kidneys, must be removed entirely and as soon as possible, unless the competent authority authorises otherwise.

17. 17..

    After completion of slaughter and post-mortem inspection, the meat must be stored in accordance with the requirements laid down in Chapter VII.

18. 18..

    F2When destined for further handling:

    1. (a)

       stomachs must be scalded or cleaned; however, in the case of stomachs of young ruminants intended for rennet production, the stomachs need only be emptied;

    2. (b)

       intestines must be emptied and cleaned;

    3. (c)

       heads and feet must be skinned or scalded and depilated; however, when authorised by the competent authority, visibly clean feet may be transported to and skinned or scalded and depilated in an approved establishment further handling the feet for processing into food.

19. 19..

    Where establishments are approved for the slaughter of different animal species or for the handling of carcases of farmed game and wild game, precautions must be taken to prevent cross-contamination by separation either in time or in space of operations carried out on the different species. Separate facilities for the reception and storage of unskinned carcases of farmed game slaughtered at the farm and for wild game must be available.

20. 20..

    If the slaughterhouse does not have lockable facilities reserved for the slaughter of sick or suspect animals, the facilities used to slaughter such animals must be cleaned, washed and disinfected under official supervision before the slaughter of other animals is resumed.