Chapter III: HYGIENE DURING AND AFTER PRODUCTIONX1

Food business operators producing minced meat, meat preparations or MSM must ensure compliance with the following requirements.

1. 1..

   The work on meat must be organised in such a way as to prevent or minimise contamination. To this end, food business operators must ensure in particular that the meat used is:

   1. (a)

      at a temperature of not more than 4 °C for poultry, 3 °C for offal and 7 °C for other meat;

      and

   2. (b)

      brought into the preparation room progressively as needed.

2. 2..

   The following requirements apply to the production of minced meat and meat preparations.

   1. (a)

      Unless the competent authority authorises boning immediately before mincing, frozen or deep-frozen meat used for the preparation of minced meat or meat preparations must be boned before freezing. It may be stored only for a limited period.

   2. (b)

      When prepared from chilled meat, minced meat must be prepared:

      1. (i)

         in the case of poultry, within no more than three days of their slaughter;

      2. (ii)

         in the case of animal other than poultry, within no more than six days of their slaughter;

         or

      3. (iii)

         within no more than 15 days from the slaughter of the animals in the case of boned, vacuum-packed beef and veal.

   3. (c)

      Immediately after production, minced meat and meat preparations must be wrapped or packaged and be:

      1. (i)

         chilled to an internal temperature of not more than 2 °C for minced meat and 4 °C for meat preparations;

         or

      2. (ii)

         frozen to an internal temperature of not more than -18 °C.

      These temperature conditions must be maintained during storage and transport.

3. 3..

   The following requirements apply to the production and use of MSM produced using techniques that do not alter the structure of the bones used in the production of MSM and the calcium content of which is not significantly higher than that of minced meat.

   1. (a)

      Raw material for deboning from an on-site slaughterhouse must be no more than seven days old; otherwise, raw material for deboning must be no more than five days old. However, poultry carcases must be no more than three days old.

   2. (b)

      Mechanical separation must take place immediately after deboning.

   3. (c)

      If not used immediately after being obtained, MSM must be wrapped or packaged and then chilled to a temperature of not more than 2 °C or frozen to an internal temperature of not more than –18 °C. These temperature requirements must be maintained during storage and transport.

   4. (d)

      If the food business operator has carried out analyses demonstrating that MSM complies with the microbiological criteria for minced meat adopted in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 it may be used in meat preparations that are clearly not intended to be consumed without first undergoing heat treatment and in meat products.

   5. (e)

      MSM not shown to comply with the criteria referred to in (d) may be used only to manufacture heat-treated meat products in establishments approved in accordance with this Regulation.

4. 4..

   The following requirements apply to the production and use of MSM produced using techniques other than those mentioned in point 3.

   1. (a)

      Raw material for deboning from an on-site slaughterhouse must be no more than seven days old; otherwise, raw material for deboning must be no more than five days old. However, poultry carcases must be no more than three days old.

   2. (b)

      If mechanical separation does not take place immediately after deboning the flesh-bearing bones must be stored and transported at a temperature of not more than 2 °C or, if frozen, at a temperature of not more than -18 °C.

   3. (c)

      Flesh-bearing bones obtained from frozen carcases must not be refrozen.

   4. (d)

      If not used within one hour of being obtained, MSM must be chilled immediately to a temperature of not more than 2 °C.

   5. (e)

      If, after chilling, MSM is not processed within 24 hours, it must be frozen within 12 hours of production and reach an internal temperature of not more than –18 °C within six hours.

   6. (f)

      Frozen MSM must be wrapped or packaged before storage or transport, must not be stored for more than three months and must be maintained at a temperature of not more than –18 °C during storage and transport.

   7. (g)

      MSM may be used only to manufacture heat-treated meat products in establishments approved in accordance with this Regulation.

5. 5..

   Minced meat, meat preparations and MSM must not be re-frozen after thawing.