LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
Consolidated Edition 2006 
 
 MEAT INDUSTRY [CAP. 213] 
 
1  LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
CONSOLIDATED EDITION 2006 
 
Commencement: 17 June 1991 
 
CHAPTER 213 
MEAT INDUSTRY 
 
Act 5 of 1991 
Act 27 of 1992 
Act 40 of 2000 
 
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
 
PART 1 – PRELIMINARY 
 
1. Interpretation 
 
PART 2 – APPROVED ESTABLISHMENTS 
 
2. Approval of establishments 
3. Limited number of approved slaughterhouses 4. Responsibilities of approved slaughterhouses 
5. Establishments to provide assistance 
6. Operator to provi de facilities, etc. 
7. Notice 
8. Register  
PART 3 – EXPORT OF MEAT 
 
9. Export of meat 
 
PART 4 – AUTHORISED OFFICERS 
 
10. Appointments 
11. Powers of authorised officers 
12. Weighing 13. Enforcement 
14. Report of offences and Attorney General’s fiat 
 
PART 5 – EXEMPTIONS 
 15. Exemptions 
 
PART 6 – OFFENCES 
 
16. Offence to slaughter exce pt under certain conditions 
17. Sale of meat 
18. Offences against Act 
19. Offences against orders and regulations 20. Assaulting etc., authorised officers to be an offence 
LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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2  21. Compounding of offences 
 
PART 7 – MISCELLANEOUS 
 
22. Meat Advisory Board 
23. Delegation of powers of the Minister 
24. Forfeiture of meat etc., not  complying with requirements 
25. Costs of seizure and destruction 
26. Compensation not payable 27. Suspension and revocation of approval 
28. Regulations by Minister 
29. Repeal 
 
MEAT INDUSTRY 
 
An Act to make provisions for the regulati on and control of the meat processing 
industry and for matters connected therewith. 
 
PART 1 – PRELIMINARY 
 
1. Interpretation 
 In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires – 
 
"animal" means any animal of the bovine, ovi ne, caprine, porcine or equine species, 
and any domestic poultry; 
 
"authorised officer" means a person appoint ed under section 10 for the purposes of 
this Act; 
 
"approved establishment" means an establ ishment approved by the Minister under the 
provisions of section 2 of this Act; 
 
"approved slaughterhouse" means any pr emises approved by the Minister under 
section 2 of this Act as a slaughterhouse fo r slaughtering animals, other than domestic 
poultry, the flesh of which is intended for sale for human consumption, and includes 
any place available in connection therewith for the confinement of animals while awaiting slaughter there or for keeping, or  subjecting to any treatment or process, 
products of the slaughtering of animals there;  and in respect of which a licence is in 
force issued under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 249]; 
 
"bush-killed" refers to animals, or meat de rived from animals, sl aughtered or cut-up at 
any place other than an approved establishment; 
 
"butchery" means any premises, other than premises only serving cooked or prepared 
meals, approved by the Minister under sect ion 2 of this Act as a butchery serving 
cooked or prepared meals, where meat or poultry meat is prepared or made available 
for sale to the public for human consumption and in respect of which a licence is in 
force issued under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 249]; 
 
"cannery" means any premises approved by the Minister under section 2 of this Act as LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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 MEAT INDUSTRY [CAP. 213] 
 
3  a cannery where meat is cut up, cooked, prep ared and hermetically sealed in cans and 
in respect of which a licence is in force issued under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 
249]; 
 
"carcass" means the whole body of a slaugh tered animal after bleeding, evisceration 
and removal of the limbs at the carpus and ta rsus, removal of the head, tail and udder, 
and in addition, in the case of bovine animals,  sheep, goats and solipeds, after flaying; 
 
"controlled area" means a defined geographi cal area, premises or type of premises 
prescribed as such by the Minister; 
 
"cut-up" means cut meat into smaller cuts th an half carcasses, cut into three wholesale 
cuts, or de-bone meat; 
 
"edible offal" in relation to slaughtered an imal, includes the brain, the thymus gland, 
the pancreas gland, the liver, the spleen , the kidney, the heart, the lung and the 
stomach; 
 
"export cold store" means premises, not fo rming part of a sla ughterhouse or cutting 
plant, used for the cold storage of meat intended for export for human consumption 
approved under section 2 of this Act as an export cold store and in respect of which a 
licence is in force issued under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 249]; 
 
"export cutting plant" means premises, appr oved under section 2 of this Act as export 
cutting plant, used for the purpose of cutt ing up meat intended for export for human 
consumption in respect of which a licence  is in force issued under the Business 
Licence Act [Cap. 249] where such plant do es not form part of a slaughterhouse; 
 
"fish" means all species of fish includi ng crustaceans, shellfish and echinoderms; 
 
"fish depot" means premises used or intended  to be used as a depot of holding for: 
 
(a) chilled or frozen fish before its delivery to a fish packing house; or 
 
(b) ice and bait before its delivery to a fishing boat; 
 
"fish packing house" means any premises used for the proc essing, handling, holding or 
storage of fish for export for human consumption; 
 
"fish product" means any article used or in tended for use as human food which, when 
reduced to a dehydrated state, contains  by weight 5 percent or more fish; 
 
"health mark" means a mark made by or under the supervision and responsibility of a 
veterinary officer; 
 
"meat" means all parts of domestic bovine, po rcine, caprine, ovine and equine animals 
suitable for human consump tion but excludes poultry meat; 
 
"meat inspector" means a person appointed as such under section 10 of this Act; 
 
"Minister" means the minister  for the time being responsible for animal productions; LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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4   
"operator" means any person carrying on the business of a slaughterhouse, cutting 
plant, cold store, butchery, poultry plant or cannery, approved under section 2 of this 
Act, on his own or in as sociation with others; 
 
"poultry meat" means all parts of domest ic poultry animals suitable for human 
consumption; 
 
"poultry plant" means a place for slaughter ing and/or processing domestic poultry for 
human consumption approved un der section 2 of this Act and in respect of which a 
licence is in force issued under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 249]; 
 
"principal veterinary office r" means a qualified veterina rian appointed under section 
10;  
"region" means a local government region declared pursuant to the Decentralization 
Act [Cap. 230]; 
 
"sell" includes offer or expose for sa le or have in possession for sale; 
 
"veterinary authority" means the veterinary  service of the government department 
responsible for animal health;  
"veterinary officer" means a qualified veteri narian appointed as such under section 10 
of this Act. 
 
PART 2 – APPROVED ESTABLISHMENTS 
 
2. Approval of establishments 
 
(1) The Minister, on application made to him unde r this section, may approve the premises to 
which the application relates as –  
(a) a "slaughterhouse" if he is satisfied th at the premises and method of operation 
of those premises comply with the require ments of this Act and of any order or 
regulation made under it pertaining to approved slaughterhouse; 
 
(b) an "export cutting plant" if he is sati sfied that the premises and method of 
operation of those premises comply with the requirements of this Act and of any order 
or regulation made under it pertaining to export cutting plants; 
 
(c) an "export cold store" if he is satisf ied that the premises and method of 
operation of those premises comply with the requirements of this Act and any order or 
regulation made under it pertaining to export cold stores; 
 
(d) a "poultry plant" if he is satisfied that  the premises and method of operation of 
those premises comply with the requirements  of this Act and any order or regulation 
made under it pertaining to poultry plants; 
 
(e) a "butchery" if he is satisfied that the premises and method of operation of 
those premises comply with the requirements  of this Act and any order or regulation LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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5  made under it pertaining to butcheries; 
 
 (f) a "cannery" if he is satisfied that th e premises and method of operation of those 
premises comply with the requirements of this Act and any order or regulation made 
under it pertaining to canneries. 
 
(g) a "fish depot" if he is satisfied that the premises and method of operation of those 
premises comply with the requirements of this Act and any order or regulation made 
under it pertaining to fish depots; 
 
(h) a "fish packing house" if he is satisfied  that the premises and method of operation 
of those premises comply with the requi rements of this Act and any order or 
regulation made under it pertaining to fish packing houses. 
 (2) An application for the approval of an es tablishment under this Act shall be made in 
writing to the Minister in the prescribed form and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee. 
 
(3) Before the Minister consider s and/or approves an application, he shall notify the principal 
veterinary officer of each such  application and the principal ve terinary officer shall direct a 
veterinary officer to inspect the establishment named in the application and to make a report 
on that establishment. 
 (4) Where the principal veterinary officer has been notified under subsection (3) of an 
application for the approval of  an establishment, he may submit written representations 
relating to that application to the Minister with in 21 days after the rece ipt of such notification 
and shall send a copy of any repr esentations to the applicant. 
 (5) Within 21 days after the receipt of a c opy of any representations submitted by the 
principal veterinary officer under subsec tion (4) the applicant may submit written 
observations on thos e representations to the Minister. 
 
(6) In determining whether or not to approve an establishment under subsection(1) the 
Minister shall have regard to – 
 
(a) the report made on the establishment by th e principal veterinary officer or a 
veterinary officer, as the case may be, under subsection (3); and 
 
(b) any further representations submitted by the applicant under subsection (5). 
 
(7) The Minister shall notify applicant in writ ing of his decision on each application for the 
approval of an establishment under this section and of the reasons for any refusal to approve 
such establishment.  
(8) Any approval of an establishment under this Act shall, in the interest of maintaining a 
sufficient standard of hygiene, be subject to th e condition that no alteration shall be made to – 
 
(a) the premises or the equipment in the establishment otherwise than by way of 
repairs and maintenance, or 
 
(b) the method of operation in that establ ishment, without the prior agreement in 
writing of the Minister who shall have rega rd to any views expressed by the principal LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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6  veterinary officer. 
 
(9) In approving an establishment under this se ction, the Minister may stipulate such 
terms and conditions as to the services to be pr ovided to the public by the establishment as he 
thinks fit. 
 
(10) Following the approval of an establishment,  the Minister shall issue to the principal 
veterinary officer a unique approva l number or code for that establishment to be used by the 
veterinary authority in health marking a nd certification thereafter, if so required. 
 
3. Limited number of approved slaughterhouses 
 
(1) Subject to subsection (2), there shall be  two slaughterhouses in Vanuatu, one situated on 
Efate and the other situated on Santo.  
(2) The Minister may, with the prior approval  of the Council of Ministers, approve 
additional slaughterhouses in a specified region of Vanuatu if he is satisfied that – 
 
(a) the throughput of the existing approved slaughterhouse in that region of 
Vanuatu exceeds two thousand tonnes ca rcass weight per annum in any two 
consecutive years; or 
 
(b) adequate, reasonably priced  and regular approved sla ughtering facilities are not 
available on non-discriminatory terms and conditions for the benefit of livestock 
producers at all times in that region (other  than during temporary closures and normal 
holiday periods). 
 4. Responsibilities of approved slaughterhouses 
 
Operators of approved slaughterhouses shall pr ovide to the public on non-discriminatory 
terms adequate, reasonably priced  and regular slaughtering servic es, and other such services 
as the Minister may prescribe at all times (o ther than during temporary closures and normal 
holiday periods). 
 
5. Establishments to provide assistance 
 
Operators of approved establishmen ts shall furnish the veterinary authority and any authorised 
officer with any assistance as may be required at any time for the purposes of carrying out the 
provisions of this Act, any or der or regulation made under it. 
 
6. Operator to provide facilities, etc. 
 Operators of approved establishments shall provide  for the use of the veterinary authority and 
any authorised officer all such accommodation, fa cilities for inspection, equipment, protective 
clothing and safety-wear and ot her reasonable needs for the purposes of carrying out the 
provisions of this Act or of any order or regulation made under it. 
 
7. Notice 
 
Every operator of any approved establishmen t shall provide reasonable notice to the 
veterinary authority of their intention to ca rry out any procedure which requires the presence LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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7  of any authorised officer at that establishment. 
 
8. Register 
 
(1) Every operator of any approved establishmen t shall keep at the establishment a record 
book in which shall be entered daily the following particulars – 
 
(a) the number, species and sex of the animals entering and leaving the approved 
establishment; 
 
(b) species of meat and meat products entering and leaving the approved 
establishments; 
 
(c) origin; 
 
(d) destination; 
 
(e) quantity and weight; 
 
(f) date animals, meat and meat pr oducts enter and leave the approved 
establishment; 
 
(g) such other particulars as may be prescribed  in respect of a specific type or class 
of approved establishment. 
 
(2) The principal veterinary officer shall keep  or cause to be kept and maintained a 
register in respect of each approved establishment and shall enter in that register –  
(a) records of animals slaughtered and me at and meat products processed; 
 
(b) their origin and destination; 
 
(c) results of inspection, wei ghing or grading in respect of animal, meat or meat 
product,  
 
and such other particulars as the principal veterinary officer sha ll consider proper or 
necessary. 
 
(3) Any operator of an approved establishment who, without any lawful excuse fails on 
any day to make in the record book, referred to  in subsection (1), any entry required to be 
made under this section or knowingly makes a fa lse entry therein, commits an offence against 
this Act and shall be liable on conviction to  a fine not exceeding VT 1,000,000 or to 
imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 years,  or to both such fine and imprisonment. 
 
(4) The record book shall at all times during working hours be open to inspection by any 
authorised officer. 
 
PART 3 – EXPORT OF MEAT 
 
9. Export of meat  LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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8  (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of  this section, no meat shall be exported from 
Vanuatu unless – 
 
(a) it is derived from an approved establishm ent and prior to export was stored in an 
export cold store; 
 
(b) it has been inspected by an authorised officer and has been passed by him as free 
from disease or defect and as suitable for export, and is branded in the prescribed 
manner; 
 
(c) it has been properly preserved by freezi ng, chilling, salting, canning, drying, 
dehydrating, or other approved method; 
 
(d) it is properly packed and is in good orde r and condition at the time when it is 
placed on board ship or aircraft for export; 
 
(e) any conditions imposed in respect of the entry of the meat into the country to 
which it is proposed to export it, or in re spect of its sale for human consumption in 
that country, have, so far as they can be complied with in Vanuatu, been complied 
with. 
 
(2) Any meat which forms part of a traveller’s personal luggage and is intended for their 
personal use shall be exempted from the provisio ns of subsection (1) where the quantity of the 
meat transported does not exceed 10 kilograms per person and that the meat comes from a 
butchery supervised by the veterinary authorit y and approved under section 2 of this Act. 
 
(3) The Minister may by Order exempt any pers on from the provisions of subsection (1) 
in respect of any meat being exported to specif ied countries with whom there exists bilateral 
agreements between veterinary authorities allo wing cutting-up, storage or supply in or from 
non-approved establishments, subject to the conditions of such agreement. 
 
(4) The Minister may by Order increase or re duce the quantity of meat allowable under 
subsection (2) to be transported as part of a traveller’s personal luggage and may impose such 
conditions in respect of the transportation of such meat as he considers necessary. 
 
PART 4 – AUTHORISED OFFICERS 
 10. Appointments 
 
The Minister shall – 
 
(a) appoint a public servant suitably qualified as a veterinarian to be principal 
veterinary officer for such period as sh all be specified in the instrument of 
appointment; 
 
(b) from time to time, appoint public servants who are suitable qualified 
veterinarians to be ve terinary officers; or 
 
(c) from time to time, appoint public servan ts who are suitably qualified to be 
meat or fish inspectors, 
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9  for the purposes of this Act. 
 
11. Powers of authorised officers 
 
(1) For the purposes of enforcing this Act or  any order or regulation made under it, an 
authorised officer may – 
 
(a) without any warrant, enter any premises  (which phrase shall include non-
approved establishments) where animals are be ing or have been slaughtered, or where 
meat or fish is being or has been cut up, stored, sold, handled, held or in any way 
processed; 
 
(b) inspect, examine, sample or perform any kind of test or examination on any 
fish, fish product, animal, animal produc t, meat or meat product in any form; 
 
(c) cut, remove, detain, seize, recall, or de stroy any fish, fish product, meat or 
meat product not fit for human consumption; 
 
(d) indelibly or otherwise mark, brand, dy e or label any animal, carcass, meat, 
meat product, fish, fish product or package c ontaining any meat, meat product, fish or 
fish product; 
 
(e) make or imposed any relevant order, instruction or condition; 
 
(f) interrupt, suspend or prohibit actions or  operations wherever animals are being 
slaughtered or meat or fish is being cut- up, stored, sold or in any way processed. 
 (2) Any meat or meat product sei zed which is in the opinion of the authorised officer unfit 
for human consumption shall be destroyed. 
 
12. Weighing 
 (1) Any weighing of carcasses at  approved slaughterhouses for th e purposes of determining a 
value or calculating any fees  or levies shall be performed by a meat inspector. 
 
(2) Unless otherwise specified, carcass weight shall be the weight of the carcass as 
defined in section 1 of this Act, except for pigs where it shall include the head, measured on completion of all dressing, inspection and trimming procedures but before chilling. 
 
13. Enforcement 
 
The principal veterinary officer is charged with the enforcement of this Act and any order or 
regulation made thereunder. 
 
14. Report of offences and Attorney General’s fiat  
(1) The principal veterinary officer or an authorised officer authorised in that behalf by the 
principal veterinary officer ma y report offences against this Act or any orders or any 
regulations made thereunder dir ectly to the Public Prosecutor. 
 (2) No prosecution for any offence against any of  the provisions of this Act or orders or LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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10  regulations made thereunder shall be comm enced without the consent of the Attorney 
General. 
 
PART 5 – EXEMPTIONS 
 
15. Exemptions 
 
(1) The principal veterinary officer or a veterina ry officer authorised in that behalf by the 
principal veterinary officer ma y exempt any person from the pr ovisions of sections 16 and 17 
of this Act for the purposes of – 
 
(a) facilitating the humane  emergency slaughter of casualty animals; 
 
(b) allowing for slaughter of wild or unma nageable animals and the processing and 
consumption of their products; 
 
(c) allowing for customary or religious sl aughter of animals and the processing 
and consumption of their products at ti mes of community and family ceremonies, 
feasts and festivities; 
 
(d) allowing for the sale and consumption in  controlled areas of bush-killed meat 
and meat products, at times when approved slaughterhouse or poultry plant facilities 
are not available in the region; 
 
(e) allowing for the sale and consumption in  controlled areas of bush-killed meat 
and meat products, from speci es of animals for which no approved slaughterhouse or 
poultry plant facilities exist in the region. 
 
(2) The principal veterinary officer or a veterina ry officer authorised in that behalf by the 
principal veterinary officer may impose such c onditions as he considers necessary in respect 
of any exemption made. 
 (3) Any meat or meat products the subject of an  exemption referred to in subsection (1) shall 
not be exported. 
 
PART 6 – OFFENCES 
 16. Offence to slaughter except under certain conditions 
 
Subject to section 15, no person shall slaughter or caused to be slaughtered any animals in a 
place, other than an approved slaughterhouse or  approved poultry plant, as the case may be, 
the meat or meat products, poultr y meat or poultry meat products of which is intended to be – 
 
(a) exported for human consumption; 
 
(b) sold, supplied, cut-up or stored in any form in a controlled area for human 
consumption; 
 
(c) canned or commercially processed into  any product for human consumption. 
 17. Sale of meat LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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(1) No person shall sell, supply meat, cut-up me at or store meat or meat products which is 
intended – 
 
(a) for export for human consumption; 
 
(b) to be re-sold or cut-up in any form in a controlled area for human 
consumption; or 
 
(c) to be canned or commercially pr ocessed into any product for human 
consumption, 
 
unless such meat or meat product is deri ved from animals slaughtered in accordance 
with the provisions of this Act. 
 
(2) Any person who contravenes or fails to co mply with the provisions of this section 
commits an offence against this Act. 
 
18. Offences against Act  
Any person who – 
 
(a) contravenes or fails to comply with a ny of the provisions of this Act; or 
 
(b) refuses or wilfully omits to carry out an y lawful order, instruction or condition 
made, given or imposed by any authorised officer under the authority of this Act, 
 commits an offence against this Act and shall be liable on c onviction to a fine not exceeding 
VT 1,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both such fine 
and imprisonment. 
 
19. Offences against orders and regulations  
Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of any orders or 
regulations made under the provisions of this Act commits an offence against such order or 
regulations, a the case may be, and shall be liab le on conviction to a fine not exceeding VT 
1,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term not ex ceeding 3 years, or to both such fine and 
imprisonment. 
 
20. Assaulting etc., authorised  officers to be an offence 
 
Any person who assaults, obstructs or threatens a ny authorised officer in the exercise of his 
functions under this Act or any order or regul ation made thereunder commits an offence and 
shall be liable on conviction to a fine not ex ceeding VT 1,000,000 or to imprisonment for a 
term not exceeding three years, or to both such fine and imprisonment. 
 
21. Compounding of offences 
 
(1) The principal veterinary officer upon consid eration of the report sent to him or if he 
himself establishes the breach, failure, omission or contravention in resp ect of any offence 
referred to in sections 18 and 19, may issue an offender with a compounding notice giving LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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12  such offender the option of paying a fine on the scale prescribed by the Judicial Committee or 
appearing before the Court for a trial. 
 
(2) The maximum fine to be levied by way of a compounding notice shall not exceed the 
maximum fines as shall be prescribed under subsection (1). 
 
PART 7 – MISCELLANEOUS 
 
22. Meat Advisory Board  
(1) The Minister may, by order, appoint such pe rsons as he thinks fit to constitute a Meat 
Advisory Board whose function is to advise th e Minister on matters pertaining to the meat 
industry. 
 (2) In establishing a Board under subsection (1) the Minister shall, in that order, provide for 
the chairmanship, tenure and vacation of office by members,  quorum, proceedings, meetings 
of the Board, and determination of the Board. 
 
(3) The Board shall submit to the Minister a report annually on the meat industry in 
Vanuatu. 
 
23. Delegation of powers of the Minister  
(1) The Minister may by writing under his hand, delegate to the principal veterinary officer 
any of the powers or functions conferred on or assigned to the Minister by this Act. In the 
exercise of his powers the principa l veterinary officer shall be s ubject to the directions of the 
Minister.  
(2) Subject to any general or sp ecial directions given by the Mi nister, the principal veterinary 
officer may exercise those powers delegated in th e same manner and with the same effect as if 
they had been directly conferred on the princi pal veterinary officer by this Act and not by 
delegation.  
(3) The principal veterinary officer purportin g to act under any delegation under this section 
shall, in the absence of proof to the contrary, be  presumed to be acting within the terms of the 
delegation. 
 (4) Any such delegation may at any time be re voked by the Minister, in whole or in part, 
but that revocation shall not affect in any wa y anything done under the delegated authority. 
 
(5) No such delegation shall prevent the exercise  by the Minister himself of any of the 
powers and functions conferred on the Minister by this Act. 
 
24. Forfeiture of meat etc., not complying with requirements 
 Meat or meat products, fish or fish products and poultry meat or  poultry meat products failing 
to complying with the provisions of this Act or  of any order or regulation made under it may 
be seized and forfeited to the state or destroyed or otherwise disposed of  by, or by order of, an 
authorised officer together with any other meat  or meat products, fish or fish products and 
poultry meat or poultry meat products stored with them. 
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13  25. Costs of seizure and destruction 
 
All costs and expenses of, and attendant upon, an y inspection, examinatio n, testing, seizure, 
treatment, detention, destruction, trimming, disposal or other dealings therewith of any 
animal, animal product, meat or meat product, poultry meat or poultry meat product, fish or 
fish product ordered or required under the pr ovisions of this Act shall be borne by the 
operator of the approved establishment or agen t thereof and shall be recoverable by him as a 
debt due to the state. 
 26. Compensation not payable 
 
No compensation shall be payable in respect of – 
 
(a) the slaughter, death, loss of production or earnings or devaluation of any 
animals, or the destruction, condemnation, deterioration or devaluation of any animal 
product, meat or meat product, poultry meat or poultry meat product, fish or fish 
product consequent to any detention, exam ination, test, treatment, suspension of 
operations or other action taken or ordered unde r the provisions of this Act or of any 
order or regulation made thereunder; 
 
(b) trespass or damage to any property or premises caused by an authorised officer 
in carrying out his duties and obligations or  in exercising his powers under this Act or 
of any order or regulation made thereunder; provided that at all times due care was 
taken. 
 
27. Suspension and re vocation of approval 
 (1) The Minister may suspend or revoke his appr oval of any approved establishment if, after 
an inspection of, or an inquiry into, the met hod of operation of the approved establishment 
and a report by an authorised officer and, in  the case of revocation of approval, after 
consultation with the operator, he is satisfie d in respect of that establishment that the 
requirements of this Act or of  any order or regulation made under it are no longer complied 
with, or have not been complied with and no ac tion has been taken to ensure that a similar 
breach does not occur in future, or that the conditions attached to the approval of that 
establishment in accordance with subsection (8) or  subsection (9) of section 2 have not been 
observed. 
 (2) The Minister shall forthwith notify the ope rator of his decision under subsection (1) to 
suspend or revoke his approval of the approve d establishment, of the date on which the 
suspension or revocation is to ta ke effect and of the reasons fo r such suspension or revocation. 
 
(3) Any notification under subsection (2) shal l be given in writing in the case of any 
revocation of approval and may be given orally or  in writing in the case of any suspension of 
approval, and where any such notification is give n orally it shall be confirmed in writing. 
 (4) Where the Minister has suspended approva l of an approved establishment, that 
establishment shall be treated throughout the peri od of suspension as if approval had not been 
granted under this Act. 
 
(5) Where the suspension of approval of an approved establishment under this Act is not expressed to end on a specified date  it may, if the Minister thi nks fit, be ended by notice given LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
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14  by him to the operator. 
 
28. Regulations by Minister 
 
The Minister may make regulations not inconsistent with this Act – 
 
(a) prescribing general conditions fo r the approval of establishments; 
 
(b) prescribing special conditions for th e approval of fish packing houses, 
slaughterhouses, export cutting plants and e xport cold stores and poultry plants, either 
together or separately; 
 
(c) prescribing conditions for the constr uction and operation of approved 
establishments, either together or separately; 
 
(d) prescribing minimum standards of hygiene of staff, premises and equipment; 
 
(e) providing for compulsory ante- and post-mortem health inspection; 
 
(f) prescribing minimum standards fo r slaughter and cutting hygiene; 
 
(g) prescribing requirements for fish intende d for processing and packing or meat 
and poultry meat intended for cutting; 
 
(h) providing for health control of packed fish  and stored fish, cut meat and stored 
meat, cut poultry meat and stored poultry meat; 
 
(i) providing for health marking; 
 
(j) prescribing conditions for the wrapping an d packaging of fresh fish, meat and 
poultry meat; 
 
(k) providing for the issue of health certificates; 
 
(l) prescribing conditions for the storage, transport and export of fish, meat and 
poultry meat; 
 
(m) prescribing conditions for the marking, st orage, sale and supply of fish, meat 
and poultry meat in controlled ar eas not for human consumption; 
 
(n) prescribing minimum levels of servic e to be provided to the public by 
approved establishments; 
 
(o) prescribing maximum fees to  be charged for services provided to the public by 
approved establishments; 
 
(p) prescribing fees payable for inspection s, examinations and other services 
rendered and certificates issued and the persons by whom the fees are payable; 
 
(q) declaring any part of Vanuatu, or any prem ises, or any type of  premises to be a 
controlled area for the purposes of this Ac t or any order or regulation made under it; LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
Consolidated Edition 2006 
 
 MEAT INDUSTRY [CAP. 213] 
 
15   
(r) regulating, controlling or banning the sl aughter, cutting up, storage or sale of 
specified animals, types of animal, anim al products, meat or meat products, poultry 
meat or poultry meat products, fish or fish products considered to be infected with any 
disease, treated or exposed to any specified  or unspecified drug, chemical, substance 
or ionizing radiation, or c ontaining or considered to c ontain any residue of harmful 
substance; 
 
(s) prescribing forms to be used  for the purposes of this Act; 
 
(t) prescribing recognized codes of practice to  be adopted and for their provisions 
to be generally or partia lly applicable in Vanuatu; 
 
(u) providing for the introduction and operation of grading schemes; 
 
(v) prescribing all matters which are necessar y or required to be prescribed for the 
carrying out or giving ef fect to this Act. 
 
29. Repeal  
(1) The following legislations are repealed - 
 
(a) Meat Supply Act [Cap. 51]; 
 
(b) Abattoirs Act [Cap. 99]; 
 
(c) Butcheries Act [Cap. 100]. 
 
 (2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the legisl ations referred to in subsection (1) (repealed 
Acts): 
 
 (a) any certificate or licence issued or wr itten consent granted under or in accordance 
with the repealed Acts as is in force on the date of operation of this Act in so far as the 
condition of such certificate, licence or written consent is  not inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act shall remain valid fo r a period of one year from the date of 
commencement of this Act; 
 
(b) any regulation or order made under the repe aled Acts as is in force on the date of 
operation of this Act in so far as such regul ation or order is not inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act, shall be deemed to be a regulation or orde r made under this Act 
and may be amended by regulations or orders made under this Act. 
 ________________________ 
 
Table of Amendments  
 
1  Amended by Acts 27 of 1992, 40 of 2000  2(1)(g) & (h) Amended by Act 40 of 2000 
10(c)  Amended by Act 40 of 2000 
11(1)(a),(b),(c),(d),(f) Amended by Act 40 of 2000 12 heading & (1) Amended by Act 27 of 1992 
24 Amended by Act 40 of 2000 
25 Amended by Act 40 of 2000 LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU 
Consolidated Edition 2006 
 
 MEAT INDUSTRY [CAP. 213] 
 
16  26(a) Amended by Act 40 of 2000 
28(b), (g), (h), (j), (l), (m), (r) Amended by Act 40 of 2000