ICS 67.120  
 
 Reference number  
DRS 185: 20 23 
© RSB 2023 
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
185 
 
Third  edition  
2023-- 
 
Code of hygienic practice for meat  
   
DRS 185: 20 23 
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2023 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
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Website: www.rsb.gov.rw   
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 185:20 23 
iii                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  vi 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
4 General principles  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  10 
5 Primary production  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  11 
5.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  11 
5.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to primary production  ................................ .................  11 
5.3 Hygiene of slaughter animals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 12 
5.4 Hygiene of feed and feed ingredients  ................................ ................................ ......................  13 
5.5 Hygiene of the primary production environment  ................................ ................................ .... 14 
5.6 Transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 14 
5.6.1  Transport of slaughter animals  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 14 
6 Presentation of animals for slaughter  ................................ ................................ ......................  15 
6.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  15 
6.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to animals presented for slaughter  ............................  15 
6.3 Conditions of lairage  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  16 
6.4 Ante -mortem inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  17 
6.4.1  General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  17 
6.4.2  Design of ante -mortem inspection systems  ................................ ................................ ............  17 
6.4.3  Implementation of ante -mortem inspection ................................ ................................ .............  18 
6.4.4  Ante -mortem judgement categories  ................................ ................................ .........................  19 
6.5 Information on animal presented for slaughter  ................................ ................................ ...... 20 
7 Establishments: Design, facilities and equipment  ................................ ................................ . 20 
7.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  20 
7.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to establishments, facilities and equipment  .............  21 
7.3 Design and construction of lairage  ................................ ................................ ..........................  21 
7.4 Design and construction of slaughter areas  ................................ ................................ ...........  22 
7.5 Design and construction of dressing areas  ................................ ................................ ............  23 
7.6 Design and construction of equipment in dressing areas  ................................ .....................  24 
7.7 Water supply  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  25 
7.8 Temperature control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  25 
7.9 Facilities and equipment for personal hygiene  ................................ ................................ ....... 26 
7.10  Means of transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  26 
8 Process control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  27 
8.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  27 
8.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to process control  ................................ .......................  27 
8.3 Process control systems  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  29 
8.3.1  General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  29 
8.3.2  Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)  ................................ .............................  29 
8.3.3  HACCP  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  30 
8.3.4  Outcome -based parameters for process control  ................................ ................................ .... 31 
8.3.5  Regulatory systems  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  32 
8.3.6  Quality assurance (QA) systems  ................................ ................................ ..............................  34 
8.4 General hygiene requirements for process control  ................................ ................................  34 
8.5 Hygiene requirements for slaughter and dressing  ................................ ................................ . 35 DRS 185: 20 23 
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 8.6 Post -mortem inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  37 
8.6.1  General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  37 
8.6.2  Design of post -mortem inspection systems  ................................ ................................ ...........  37 
8.6.3  Implementation of post -mortem inspection  ................................ ................................ ............  39 
8.7 Post -mortem judgement  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  41 
8.8 Hygiene requirements for process control after post -mortem inspection  ..........................  42 
8.9 Hygiene requirements for parts of animals deemed unsafe or unsuitable for human 
consumption  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  47 
8.10  Systems for removing products that are in circulation  ................................ .........................  48 
9 Establishments: maintenance and sanitation  ................................ ................................ ........  49 
9.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  49 
9.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to maintenance and sanitation of establishments, 
facilities and equipment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  49 
9.3 Maintenance and sanitation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 49 
10 Personal hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  50 
10.1  General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  50 
10.2  Personal cleanliness  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  50 
10.3  Personal health status  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  51 
11 Transportation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  51 
12 Product information and consumer awareness  ................................ ................................ ..... 52 
13 Training  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 52 
13.1  General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  52 
13.2  Principles of training in meat hygiene  ................................ ................................ .....................  52 
13.3  Training programmes  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  53 
Annex  A (normative)  Risk -based evaluation of organoleptic post -mortem inspection procedures 
for meat  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 54 
A.1 Introduction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  54 
A.2 Objectives of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures for meat  .............................  54 
A.3 Risk analysis  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  55 
A.3.1  Risk management framework  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 55 
A.3.2  Risk assessment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  55 
A.4 General principles for development of risk -based post -mortem meat inspection 
procedures  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 55 
A.5 Guidelines for the development of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures  ........  57 
A.5.1  Identification of the meat hygiene issues  ................................ ................................ ...............  57 
A.5.2  Field trials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 57 
A.6 Sensitivity  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 57 
A.7 Risk management decisions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 58 
Annex  B (normative)  Verification of process control of meat hygiene by microbiological testing
 ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  59 
B.1 Introduction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  59 
B.2 Verification of process control by microbiological testing  ................................ ...................  59 
B.3 Principles for the establishment of microbiological testing requirements  .........................  60 
B.4 Implementation of a programme for verification of process control by microbiological 
testing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  61 
B.4.1  Specifications  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  61 
B.4.2  Frequency of sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  61 
B.4.3  Laboratory analysis  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  62 
B.4.4  Laboratory application  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  62 DRS 185:20 23 
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  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adopted 
by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
RS 185 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 005, Meat and meat products . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
1) CAC/RCP 58: 2005 , Code of hygienic practice for meat  
2) ES 1115: 2005 , Code of hygienic practice for fresh meat  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
This third edition cancels and replaces the second  edition ( RS 185: 2019), which has been technically revised.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Meat and meat products (RSB/TC 
005) in the preparation of this standard.  
Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (RFDA)  
Rugari Meat Processing Ltd  
Res Populi Ltd  
Rwanda Inspectorate,Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA)  
Umurage interprise Ltd  
Zamura Feeds Ltd  
City of Kigali  
Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture  
Kigali Marriott Hotel  DRS 185:20 23 
vii                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
  National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA)  
National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB)  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 185: 20 23 
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  viii 
 Introduction  
Meat has traditionally been viewed as a vehicle for a significant proportion of human food -borne disease. 
Although the spectrum of meat -borne diseases of public health importance has changed with changing 
production and processing systems, continuation of the problem has been well illustrated in recent years by 
human surveillance studies of specific meat -borne pathogens such as Escherichia coli  O157:H7, Salmonella 
spp., Campylobacter spp . and Yersinia enterocolitica . In addition to existing biological, chem ical and physical 
hazards, new hazards are also appearing e.g., the agent of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). 
Furthermore, consumers have expectations about suitability issues which are not necessarily of human health 
significance.  
A contemporary risk -based approach to meat hygiene requires that hygiene measures shall be applied at those 
points in the food chain where they will be of greatest value in reducing food -borne risks to consumers. This 
shall be reflected in application of s pecific measures based on science and risk assessment, with a greater 
emphasis on prevention and control of contamination during all aspects of production of meat and its further 
processing. Application of HACCP principles is an essential element. The meas ure of success of contemporary 
programmes is an objective demonstration of levels of hazard control in food that are correlated with required 
levels of consumer protection, rather than by concentrating on detailed and prescriptive measures that give an 
unknown outcome.  
At the national level the activities of the Competent Authority having jurisdiction at the slaughterhouse (usually 
Veterinary Administrations) very often serve animal health as well as public health objectives. This is particularly 
the case in relation to ante- and post -mortem inspection where the slaughterhouse is a key point in animal 
health surveillance, including zoonoses. Regardless of jurisdictional arrangements, it is important that this 
duality of functions is recognized and relevant public health a nd animal health activities are integrated.  
 DRS 185: 20 23 
1                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 Code of hygienic practice for meat  
1 Scope  
1.1 This Rwanda standard covers hygiene provisions for raw meat, meat preparations and manufactured 
meat from the time of live animal production up to the point of retail sale. It further develops 'The Recommended 
Rwanda Code of Practice: General Principles of Food Hygiene’ in respect of  these products. Where appropriate, 
the Annex to that code (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System and Guidelines for its Application) 
and the Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Cr iteria for Foods are further 
developed and applied in the specific context of meat hygiene.  
1.2 For the purposes of this standard , meat is that derived from domestic ungulates, domestic solipe ds, 
domestic birds and lagomorphs . This standard  may also be applied to other types of animals from which meat 
is derived, subject to any special hygienic measures required by the competent authority. Further to general 
hygiene measures applying to all species of animal as described above, this standard  also presents specific 
measures that apply to different species and classes of animals . 
1.3 The hygiene measures that are applied to the products described in this standard  take into account any 
further measures and food handling practices that are likely to be applied by the consumer.  
NOTE  Some of the products described in this standard may not be subjected to a heat or other biocidal process before 
consumption.  
1.4 Traditional practices may result in departures from some of the meat hygiene recommendations 
presented in this standard  when meat is produced for local trade.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the 
latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
CAC/GL 20, Principles for food import and export inspection and certification  
CAC/GL 21, Principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for food  
CAC/GL 24, General Guidelines for Use of the Term "Halal"  
RS 184, Requirements for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.  
RS 201, Abattoir — Basic requirements  
RS CAC/GL 21, Principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for foods.  
RS CAC/GL 26, Guidelines for the design, operation, assessment and accreditation of food import and export 
inspection and certification systems.   
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 RS CAC/RCP 1, General principles of food hygiene  
RS CAC/RCP 23, Recommended Rwanda code of hygienic practice for low -acid canned foods  
RS EAS 12, Potable water — Specification  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply . 
3.1 
abattoir  
any establishment where specified animals are slaughtered and dressed for human consumption and that is 
approved, registered and/or listed by the competent authority for such purposes  
3.2 
animal  
animals of the following types:  
a) domestic ungulates;  
b) domestic solipeds;  
c) domestic birds i.e. poultry;  
d) lagomorphs;  and 
e) animals as otherwise specified by the competent authority.  
3.3 
ante-mortem inspection  
any procedure or test conducted by a competent person on live animals for the purpose of judgement of safety 
and suitability and disposition  
3.4 
brand  
any mark or stamp approved by the controlling authority and also includes any tag or label bearing such mark 
or stamp  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 3.5 
cleaning  
removal of objectionable matter  
3.6 
contamination  
objectionable matter, and includes substances and/or microorganisms that make fresh meat unsafe and/or  
unwholesome  
3.7 
controlling authority  
official authority charged by the government with the control of meat hygiene, including meat inspection  
3.8 
carcass  
body of an animal after dressing  
3.9 
chemical residues  
residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides as described in the definitions for the purpose of the Codex  
Alimentarius  
3.10 
competent authority  
official authority charged by the government with the control of meat hygiene, including setting and enforcing  
regulatory meat hygiene requirements  
3.11 
competent body  
body officially recognised and overseen by the competent authority to undertake specified meat hygiene  
activities   
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 3.12 
competent person  
person who has the training, knowledge, skills and ability to perform an assigned task, and who is subject to  
requirements specified by the competent authority  
3.13 
condemned  
inspected and judged by a competent person, or otherwise determined by the competent authority, as being  
unsafe or unsuitable for human consumption and requiring appropriate disposal  
3.14 
contaminant  
any biological or chemical agent, foreign matter, or other substance not intentionally added to food that may  
compromise food safety or suitability  
3.14 
disease or defect  
any abnormality affecting safety and/or suitability  
3.15 
dressing  
progressive separation of the body of an animal into a carcass and other edible and inedible parts  
3.16 
emergency slaughter  
slaughter by necessity of any animal which has recently suffered from accident or injury, or which is affected by 
a disease, which does not necessarily call for total condemnation at meat inspection, which however is likely to  
deteriorate unless slaughter takes place immediately  
3.17 
equivalence  
capability of different meat hygiene systems to meet the same food safety and/or suitability objectives  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 3.18 
establishment  
building or area used for performing meat hygiene activities that is approved, registered and/or listed by the  
competent authority for such purposes  
3.19 
establishment operator  
person in control of an establishment who is responsible for ensuring that the regulatory meat hygiene  
requirements are met  
3.20 
Food Safety Objective (FSO)  
maximum frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food at the time of consumption that provides or  
contributes to the Appropriate Level Of Protection (ALOP)  
3.21 
fresh meat  
meat that apart from refrigeration has not been treated for the purpose of preservation other than through  
protective packaging and which retains its natural characteristics  
3.22 
good hygienic practice  
all practices regarding the conditions and measures necessary to ensure the (GHP) safety and suitability of  food 
at all stages of the food chain  
3.23 
hazard  
biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the potential to cause an adverse health  effect  
3.24 
inedible  
inspected and judged by a competent person, or otherwise determined by the competent authority to be  
unsuitable for human consumption   
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 3.25 
manufactured meat 
products resulting from the processing of raw meat or from the further processing of such processed products,  
so that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh meat  
3.26 
meat  
all parts of an animal that are intended for, or have been judged as safe and suitable for, human consumption  
3.27 
meat hygiene  
all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of meat at all stages of the food  chain  
3.28 prepar ed meat  
raw meat which has had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it  
3.29 
Mechanically Separated Meat (MSM)  
product obtained by removing meat from flesh -bearing bones after boning or from poultry carcasses, using  
mechanical means that result in the loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure  
3.30 
minced meat  
boneless meat which has been reduced into  small pieces  
3.31 
official inspector  
competent person who is appointed, accredited or otherwise recognised by the competent authority to perform  
official meat hygiene activities on behalf of, or under the supervision of the competent authority  
3.32 
organoleptic inspection  
using the senses of sight, touch, taste and smell for identification of diseases and defects  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 3.33 
performance criterion  
effect in frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food that shall be achieved by the application of one  
or more control measures to provide or contribute to a Performance Objective (PO) or a Food Safety Objective 
(FSO)  
3.34 
performance objective  
maximum frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food at a specified step in the food chain before the  
time of consumption that provides or contributes to a Food Safety Objective (FSO) or Appropriate Level Of 
Protection (ALOP), as applicable  
3.35 
potable water  
water that is pure and wholesome at the point of sage in accordance with requirements contained in the RS  
EAS 12  
3.36 
post -mortem inspection  
any procedure or test conducted by a competent person on all relevant parts of slaughtered/ animals for  the 
purpose of judgement of safety and suitability and disposition  
3.37 
primary production  
all those steps in the food chain constituting animal production and transport of animals to the abattoir  
3.38 
process control  
all conditions and measures applied during the production process that are necessary to achieve safety and  
suitability of meat  
3.39 
process criterion  
physical process control parameters (e.g. time, temperature) at a specified step that can be applied to achieve  
a performance objective or performance criterion   
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 3.40 
protective clothing  
special garments intended to prevent the contamination of meat and used as outerwear by persons in an  abattoir 
or establishment, and includes head coverings and footwear  
3.41 
Quality Assurance (QA)  
all the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system and demonstrated as needed,  
to provide adequate confidence that an entity will fulfil requirements for quality  
3.42 
Quality Assurance (QA) system  
organisational structure, procedures, processes and resources needed to implement quality assurance  
3.43 
raw meat  
fresh meat, minced meat or mechanically separated meat  
3.44 
Ready -To-Eat (RTE) products  
products that are intended to be consumed without any further biocidal steps  
3.45 
risk analysis  
includes risk assessment, risk management and risk communication, all of which are essential to the decision  
making process that determines acceptable levels of risk, and the implementation of those decisions  
3.46 
risk-based  
containing any performance objective, performance criterion or process criterion developed according to risk  
analysis principle  
3.47 
safe for human consumption  
safe for human consumption according to the following criteria:  DRS 185: 20 23 
9                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 a) has been produced by applying all food safety requirements appropriate to its intended end -use; 
b) meets risk -based performance and process criteria for specified hazards; and  
c) does not contain hazards at levels that are harmful to human health  
3.48 
Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)  
documented system for assuring that personnel, facilities, equipment and utensils are clean and where  
necessary, sanitised to specified levels prior to and during operations  
3.49 
suitable for human consumption  
suitable for human consumption according to the following criteria:  
a) has been produced under hygienic conditions as outlined in this code;  
b) is appropriate to its intended use; and  
c) meets outcome -based parameters for specified diseases or defects as established by the competent 
authority  
3.50 
validation  
obtaining evidence that the food hygiene control measure or measures selected to control hazard in a food is 
capable of effectively and consistently controlling the hazard to the appropriate level  
3.51 
verification  
activities performed by the competent authority and/or competent body to determine compliance with regulatory 
requirements  
3.52 
verification (Operator)  
continual review of process control systems by the operator, including corrective and preventative actions to 
ensure that regulatory and/or specified requirements are met   
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 3.53 
veterinary inspector  
official inspector who is professionally qualified as a veterinarian and carries out official meat hygiene activities 
as specified by the competent authority  
3.54 
viscera  
organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavity . 
4 General principles  
Meat hygiene shall consider the following general principles:  
a) meat shall be safe and suitable for human consumption and all interested parties including government, 
industry and consumers have a role in achieving this outcome;  
b) the competent authority shall have the legal power to set and enforce regulatory meat hygiene requirements, 
and have final responsibility for verifying that regulatory meat hygiene requirements are met. It shall be the 
responsibility of the establishment o perator to produce meat that is safe and suitable in accordance with 
regulatory meat hygiene requirements. There shall be a legal obligation on relevant parties to provide any 
information and assistance as may be required by the competent authority;  
c) meat hygiene programmes shall have as their primary goal the protection of public health and shall be 
based on a scientific evaluation of meat -borne risks to human health and take into account all relevant food 
safety hazards, as identified by research, mo nitoring and other relevant activities;  
d) the principles of food safety risk analysis shall be incorporated in the design and implementation of meat 
hygiene programmes;  
e) wherever possible and practical, competent authorities should formulate Food Safety Objectives (FSOs) 
according to a risk -based approach so as to objectively express the level of hazard control that is required 
to meet public health goals;  
f) meat hygiene requirements shall control hazards to the greatest extent practicable throughout the entire 
food chain. Information available from primary production shall be taken into account so as to tailor meat 
hygiene requirements to the spectrum and pre valence of hazards in the animal population from which the 
meat is sourced;  
g) the establishment operator shall apply HACCP principles. To the greatest extent practicable, the HACCP 
principles shall also be applied in the design and implementation of hygiene measures throughout the entire 
food chain;  
h) the competent authority shall define the role of those personnel involved in meat hygiene activities where 
appropriate, including the specific role of the veterinary inspector;  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 i) the range of activities involved in meat hygiene shall be carried out by personnel with the appropriate 
training, knowledge, skills and ability as and where defined by the competent authority;  
j) the competent authority shall verify that the establishment operator has adequate systems in place to trace 
and withdraw meat from the food chain. Communication with consumers and other interested parties shall 
be considered and undertaken where appropriat e; 
k) as appropriate to the circumstances, the results of monitoring and surveillance of animal and human 
populations shall be considered with subsequent review and/or modification of meat hygiene requirements 
whenever necessary; and  
l) competent authorities shall recognize the equivalence of alternative hygiene measures where appropriate, 
and promulgate meat hygiene measures that achieve required outcomes in terms of safety and suitability 
and facilitate fair practices in the trading of meat.  
5 Primary production  
5.1 General  
5.1.1 Primary production is a significant source of hazards associated with meat. A number of hazards are 
present in animal populations intended for slaughter and their control during primary production, often presents 
considerable challenges, e.g., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp . Campylobacter spp  and various 
chemical and physical hazards. A risk -based approach to meat hygiene includes consideration of risk 
management options that may have a significant impact on risk reduction when applied at th e level of primary 
production.  
5.1.2 Provision of relevant information on animals intended for slaughter facilitates application of risk -based 
meat hygiene programmes, and allows inspection procedures to be tailor -made to the spectrum and prevalence 
of diseases and defects in the particular a nimal population. This may be particularly important in situations 
where the presence of certain zoonotic agents is not detectable by routine organoleptic or laboratory tests, and 
special measures may need to be taken, e.g. possible exposure to cysts  of Cysticercus bovis.  
5.1.3 Voluntary or officially recognised QA systems implemented at primary production shall be appropriately 
taken into account during verification of regulatory requirements.  
5.1.4 The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines 
in RS CXC  1. 
5.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to primary production  
Meat hygiene applying to primary production shall meet these principles:  
a) primary production shall be managed in a way that reduces the likelihood of introduction of hazards and 
appropriately contributes to meat being safe and suitable for human consumption;  
b) whenever possible and practicable, systems should be established by the primary production sector and 
the competent authority, to collect, collate and make available, information on hazards and conditions that 
may be present in animal populations and that may affect the safety and suitability of meat;   
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 c) primary production shall include official or officially -recognised programmes for the control and monitoring 
of zoonotic agents in animal populations and the environment as appropriate to the circumstances, and 
notifiable zoonotic diseases shall be reporte d as required;  
d) good hygienic practice (GHP) at the level of primary production shall involve for example the health and 
hygiene of animals, records of treatments, feed and feed ingredients and relevant environmental factors, 
and should include application of HACCP princi ples to the greatest extent practicable; and  
e) animal identification practices shall allow trace -back to the place of origin to the extent practicable, to allow 
regulatory investigation where necessary.  
5.3 Hygiene of slaughter animals  
5.3.1 Both primary producers and the competent authority shall work together to implement risk -based meat 
hygiene programmes at the level of primary production that document the general health status of slaughter 
animals, and implement practices that maintain or  improve that status, e.g., zoonoses control programmes. QA 
programmes at the level of primary production shall be encouraged and may include application of HACCP 
principles as appropriate to the circumstances. Such programmes shall be taken into acc ount by the competent 
authority in the overall design and implementation of risk -based meat hygiene programmes.  
5.3.2 So as to facilitate the application of risk -based meat hygiene programmes:  
a) primary producers shall record relevant information to the extent possible on the health status of animals 
as it relates to the production of meat that is safe and suitable for human consumption. This information 
shall be made available to the abattoir as appropriate to the circumstances;  
b) systems shall be in place for return from the abattoir to the primary producer, of information on the safety 
and suitability of slaughter animals and meat, in order to improve the hygiene on the farm and, where 
producer -led QA -programmes are applied, to be  incorporated into these programmes to improve their 
effectiveness; and  
c) the competent authority shall systematically analyse monitoring and surveillance information from primary 
production so that meat hygiene requirements may be modified if necessary.  
d) the competent authority shall administer an official programme for control of specified zoonotic agents, 
chemical hazards and contaminants. This should be co -ordinated to the greatest extent possible with other 
competent authorities that may have responsib ilities in public and animal health.  
e) Official or officially -recognised programmes for specified zoonotic agents shall include measures to:  
f) control and eradicate their presence in animal populations, or subsets of populations, e.g., particular poultry 
flocks;  
g) prevent the introduction of new zoonotic agents;  
h) provide monitoring and surveillance systems that establish baseline data and guide a risk -based approach 
to control of such hazards in meat; and  DRS 185: 20 23 
13                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 i) control movement of animals between primary production units, and to abattoirs, where populations are 
under quarantine restrictions.  
5.3.3 Official or officially -recognized programmes for chemical hazards and contaminants shall include 
measures to:  
a) control the registration and use of veterinary drugs and pesticides so that residues do not occur in meat at 
levels that make the product unsafe for human consumption, and  
b) provide monitoring and surveillance systems that establish baseline data and guide a risk -based approach 
to control of such hazards in meat.  
5.3.4 Animal identification systems, to the extent practicable, shall be in place at primary production level so 
that the origin of meat can be traced back from the abattoir or establishment to the place of production of the 
animals.  
5.3.5 Animals shall not be loaded for transport to the abattoir when:  
a) the degree of contamination of the external surfaces of the animal is likely to compromise hygienic slaughter 
and dressing, and suitable interventions such as washing or shearing are not available;  
b) information is available to suggest that animals may compromise the production of meat that is safe and 
suitable for human consumption, e.g., presence of specific disease conditions or recent administration of 
veterinary drugs. In some situations, transpor t may proceed if the animals have been specifically identified 
(e.g. as “suspects”) and are to be slaughtered under special supervision; or  
c) conditions causing animal stress may exist or arise that are likely to result in an adverse impact on the 
safety and suitability of meat.  
5.4 Hygiene of feed and feed ingredients  
5.4.1 Feeding of animals during primary production shall be subject to good animal feeding practice. Records 
shall be maintained at the manufacturing level, on the origin of feed and feed ingredients to facilitate verification.  
5.4.2 There is a need for collaboration between all parties involved in production, manufacturing and use of 
feed and feed ingredients, so as to establish any linkage between identified hazards and the level of risk to 
consumers that may result from transmission  through the food chain.  
5.4.3 Animals shall not be given feed and feed ingredients that:  
a) are recognised as likely to introduce zoonotic agents (including Transmissible Spongiform 
Encephalopathies  - TSEs) to the slaughter population; or  
b) contain s chemical substances, (e.g., veterinary drugs, pesticides) or contaminants that could result in 
residues in meat at levels that make the product unsafe for human consumption.  
5.4.4 The competent authority shall implement appropriate legislation and controls governing the feeding of  
animal protein to animals where there is a likelihood of transmission of zoonotic agents, and this may include  a  
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  14 
 ban on such feeding when justified by risk management. Any processed feed and feed ingredients shall be  
subject to appropriate microbiological and other criteria according to a specified sampling plan and testing  
protocol, and maximum limits for mycotoxins.  
5.5 Hygiene of the primary production environment  
5.5.1 Primary production of animals shall not be undertaken in areas where the presence of hazards in the 
environment could lead to an unacceptable level of such hazards in meat.  
5.5.2 The competent authority shall design and administer monitoring and surveillance programmes 
appropriate to the circumstances that address:  
a) hazards arising from animals and plants that may compromise the production of meat that is safe and 
suitable for human consumption;  
b) environmental contaminants that may result in levels in meat that make the product unsafe for human 
consumption; and  
c) ensuring that potential carriers such as water, are not significant vehicles for transmission of hazards.  
5.5.3 Facilities and procedures shall be in place to ensure that:  
a) housing and feeding platforms where used, and other areas where zoonotic agents and other hazards  may 
accumulate, can be effectively cleaned, and are maintained in a sanitary condition (RS CAC/RCP 1);  
b) systems for active processing and/or disposal of dead animals and waste shall not constitute a  possible 
source of food -borne hazards to human and animal health; and  
c) chemical hazards required for technological reasons shall be stored in a manner so that they do not  
contaminate the environment or feed and feed ingredients and thereby pose a risk to human health.  
5.6 Transport  
5.6.1  Transport of slaughter animals  
5.6.1.1  Transport of slaughter animals shall be carried out in a manner that does not have an adverse 
impact on the safety and suitability of meat. Furthermore, the transport shall comply with the regulations in 
place. Slaughter animals require transport facilities to the abattoir that ensure that:  
a) soiling and cross -contamination with faecal material is minimised;  
b) new hazards are not introduced during transport;  
c) animal identification as to the place of origin is maintained; and  DRS 185: 20 23 
15                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 d) consideration is given to avoiding undue stress that may adversely impact on the safety of meat (such as 
stress -induced shedding of pathogens).  
5.6.1. 2 Transport vehicles shall be designed and maintained so that:  
a) animals can be loaded, unloaded and transported easily and with minimal risk of injury;  
b) animals of different species, and animals of the same species likely to cause injury to one another, are 
physically separated during transport;  
c) use of floor gratings, crates or similar devices limits soiling and cross -contamination with faecal material;  
d) where the vehicle has more than one deck, animals are protected from cross -contamination as appropriate  
e) ventilation is adequate; and  
f) cleaning and sanitizing is readily achieved (RS CXC  1). 
g) Transport vehicles, and crates where used shall be cleaned and sanitised as soon as practicable after 
animals have been unloaded at the establishment.  
6 Presentation of animals for slaughter  
6.1 General  
6.1.1 Only healthy, clean and appropriately identified animals shall be presented for slaughter.  
6.1.2 All animals shall be screened upon arrival at the abattoir. Where abnormalities in behaviour or  
appearance suggest that an individual animal or a consignment of animals shall be segregated, this shall  occur 
and the competent person undertaking ante -mortem inspection shall be notified.  
6.1.3 Ante-mortem inspection is an important pre -slaughter activity, and all relevant information on animals  
presented for slaughter shall be utilised in meat hygiene systems.  
6.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to animals presented for slaughter  
For hygiene applying to animals presented for slaughter, the following principles shall be considered:  
a) animals presented for slaughter shall be sufficiently clean so that they do not compromise hygienic  slaughter 
and dressing;  
b) the conditions of holding of animals presented for slaughter shall minimise cross contamination with  food-
borne pathogens and facilitate efficient slaughter and dressing;   
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 c) slaughter animals shall be subjected to ante -mortem inspection, with the competent authority  determining 
the procedures and tests to be used, how inspection is to be implemented, and the  necessary training, 
knowledge, skills and ability of personnel involved;  
d) ante-mortem inspection shall be science - and risk -based as appropriate to the circumstances, and shall  
take into account all relevant information from the level of primary production;  
e) relevant information from primary production where available and results of ante -mortem inspection shall  
be utilized in process control; and  
f) relevant information from ante -mortem inspection shall be analysed  and returned to the primary producer  
as appropriate.  
6.3 Conditions of lairage  
6.3.1 Holding of animals presented for slaughter has an important effect on many aspects of slaughter, 
dressing and the production of meat that is safe and suitable for human consumption. The cleanliness of animals 
has a major influence on the level of microbiol ogical cross -contamination of the carcass and other edible parts 
during slaughter and dressing. A range of measures appropriate to the animal species may be applied to ensure 
that only animals that are sufficiently clean are slaughtered and to assist  in reducing microbiological cross - 
contamination.  
6.3.2 Quality Assurance (QA) systems implemented by the establishment operator shall enhance 
achievement of appropriate conditions of lairage on an on -going basis.  
6.3.3 The establishment operator shall ensure conditions of lairage that include:  
a) facilities are operated in a way that soiling and cross -contamination of animals with food -borne pathogens 
are minimized to the greatest extent practicable;  
b) holding of animals so that their physiological condition is not compromised and ante -mortem inspection can 
be effectively carried out, e.g., animals shall be adequately rested and not overcrowded and protected from 
weather where necessary;  
c) separation of different classes and types of slaughter animals as appropriate, e.g., separation of animals 
with special dressing requirements, and separation of “suspects” that have been identified as having the 
potential to transfer specific food -borne pa thogens to other animals (see 6.3);  
d) systems to ensure that feed has been appropriately withdrawn before slaughter;  
e) maintenance of identification of animals (either individually, or as lots, e.g., poultry) until the time of slaughter 
and dressing; and  
f) conveying of relevant information on individual animals or lots of animals to facilitate ante - and post -mortem 
inspection.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 6.3.4 The competent authority or the competent body shall take into account QA systems properly 
implemented by the establishment operator, in setting the frequency and intensity of verification activities 
necessary to determine that the conditions of lairage are  in accordance with regulatory requirements.  
6.4 Ante -mortem inspection  
6.4.1  General  
6.4.1.1 All animals presented for slaughter shall be subjected to ante -mortem inspection, by a competent 
person whether on an individual or a lot basis. Inspection shall include confirmation that the animals are properly 
identified, so that any special conditions pertaining to their place of primary production are considered in the 
ante-mortem inspection, including relevant public and animal health quarantine controls.  
6.4.1.2 Ante-mortem inspection shall support post -mortem inspection by application of a specific range of 
procedures and/or tests that considers the behaviour, demeanour and appearance, as well as signs of disease 
in the live animal.  
6.4.1.3 Animals described below shall be subject to special controls, procedures or operations imposed by the 
competent authority (which may include denial of entry to the abattoir) when:  
a) animals are not sufficiently clean;  
b) animals have died in transit;  
c) a zoonotic disease posing an immediate threat to either animals or humans is present, or suspected;  
d) an animal health disease subject to quarantine restrictions is present, or suspected;  
e) animal identification requirements are not met; or  
f) declarations from the primary producer, if required by the competent authority (including compliance with 
good veterinary practice in the use of animal medicines), are absent or inadequate.  
6.4.2  Design of ante -mortem inspection systems  
6.4.2.1 Ante-mortem inspection shall be included as an integral component of an overarching risk -based  
system for the production of meat, with systems for process control (see Clause 9) incorporating appropriate  
components. Relevant information on the slaughter population, e.g., animal class, health status, geographical  
region of origin, shall be utilised in both the design and implementation of ante -mortem inspection systems.  
6.4.2.2 Ante-mortem inspection, including procedures and tests, shall be established by the competent  
authority according to a science and risk -based approach. In the absence of a risk -based system, procedures  
will have to be based on current scientific knowledge and practice.  
6.4.2.3 Ante-mortem procedures and tests may be integrated and implemented together so as to achieve  
public health and animal health objectives. In such cases all aspects of ante -mortem inspection shall be  science 
based and be tailored to the relevant risks.   
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 6.4.2.4 Where indicated by public health concerns, measures additional to routine ante -mortem  inspection 
may be required.  
6.4.2.5 Characteristics of a risk -based ante -mortem inspection programme are:  
a) procedures for confirmation of proper animal identification in accordance with national legislation;  
b) design and application of organoleptic procedures and tests that are relevant and proportional to meat borne  
risks associated with clinical signs of illness and grossly -detectable abnormalities;  
c) tailoring of procedures to the spectrum and prevalence of diseases and defects reasonably likely to be  
present in the slaughter population, taking into account the type of animal, geographical origin and  primary 
production system;  
d) integration with HACCP -based process control to the extent practicable, e.g., application of objective  criteria 
for ensuring appropriate cleanliness of animals presented for slaughter;  
e) on-going tailoring of procedures to information received from the primary production unit, where  practicable;  
f) use of laboratory tests for hazards that are unaddressed by organoleptic inspection when their presence  is 
suspected, e.g., chemical residues and contaminants; and  
g) return of information to the primary producer so as to seek continuous improvement in the safety and  
suitability status of animals presented for slaughter (see 6.4).  
6.4.3  Implementation of ante -mortem inspection  
6.4.3.1 The competent authority shall determine how ante -mortem inspection is to be implemented,  
including identification of the components that may be applied at primary production rather than the abattoir,  
e.g., in the case of intensively -raised poultry. The competent authority shall establish the training, knowledge,  
skills and ability requirements of all personnel involved, and the roles of the official inspector, including the  
veterinary inspector ( see 9.2). Verification of inspection activities and ju dgements shall be undertaken as  
appropriate by the competent authority or competent body. The final responsibility for verifying that all  regulatory 
requirements are met shall lie with the competent authority.  
6.4.3.2 The responsibilities of the establishment operator in respect of ante -mortem inspection include:  
a) providing verifiable information required by the competent authority with respect to ante -mortem  inspection 
carried out at primary production;  
b) Isolatio n of animals if, for example, they have recently given birth during transport or in lairage , or have 
recently aborted and/or show retained foetal membranes;  
c) applying identification systems for individual animals or lots of animals until the time of slaughter that  
document the outcome of ante -mortem inspection, and after slaughter in the case of “suspect” animals;  
d) presentation of animals that are sufficiently clean; and  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 e) prompt removal of animals that have died in the lairage, e.g., from metabolic disease, stress, suffocation,  
with the permission of the competent person undertaking ante -mortem inspection.  
6.4.3.3 Ante-mortem inspection at the abattoir shall occur as soon, as is practicable after delivery of  
slaughter animals. Only animals that are judged to be sufficiently rested, between 48 and 72 h of rest, shall  
proceed to slaughter, but shall not be withheld from slaughter any longer than necessary. If ante -mortem  
inspection has occurred and there is a delay of more than 24 h before slaughter, ante -mortem inspection shall  
be repeated.  
6.4.3.4 Ante-mortem inspection systems required by the competent authority shall include the following:  
a) all relevant information from the level of primary production shall be taken into account on an on -going  
basis, e.g., declarations from the primary producers relating to the use of veterinary drugs, information  from 
official hazard control programmes;  
b) animals suspected as being unsafe or unsuitable for human consumption shall be identified as such and  
handled separately from normal animals (see 6.2 and 8.2);  
c) results of ante -mortem inspection are made available to the competent person undertaking post mortem  
inspection before animals are inspected at the post -mortem stations so as to augment final judgment. This  
is particularly important when a competent person undertaking ante -mortem inspection, judges that a  
suspect animal can proceed to slaughter under special hygiene conditions;  
d) in more equivocal situations, the competent person undertaking ante -mortem inspection may hold the  
animal (or lot) in special facilities for more detailed inspection, diagnostic tests, and/or treatment;  
e) animals condemned as unsafe or unsuitable for human consumption shall be immediately identified as  such 
and handled in a manner that does not result in cross -contamination of other animals with foodborne  
hazards (see 8.2); and  
f) the reason for condemnation shall be recorded, with confirmatory laboratory tests being carried out if  
deemed necessary. Feed back of this information to the primary producer shall take place.  
6.4.3.5 Slaughter of animals under an official or officially -recognised programme for the eradication or  
control of a specific zoonotic disease, e.g., salmonellosis, shall only be carried out under the hygiene  conditions 
specified by the competent authority.  
6.4.4  Ante -mortem judgement categories  
Ante-mortem judgement categories include:  
a) passed for slaughter;  
b) passed for slaughter subject to a second ante -mortem inspection, after an additional holding period, e.g.,  
when animals are insufficiently rested, or are temporarily affected by a physiological or metabolic  condition;  
c) passed for slaughter under special conditions i.e. deferred slaughter as “suspects”, where the competent  
person undertaking ante -mortem inspection suspects that post -mortem inspection findings could result in  
partial or total condemnation;   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  20 
 d) condemned for public health reasons i.e. due to: meat -borne hazards, occupational health hazards, or  
likelihood of unacceptable contamination of the slaughter and dressing environment following slaughter;  
e) condemned for meat suitability reasons;  
f) emergency slaughter, when an animal eligible for being passed under special conditions could  deteriorate 
if there was a delay in slaughter; and  
g) condemned for animal health reasons, as specified in relevant national legislation.  
6.5 Information on animal presented for slaughter  
6.5.1 Information provided on animals presented for slaughter may be an important determinant of optimal  
slaughter and dressing procedures and is a prerequisite for effective design and implementation of process  
control by the establishment operator. The competent authority shall analyse relevant information and take it  
into account when setting hygiene requirements for risk -based hygiene systems throughout the entire food  chain 
(see 9.2).  
6.5.2 The competent authority may require monitoring of animals presented for slaughter to establish  baseline 
information on the prevalence of hazards in the slaughter population, e.g., specified meat -borne  pathogens, 
chemical residues greater than maximum residue limits. The competent authority shall design and  implement 
these monitoring activities according to national public health goals. Scientific analysis and  dissemination of 
results to interested parties is the responsibility of the competent authority.  
6.5.3 The competent person may judge, after post -mortem inspection in special facilities, that edible parts  of 
the animal can be salvaged for a particular purpose e.g. pet -food.  
6.5.4 So as to facilitate science - and risk -based meat hygiene throughout the entire food chain, systems  shall 
be in place that provides:  
a) on-going information on animals presented for slaughter for incorporation into HACCP plans and/or  Quality 
Assurance (QA) programmes that are part of process control;  
b) information back to the primary producer on the safety and suitability status of animals presented for  
slaughter; and  
c) information to the competent authority that facilitates on -going review.  
7 Establishments: Design, facilities and equipment  
7.1 General  
The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in RS 
CXC1 and as specified in RS 201.  DRS 185: 20 23 
21                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 7.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to establishments, facilities and equipment  
7.2.1 Meat hygiene applying to establishments, facilities and equipment shall consider the following:  
a) establishments shall be located, designed and constructed so that contamination of meat is minimized to 
the greatest extent practicable;  
b) facilities and equipment shall be designed, constructed and maintained so that contamination of meat is 
minimized to the greatest extent practicable;  
c) establishments, facilities and equipment shall be designed to allow personnel to carry out their activities in 
a hygienic manner;  
d) facilities and equipment that are in direct contact with edible parts of animals and meat, shall be designed 
and constructed so that they can be effectively cleaned and monitored for their hygiene status;  
e) suitable equipment shall be available for control of temperature, humidity and other factors as appropriate 
to the particular processing system for meat; and  
f) water shall be potable except where water of a different standard can be used without leading to 
contamination of meat.  
7.2.2 Each establishment shall have appropriate facilities and equipment for competent persons to properly 
carry out their meat hygiene activities.  
7.2.3 Laboratory facilities necessary to support meat hygiene activities may be located in the establishment 
or provided at a separate location.  
7.3 Design and construction of lairage  
7.3.1 Lairage  shall be designed and constructed so that they do not lead to undue soiling of the animal,  cause 
undue stress of the animal, or otherwise adversely impact on the safety and suitability of meat derived  from 
animals held therein.  
7.3.2 Lairage  shall be designed and constructed so that:  
a) animals can be held without overcrowding or injury, and are not exposed to climatic stress;  
b) there are appropriate layout and facilities for cleaning and/or drying of animals;  
c) ante-mortem inspection is facilitated;  
d) floors are paved or slatted and allow good drainage;  
e) there is an adequate supply and reticulation of clean water for drinking and cleaning, and facilities are  
provided for feeding where necessary;   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  22 
 f) there is a physical separation between lairages and areas of an abattoir where edible material may be  
present;  
g) “suspect” animals can be segregated and inspected in separate areas. These areas shall include facilities  
that are capable of secure holding of “suspect” animals pending slaughter under supervision, in a manner  
that precludes contamination of other animals; and  
h) in the case of poultry , facilities  shall be available to park transport vehicles in  areas that are well ventilated, 
and are protected from direct sunlight, inclement weather and extremes of  temperature.  
7.3.3 In the case of poultry, “suspect” birds are usually slaughtered on the slaughter  line under special 
hygiene provisions.  
7.3.4 There is an adjacent area with adequate facilities for cleaning and sanitation of transport vehicles and  
crates, unless there are facilities within close distance that are approved by the competent authority.  
7.3.5 Special facilities may be required to handle condemned animals.  
7.3.6 These facilities shall be:  
a) constructed so that all parts, gut contents and faeces from condemned animals can be held under secure  
containment as appropriate to the circumstances; and  
b) constructed and equipped so as to facilitate effective cleaning and sanitation (RS  CXC  1). 
7.4 Design and construction of slaughter areas  
7.4.1 Stunning and bleeding areas shall be separated from dressing areas (either physically or by distance),  
so that cross -contamination of animals is minimised.  
7.4.2 Areas for scalding, dehairing, defeathering, scraping and singeing (or similar operations) shall also be  
appropriately separated from dressing areas.  
7.4.3 Where slaughter is carried out the processing line shall be designed so that there is constant progress  
of animals in a manner that does not cause cross -contamination.  
7.4.4 Special facilities may be required to slaughter and dress “suspect” or injured animals.  
7.4.5 Where these facilities exist they shall be:  
a) easily accessed from pens containing “suspect” or injured animals;  
b) constructed with suitable facilities for hygienic storage of parts derived from “suspect” or injured animals;  
and 
c) constructed and equipped so as to facilitate effective cleaning and sanitizing (see Section 10 of RS  CXC1). DRS 185: 20 23 
23                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 7.5 Design and construction of dressing areas  
7.5.1 All areas and facilities where bodies of animals are dressed or meat may be present shall be designed 
and constructed so that they facilitate GHP, and contamination of meat is minimised to the greatest  extent 
practicable.  
7.5.2 Rooms and other areas in which bodies of animals are dressed or meat may be present shall be  
designed and constructed so that:  
a) cross -contamination during operations is minimised to the greatest extent practicable;  
b) effective cleaning, sanitation and maintenance can be carried out during and between periods of  operation; 
(see RS CXC  1); 
c) floors in areas where water is present slope sufficiently to grilled or otherwise protected outlets so as to  
ensure continual drainage;  
d) exterior doors do not open directly into the area;  
e) chutes separately conveying different parts of animals are fitted with inspection and cleaning hatches  where 
these are necessary for sanitation;  
f) separate rooms or separated areas are used for skin -on dressing of pigs or other animals, when other  
classes of animals are being dressed at the same time;  
g) separate rooms are used for:  
1) emptying and cleansing of alimentary tracts, and further preparation of clean alimentary tracts, 
unless such separation is deemed unnecessary;  
2) handling of meat and inedible parts of animals after they have been so designated, unless these 
products are otherwise separated by time or distance; and  
3) storage of inedible animal parts such as hides, horns, hooves, feathers and inedible fats; there is 
adequate natural or artificial lighting for hygienic process control.  
h) there are appropriate facilities for the preparation and storage of edible fats;  
i) access and harbouring of pests are effectively restricted; and  
j) adequate facilities are provided for secure storage of chemicals, (e.g., cleaning materials, lubricants, 
branding inks) and other hazardous substances so as to prevent accidental contamination of meat.  
7.5.3 Appropriately designed and insulated rooms shall be available as necessary for cooling, chilling and 
freezing of meat.  
7.5.4 Establishments that de -bone or otherwise cut up meat shall have for this purpose:   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  24 
 a) facilities that allow constant progress of operations or that ensure separation between different production 
batches;  
b) a room or rooms, capable of being temperature -controlled; and  
c) separation of the boning, cutting and primary wrapping area from the packaging area, unless hygiene 
measures are in place to ensure that packaging does not contaminate meat.  
7.5.5 Wood may be used in rooms for curing, smoking, maturing, pickling, storage and dispatch of meat 
preparations and manufactured meat when essential for technological reasons, as long as meat hygiene 
requirements are not compromised.  
7.5.6 Drainage and waste disposal systems shall not be a source of contamination of meat, the potable water 
supply or the processing environment. All lines shall be watertight and adequately trapped and vented, with 
catch basins, traps and sumps that are isolate d from any area where bodies of animals are dressed or meat 
may be present.  
7.5.7 Establishments shall have an appropriate area, sufficiently protected from environmental contamination 
and capable of preventing adverse temperature variations, for dispatching meat.  
7.6 Design and construction of equipment in dressing areas  
7.6.1 All equipment used in areas where bodies of animals are dressed or meat may be present shall facilitate 
Good Hygienic Practices (GHP). Equipment and containers in rooms and other areas where bodies of animals 
are dressed or meat may be present shall be designed and constructed so that contamination is minimised. 
Meat shall not be allowed to contact the floor and walls, or fixed str uctures not designed for such contact.  
7.6.2 Where slaughter lines are operated, they shall be designed so that there is constant progress of animal 
bodies, carcasses and other parts, in a manner that prevents cross -contamination between different parts of 
the slaughter line and between different sla ughter lines. In establishments where meat preparations and 
manufactured meat are circulating, the layout and equipment shall be designed to prevent cross contamination 
between products of different status and products at different production stages.  
7.6.3 All rooms and other areas in which animals are dressed or meat may be present shall be equipped with 
adequate facilities for washing hands, and shall be equipped with adequate facilities for cleaning and sanitation 
of implements where required (see RS CXC  1). 
7.6.4 Facilities for cleaning and sanitation of equipment shall:  
a) be designed to effectively clean and sanitise the particular equipment;  
b) be located convenient to work stations; and  
c) have waste water ducted to drains.  
7.6.5 Equipment and implements for use with inedible or condemned parts of animals shall be distinctively 
identified.  DRS 185: 20 23 
25                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 7.6.6 Establishments shall be provided with adequate means of natural or mechanical ventilation so as to 
prevent excessive heat, humidity and condensation, and ensure that air is not contaminated with odours, dust 
or smoke.  
7.6.7 Ventilation systems shall be designed and constructed so that:  
a) air-borne contamination from aerosols and condensation droplets is minimised;  
b) ambient temperatures, humidity and odours are controlled; and  
c) air flow from contaminated areas, (e.g., slaughter and dressing areas) to clean areas, (e.g., chilling rooms 
for carcasses) is minimised.  
7.6.8 Equipment used for heat treatment of manufactured meat and meat preparations shall be fitted with all 
control devices necessary to ensure that an appropriate heat treatment is applied.  
7.7 Water supply  
7.7.1 Adequate facilities shall be provided for monitoring and maintaining potability, storage, and temperature  
control, distribution of water and for the disposal of waste water.  
7.7.2 Equipment shall be installed that provides:  
a) an adequate and easily accessible supply of hot and cold potable water at all times;  
b) hot potable water for effective sanitising of equipment, or an equivalent sanitation system;  
c) potable water at a temperature appropriate for hand -washing; and  
d) sanitising solution used according to manufacturers’ specifications supplied as and where necessary;  
7.7.3 Where non -potable water is supplied for various uses e.g., fire fighting, steam production,  refrigeration, 
reticulation systems shall be designed and identified so that cross -contamination of the potable  water supply is 
prevented.  
7.8 Temperature control  
7.8.1 In the absence of suitable temperature, humidity and other environmental controls, meat is particularly  
vulnerable to survival and growth of pathogens and spoilage micro -organisms.  
7.8.2 Facilities and equipment shall be adequate for:  
a) cooling, chilling and/or freezing of meat according to written specifications;  
b) storage of meat at temperatures that achieve the safety and suitability requirements; and   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  26 
 c) monitoring of temperature, humidity, air flow and other environmental factors so as to assure that process  
control regimes are achieved.  
7.8.3 Where steam is generated in the cooking of meat, it shall be properly vented out of the area in order  to 
minimise the potential for condensation and not be allowed to permeate into adjoining rooms.  
7.9 Facilities and equipment for personal hygiene  
7.9.1 Slaughter and dressing of animals and animal parts, and further handling of meat preparations and  
manufactured meat presents many opportunities for cross -contamination of meat by food handlers ( see RS 
CXC  1). Appropriate personal hygiene facilities are needed to minimise cross -contamination  of meat from this 
source.  
7.9.2 Facilities and equipment shall be provided, designed and located so that meat safety is not  
compromised. Separate amenities shall be provided e.g. for staff handling live animals, condemned products  
(see RS CXC  1). 
7.9.3 Facilities for personal hygiene shall include:  
a) changing rooms, showers, flush toilets, hand -washing and hand -drying facilities in the appropriate  locations, 
and separate areas for eating; and  
b) protective clothing that can be effectively cleaned and minimises accumulation of contaminants.  
7.9.4 All areas, in which exposed meat may be present, shall be equipped with adequate facilities for  washing 
hands that:  
a) are located convenient to work stations;  
b) have taps that are not operable by hand;  
c) supply water at an appropriate temperature, and are fitted with dispensers for liquid soap or other hand  
cleansing agents;  
d) include hand drying equipment where necessary, and receptacles for discarded paper towels; and  
e) have waste water ducted to drains.  
7.10 Means of transport  
7.10.1  Vehicles or shipping containers in which unprotected meat is transported shall:  
a) be designed and equipped in a way to avoid direct contact with floor”  ; 
b) have joint and door seals that prevent entry of all sources of contamination; and  DRS 185: 20 23 
27                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 c) where necessary, be equipped so that temperature control and humidity can be maintained and  monitored.  
7.10.2  A vehicle used for the transport of condemned material may not be used for any other purpose, but 
after cleaning and disinfection the vehicle may be used for the transport of inedible material.  
a) a vehicle may only be used for the transport of condemned material if the:  
1) internal surface is leak proof and constructed of durable material; and  
2) floor is provided at its lowest point with a drain pipe capable of being securely closed by a screw 
valve  
b) the load space of a vehicle used for transporting material to a sterilizing plant shall be cleaned and 
disinfected to the satisfaction of a registered inspector at the end of each delivery, at a place specially 
constructed for the purpose.  
8 Process control  
8.1 General  
8.1.1 An extensive range of hazards are associated with meat, e.g., Salmonella spp. and veterinary drug 
residues; the processing environment, e.g., Listeria monocytogenes ; and food handlers themselves, e.g., 
Staphylococcus aureus and hepatitis viruses. Effective process control, that includes both GHP and HACCP, is 
necessary to produce meat that is safe and suitable for human consumption.  
8.1.2 The principles and guidelines presented in this clause shall satisfy the general objectives and guidelines 
in RS CAC/RCP 1.  They are developed in this clause in respect of hazards in meat however they are equally 
applicable to suitability characteristics.  
8.1.3 Many aspects of slaughter and dressing procedures have the potential to result in significant 
contamination of meat, e.g., hide/feather removal, evisceration, carcass washing, post -mortem inspection, 
trimming, and further handling in the cold chain. System s for process control shall limit microbial cross 
contamination in these circumstances to as low as practicably achievable, and reflect the proportional 
contribution of these controls in reducing meat -borne risks to human health.  
8.1.4 Ready -To-Eat (RTE) products may require specific microbiological testing regimes that incorporate 
microbiological criteria.  
8.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to process control  
Meat hygiene shall consider the following principles:  
a) production of meat that is safe and suitable for human consumption requires that detailed attention be  paid 
to the design, implementation, monitoring and review of process control;  
b) the establishment operator has the primary responsibility for implementing systems for process control.  
Where such systems are applied, the competent authority shall verify that they achieve all meat hygiene  
requirements;   
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 c) process control shall limit microbiological contamination to the lowest level practicable, according to a  risk-
based approach;  
d) HACCP shall be applied wherever practicable as the system of choice for process control, and shall be  
supported by prerequisite GHP that includes sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs);  
e) process control shall reflect an integrated strategy for control of hazards throughout the food chain, with  
information available from primary production and pre-slaughter being taken into account wherever  possible 
and practicable;  
f) all bodies of animals shall be subjected to post -mortem inspection that is science - and risk based , and is  
tailored to the hazards and/or defects that are reasonably likely to be present in the bodies of animals  
presented for inspection;  
g) the competent authority shall determine the procedures and tests to be used in post -mortem inspection,  
how that inspection is to be implemented, and the necessary training, knowledge, skills and ability  required 
of personnel involved (including the role of veterinarians, and personnel employed by the  establishment 
operator);  
h) post-mortem inspection shall take into account all relevant information from primary production, antemortem  
inspection, and from official or officially -recognised hazard control programmes;  
i) post-mortem judgements shall be based on: food -borne risks to human health, other human health risks,  
e.g., from occupational exposure or handling of meat in the home, food -borne risks to animal health as  
specified in relevant national legislation, and suitability characteristics;  
j) performance objectives or performance criteria for the outcome of process control and post -mortem  
inspection activities shall be established by the competent authority wherever practicable, and shall be  
subject to verification by the competent authority;  
k) where appropriate, microbiological testing, for verification purposes, shall be included in meat  preparation 
and manufactured meat HACCP plans. Such testing shall be relevant to the type of product  and the likely 
risks to consumers, including vulnerable sub -populations;  
l) competent bodies or competent persons may be engaged by the establishment operator to undertake  
prescribed process control activities, including ante and post -mortem inspection, as approved by the  
competent authority;  
m) handling of ready -To-Eat (RTE) products up until the point of sale to the consumer shall ensure that there  
is no contact with non - ready -to-eat (RTE) products, and any other exposure to potential sources of  
microbiological contamination is minimised to the greatest extent practicable; and  
n) voluntary or officially recognised Quality Assurance (QA) systems may be implemented by the  
establishment operator where they enhance meat hygiene activities, and they may be taken into account  
in the verification of regulatory requirements by the competent authority.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 8.3 Process control systems  
8.3.1  General  
8.3.1.1 Effective process control requires design and implementation of appropriate systems. Industry has the 
primary responsibility for applying and supervising process control systems to ensure the safety and suitability 
of meat, and these shall incorporate prer equisite GHP and HACCP plans as appropriate to the circumstances.  
8.3.1.2 A documented process control system shall describe the meat hygiene activities applied (including any 
sampling procedures), performance objectives or performance criteria (if set), verification activities, and 
corrective and preventative actions.  
8.3.1.3 Competent bodies or competent persons suitably recognised by the competent authority may be 
engaged by the establishment operator to undertake prescribed process control activities, including post -
mortem inspection. These activities shall be part of HACCP or QA systems as appropriate to the circumstances.  
8.3.1.4 Process control systems relating to food safety shall incorporate a risk -based approach. Application of 
HACCP principles in the design and implementation of process control systems shall be according to RS 184. 
RS CAC/GL 26 provides general requirements fo r control of operations for food as they relate to international 
trade.  
8.3.2  Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)  
8.3.2.1 Pre-operational and operational sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs) shall minimise 
direct and indirect contamination of meat to the greatest extent possible and practicable. A properly 
implemented SSOP system shall ensure that facilities and equipment are clean and sanitised prior to start of 
operations, and appropriate hygiene is maintained during operations. SSOP guidelines may be provided by the 
competent authority, which may include minimum regulatory requirements for general sanitation.  
8.3.2.2 Characteristics of sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs) are:  
a) development of a written SSOP programme by the establishment that describes the procedures involved 
and the frequency of application;  
b) identification of establishment personnel responsible for implementing and monitoring SSOPs;  
c) documentation of monitoring and any corrective and/or preventative actions taken, which is made  available 
to the competent authority for purposes of verification;  
d) corrective actions that include appropriate disposition of product; and  
e) periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of the system by the establishment operator.  
8.3.2.3 Microbiological verification of SSOPs can utilise a range of direct or indirect methods.  
Establishment operators shall use statistical process control or other methods to monitor sanitation trends.  
8.3.2.4 In the case of ready -to-eat (RTE) products, microbiological verification of SSOPs for food contact  
and non -food contact surfaces is likely to be of higher intensity than for other types of product.   
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 8.3.3  HACCP  
8.3.3.1 HACCP systems for production of meat are a proactive means of process control for food safety  
purposes. Validation of a HACCP plan for meat shall ensure that it is effective in meeting performance  objectives 
or performance criteria (see 9.3.3), taking into account the degree of variability in presence of  hazards that is 
normally associated with different lots of animals presented for processing.  
8.3.3.2 Verification frequency may vary according to the operational aspects of process control, the  
historical performance of the establishment in application of the HACCP plan, and the results of verification  
itself. The competent authority may choose to approve HACCP plans and stipulate verification frequencies.  
8.3.3.3 Microbiological testing for verification of HACCP systems, e.g. for verification of critical limits and  
statistical process control, is an important feature of HACCP for many products.  
8.3.3.4 Guidelines for the development of HACCP programmes to achieve pre -determined process  criteria 
stipulated by the competent authority shall be provided to establishment operators so as to guide  development 
of process and product -specific HACCP plans. Guidelines shall be developed in consultation  with industry and 
other interested stakeholder organisations, and may be differentiated according to  processing category, e.g.:  
a) raw ground or comminuted , e.g. pork sausage;  
b) meat with secondary inhibitors/ non-shelf stable , e.g. cured corned beef;  
c) heat treated / not fully cooked, non -shelf stable , e.g. partially -cooked patties;  
d) fully cooked / non -shelf stable , e.g. cooked ham;  
e) non-heat treated / shelf stable , e.g. dry salami;  
f) heat treated / shelf stable , e.g. beef jerky;  
g) thermally processed / commercially sterile , e.g. canned meat; and  
h) specific ethnic processes, e.g. tandoori  
8.3.3.5 When developing HACCP plans for heat -treated meat preparations and manufactured meat, the  
establishment operator shall fully document as appropriate to the process, all thermal process parameters,  post-
heat treatment handling, and additional preservation treatments appropriate to the intended process  outcome 
e.g. a pasteurised product. Process parameters for cooling of heat -treated products may incorporate  as 
appropriate to the product, rapid cooling, slow cooling, or interrupted cooling. Previously  heated products  shall 
not be packaged above a minimum temperature, e.g. 4° C, unless it can be demonstrated that cooling  after 
packaging does not compromise product safety.  
8.3.3.6 HACCP plans for meat preparations and manufactured meat that are cooked shall include  
monitoring and documentation of parameters that ensure appropriate internal temperatures are reached.  
8.3.3.7 Internal temperatures of product shall be taken as necessary to verify the adequacy of the cook.  DRS 185: 20 23 
31                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 8.3.4  Outcome -based parameters for process control  
8.3.4.1 In a risk -based meat hygiene system, verification of process control is greatly strengthened by  
establishment of performance objectives or performance criteria for the outcome of specified activities. In most  
cases these will be established by the competent authority. When performance objectives or performance  
criteria are established, industry can use them to readily demonstrate adequate process control for food safety  
characteristics of meat.  
8.3.4.2 The establishment shall have a documented process control system for implementing corrective  
actions that will allow it to consistently meet performance objectives or performance criteria. Process review  
and any other corrective and preventative actions required as a result of non -compliance with performance  
objectives or performance criteria shall be properly recorded. The competent authority shall implement a  system 
for collecting and analysing results from all establishments to the greatest exten t possible, and  periodically 
review process control trends in relation to national meat hygiene goals.  
8.3.4.3 Where possible, performance objectives or performance criteria shall objectively express the level  
of hazard control as derived from the application of risk analysis principles. In the absence of sufficient  
knowledge of risks to human health, performance objectives or performance criteria can initially be  established 
from baseline surveys of current performance, and subsequently modified as appropriate to reflect  public health 
goals. Where outcome -based parameters have been established for suitabili ty characteristics of  meat, 
outcomes shall be practically achievable and reflect consumer expectations.  
8.3.4.4 Organoleptic parameters may also be established.  
8.3.4.5 Performance objectives or performance criteria for outcomes of process control systems act to:  
a) facilitate validation of process control systems;  
b) facilitate derivation of process parameters at various steps in the food production system;  
c) allow maximum flexibility and technical innovation in the way the establishment operator achieves the  
required level of performance;  
d) facilitate industry -wide consistency in performance;  
e) provide an objective basis for outcome -driven regulatory guidelines and standards, e.g., statistical  
f) process control requirements, prevalence of Salmonella spp.;  
g) improve hazard control over time so as to enhance the level of consumer protection; and  
h) facilitate determination of the equivalence of sanitary measures.  
8.3.4.6 Microbiological performance objectives or performance criteria, process criteria and  microbiological 
criteria for ready -To-Eat (RTE) products shall be risk -based according to the category of  product e.g. not heat 
treated and shelf stable, heat treated and shelf stable, fully cooked and not shelf stable.  Microbiological 
verification tests shall be undertaken by the establishment at a frequency appropriate to the  circumstances. The 
competent authority may also implement testing to verify that appropri ate control is  maintained by industry.  
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 HACCP plans applied by the establishment shall document corrective and  preventative measures to be taken 
in the event of positive tests for pathogens or toxins.  
8.3.4.7 Where performance objectives or performance criteria are established as regulatory requirements  
e.g., guidelines for allowable levels of generic Escherichia  coli, standards for absence of Escherichia  coli 
O157:H7, maximum  residue limits for chemicals with acute toxicity, explanation of the linkage to an appropriate 
level of consumer  protection shall be provided to all interested parties,.  
8.3.4.8 In some circumstances a performance criterion may be established as a microbiological criterion  
that defines the acceptability of a production lot, e.g. based on the presence/absence or number of microbes,  
and/or the quantity of their toxins or metabolites according to a specified sampling plan.  
8.3.4.9 The competent authority should, wherever practicable, recognise different risk -based meat  hygiene 
activities within its competence, which have been demonstrated to meet at least the same risk -based  meat 
hygiene outcomes.  
8.3.5  Regulatory systems  
8.3.5.1 The competent authority shall have the legal power to set and enforce regulatory meat hygiene  
requirements, and has the final responsibility for verifying that all regulatory requirements are met. The  
competent authority shall:  
a) establish regulatory systems (e.g. recall, trace back , product tracing, etc., as appropriate) and  requirements, 
e.g. training, knowledge, skills and ability of personnel (generally at a national level);  
b) undertake specified meat hygiene controls that are designated activities of the competent authority, e.g.,  
official sampling programmes, those aspects of ante and post -mortem activities specified by the  competent 
authority, or official certification;  
c) verify that process control systems implemented by the establishment operator meet regulatory  
requirements e.g. GHP, SSOPs, HACCP, as appropriate;  
d) verify that competent bodies are carrying out functions as required; and  
e) carry out enforcement actions as necessary.  
8.3.5.2 The competent authority shall verify compliance with:  
a) GHP requirements for: animals presented for slaughter , establishments, facilities and equipment, process 
control, transport, and hygiene of personnel;  
b) SSOPs;  
c) HACCP plans;  
d) all regulatory requirements relating to ante - and post -mortem inspection;  DRS 185: 20 23 
33                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 e) microbiological performance objectives or performance criteria, process criteria or;  
f) microbiological criteria that are regulatory requirements;  
g) chemical residue and contaminant levels that are below maximum limits as described in relevant  legislation 
and national sampling plans;  
h) official or “officially -recognised” zoonoses control programmes, e.g., microbiological tests for Escherichia  
coli O157:H7; and  
i) additional risk management measures as specified by the competent authority.  
8.3.5.3 Verification activities may include assessment of processing activities carried out by  establishment 
personnel, documentary checks, organoleptic inspection of edible parts and meat, taking of  samples for 
laboratory tests and testing for pathogens, indicator organisms, residues, etc.  Approval/registration/listing of an 
establishment may facilitate the ability of the competent authority to verify  that it is operating in compliance with 
regulatory requirements.  
8.3.5.4 The competent authority(s) shall conduct appropriate monitoring of verification activities  performed 
by the operator, and the nature and intensity of that monitoring shall be based on risk and  performance. The 
distribution and retail sale of products shall be included in this monitoring to an extent that  the risks to the 
consumer are mitigated.  
8.3.5.5 The official inspector (including the veterinary inspector) shall verify compliance with the  regulatory 
requirements and may use additional documentary checks, procedures and tests in this role. Rules  governing 
the presence of the official inspector during ante - and post -mortem inspection, and during  processing, cutting, 
and storage of meat, shall be determined by the competent authority in relation to  deployment of other 
competent persons, and in relation to potential risks to human health associat ed with the  classes of animals 
and meat involved.  
8.3.5.6 A national meat hygiene programme shall be subject to verification by the competent authority.  
Where the establishment operator does not comply with regulatory requirements, the competent authority  shall 
carry out enforcement actions that may include:  
a) slowing of production while the operator regains process control;  
b) stopping production, and withdrawing certification for meat deemed to be unsafe or unsuitable for its  
intended use;  
c) withdrawing official supervision, or accreditation of competent persons;  
d) ordering specified treatment, recall or destruction of meat as necessary; and  
e) withdrawing or suspending all or part of the approval/registration/listing of the establishment if process  
control systems are invalid or repeatedly non -compliant.   
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 8.3.6  Quality assurance (QA) systems  
Whenever there are verifiable quality assurance (QA) systems in place in the industry, the competent authority 
shall take them into account.  
8.4 General hygiene requirements for process control  
8.4.1 Process control shall meet the general hygiene requirements of RS CAC/RCP 1.  
8.4.2 General hygiene requirements for process control should include for example:  
a) water for cleaning and sanitizing of a standard that is appropriate for the specific purpose, and used in a  
manner that does not directly or indirectly contaminate meat;  
b) cleaning of facilities and equipment that involves disassembly where necessary, removal of all debris,  
rinsing of parts, application of an approved cleaner, repeat rinsing, reassembly, and further sanitizing and  
rinsing as appropriate;  
c) handling and storage of containers and equipment in a way that minimizes the potential for  contamination 
of meat;  
d) assembly of containers or cartons in rooms or areas where meat may be present in such a manner that  
there is minimal possibility of contamination; and  
e) controlled access of personnel to processing areas.  
8.4.3 The competent authority and industry shall utilise appropriately accredited or otherwise recognised  
laboratories when verifying process control and carrying out other meat hygiene activities. Testing of samples  
shall utilise validated analytical methods.  
8.4.4 Laboratory testing may be required for:  
a) verification of process control;  
b) monitoring achievement of performance objectives or performance criteria;  
c) residue monitoring;  
d) diagnosis of disease conditions affecting individual animals; and  
e) monitoring of zoonoses.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 8.5 Hygiene requirements for slaughter and dressing  
8.5.1 Only live animals intended for slaughter shall be brought into an abattoir, with the exception of  animals 
that have undergone emergency slaughter outside the slaughterhouse and have appropriate  veterinary 
documentation.  
8.5.2 No animal other than an animal intended for slaughter shall enter an abattoir, with the exception of  
animals used for stock handling provided these animals stay in the live animal handling area of the abattoir.  
8.5.3 An animal shall only be slaughtered or dressed in an abattoir if a competent person is available to  
undertake ante - and post -mortem inspection. In cases of emergency slaughter where a competent person is  
not available, special provisions established by the competent authority will apply to ensure that the meat is  
safe and suitable for human consumption.  
8.5.4 All animals brought to the slaughter floor shall be slaughtered without delay, and stunning, sticking  and 
bleeding of animals shall not proceed at a rate faster than that at which bodies of animals can be  accepted for 
dressing.  
8.5.5 During initial dressing operations and with due consideration to minimising contamination:  
a) slaughtered animals that are scalded, flamed or similarly treated shall be scoured of all bristles, hair,  scurf, 
feathers, cuticles and dirt;  
b) the trachea and oesophagus shall remain intact during bleeding, except in the case of ritual slaughter;  
c) bleeding shall be as complete as possible; if blood is intended for food, it shall be collected and handled  in 
a hygienic manner;  
d) exposure of the tongue shall be done in such a way that the tonsils are not cut;  
e) skinning of the head may not be required for some classes of animals e.g. goats, calves, sheep, provided  
that heads are handled in such a way as to avoid undue contamination of meat;  
f) before the removal from the head of any parts intended for human consumption, the head shall be clean  
and, except in the case of animal bodies that are scalded and dehaired, skinned to an extent sufficient to  
facilitate inspection and the hygienic removal of specified parts;  
g) lactating or obviously -diseased udders shall be removed from animal bodies at the earliest opportunity;  
h) removal of udders shall be done in such as way that the contents do not contaminate the animal bodies;  
i) gas skinning or dehiding (pumping of air or gas between the skin or hide and the underlying tissue to  
facilitate skinning) shall only be permitted if it can meet required criteria for process control; and  
j) hides/fleeces shall not be washed, de -fleshed or left to accumulate in any part of an abattoir or  
establishment that is used for slaughter or dressing.   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  36 
 8.5.6 Poultry  following de -feathering, can only be effectively cleaned of dust,  feathers and other contaminants 
by the application of potable water. Washing of the animal bodies at multiple  steps in the dressing process, and 
as soon as possible after each contaminating step, reduces the adherence  of bacteria to the skin which can 
minimise overall carcass contamination. (Washing after evisceration and  post-mortem is also necessary for 
technological reasons, as this is the only method available to routinely  clean carcasses before entry to the 
chilling process). Washing may be carried out by several methods e.g.,  spraying, immersion washing.  
8.5.7 Farmed ratites may have an excessive amount of dust and dirt trapped in their feathers, and this has  
the potential for significant contamination of the dressing area unless there is adequate separation by  distance, 
physical barrier, or other means, e.g., positive ventilation  
8.5.8 Once the removal of the dressing area unless there is adequate separation by distance, physical  barrier, 
or other means, e hide/fleece has commenced, or dehairing has occurred, animal bodies shall be  separated 
from each other to avoid contact, and this shall be maintained until each carcass has been  inspected and judged 
by a competent person undertaking post -mortem inspection.  
NOTE  While full separation  of carcasses is more difficult in the case of poultry such contact shall be minimised.  
8.5.9 During dressing and with due consideration to minimising contamination:  
a) where bodies of animals are skinned, this process shall be completed before evisceration;  
b) The outer side of the hide shall never touch the skinned surface of the carcass. Operators shall not touch  
the skinned surface with the hand that was in contact with the skin.  
c) water in scalding tanks shall be managed so that it is not excessively contaminated;  
d) evisceration shall be carried out without delay;  
e) discharge or spillage of any material from the oesophagus, crop, stomach, intestines, cloaca or rectum,  or 
from the gall bladder, urinary bladder, uterus or udder, shall be prevented;  
f) intestines shall not be severed from the stomach during evisceration and no other opening shall be made  
into an intestine, unless the intestines are first effectively tied to prevent spillage, except in the case of  
poultry;  
g) stomachs and intestines and all inedible material derived from the slaughtering and/or dressing of bodies  
of animals shall be removed as soon as possible from the dressing area, and processed in a manner that  
does not cause cross -contamination of meat;  
h) methods used to remove visible and microbial contamination shall be demonstrated to be effective and  
meet other requirements as specified by the competent authority; and  
i) faecal and other material shall be trimmed or otherwise removed from carcasses in a manner that does  not 
result in further contamination, and which achieves appropriate performance objectives or  performance 
criteria for process control.  DRS 185: 20 23 
37                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 8.5.10  Animal bodies and carcasses shall not come into contact with surfaces or equipment unless practically 
unavoidable. Where use of equipment involves contact by design, e.g., in the case of automatic eviscerating 
machines, the hygiene of the equipment shall b e appropriately maintained and monitored.  
8.5.11  Where a competent person undertaking post -mortem inspection, considers that the manner in which 
animals are being slaughtered or dressed, or meat is further handled, will adversely affect the safety and 
suitability of meat, that competent person shall enforce a reduction in the rate of production or the suspension 
of operations or other appropriate measures, as deemed necessary ( see 9.2.4).  
8.5.12  Establishment operators shall meet the requirements of the competent authority in terms of presentation 
of edible parts of bodies of animals for post -mortem inspection. Parts of slaughtered animals that have been 
removed before post -mortem inspection is pe rformed shall remain identifiable, as belonging to a single carcass 
(or a group of carcasses) when required for post -mortem judgement.  
8.5.13  Facilities and equipment for slaughtering and/or dressing may be used for other purposes, e.g. for 
animal health emergency slaughter, provided appropriate cleaning and sanitation requirements are met.  
8.5.14  The competent authority shall encourage development and adoption of innovative technologies and 
procedures at the establishment level that reduce cross -contamination and enhance food safety, e.g., enclosing 
the terminal rectal intestine in a bag and tying off.  
8.6 Post -mortem inspection  
8.6.1  General  
8.6.1.1 All carcasses and other relevant parts shall be subjected to post -mortem inspection, which preferably  
shall be part of an overarching, risk -based system for the production of meat.  
8.6.1.2 Post-mortem inspection of carcasses and other relevant parts shall utilise information from primary  
production and ante -mortem inspection, together with the findings from organoleptic inspection of the head,  
carcass and viscera, to make a judgement on the safety and suitability of parts intended for human  consumption. 
Where the results of organoleptic inspection are insufficient to accurately judge carcasses and  other relevant 
parts as safe or suitable for human consumption, the parts shall be set a side and followed up  with confirmatory 
inspection procedures and/or tests.  
8.6.2  Design of post -mortem inspection systems  
8.6.2.1 Post-mortem inspection procedures and tests shall be established by the competent authority  
according to a science - and risk -based approach. The competent authority has responsibility for establishing  
judgement criteria and verifying the post -mortem inspection system. In the absence of a risk -based system,  
procedures will have to be based on current scientific knowledge and practice.  
8.6.2.2 Post-mortem procedures and tests may be integrated and implemented together so as to achieve  
public health and animal health objectives. In such cases, all aspects of post -mortem inspection shall be  science 
based and be tailored to the relevant risks.  
8.6.2.3 Relevant information on the animal population, e.g., animal type, health status, geographical  region 
of origin, shall be utilised in both the design and implementation of post -mortem inspection systems.   
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 8.6.1.4  Where indicated by public health concerns, routine screening of carcasses and other relevant  parts 
by methods other than organoleptic inspection may be required for suspected hazards, e.g., testing for  
Trichinella spp.  
8.6.1.5  Characteristics of a risk -based post -mortem inspection programme are:  
a) design and application of organoleptic procedures and tests that are relevant and proportional to meat borne 
risks associated with grossly -detectable abnormalities;  
b) tailoring of procedures to the spectrum and prevalence of diseases and defects reasonably likely to be 
present in the particular slaughter population, taking into account the type (age), geographical origin and 
primary production system of the slaughter an imals, e.g., multiple incisions of relevant muscles in all pigs 
from geographical regions where Taenia solium is present;  
c) procedures that minimise cross -contamination through handling to the greatest extent practicable, and may 
include procedures that are limited to visual observation of carcasses and other relevant parts in the first 
instance if justified by risk assessment;  
d) inspection of non -edible parts of animals where they may play an indicator role in the judgement of edible 
parts;  
e) modification of traditional procedures where scientific investigation has shown them to be ineffective, or, of 
themselves, hazardous to food, e.g., routine incision of lymph nodes of young animals to detect 
granulomatosus abnormalities;  
f) application of more intensive organoleptic procedures on a routine basis when a disease or condition 
capable of general distribution is found in a single part of a carcass and other relevant parts, e.g., cysts of 
Taenia saginata in cattle, xanthosis;  
g) application of additional risk -based inspection procedures on a routine basis when live animals are positive 
to a diagnostic test, e.g., tuberculin test in cattle, mallein test in horses;  
h) use of laboratory tests for hazards that are unaddressed by organoleptic inspection, e.g., Trichinella spp ., 
chemical residues and contaminants;  
i) application of measurable outcomes of organoleptic inspection that reflect a risk -based approach;  
j) integration with HACCP plans for other process control activities;  
k) on-going tailoring of procedures to take into consideration information received from the primary producer 
on a lot -by-lot basis; and  
l) return of information to the primary producer so as to seek continuous improvement in the safety and 
suitability status of animals presented for slaughter ( see 6.4). DRS 185: 20 23 
39                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 8.6.3  Implementation of post -mortem inspection  
8.6.3.1 Post-mortem inspection shall occur as soon as is practic able after slaughter of animals . Inspection 
shall take into account all relevant information from the level of  primary production and ante -mortem inspection, 
e.g. information from official or officially -recognised hazard  control programmes, information on animals 
slaughtered as “suspects”.  
8.6.3.2 The competent authority shall determine: how post -mortem inspection is to be implemented, the 
training, knowledge, skills and ability required of personnel involved (including the role of the official inspector,  
the veterinary inspector, and any personnel not employed by the competent authority), and the frequency and  
intensity of verification activities ( see 8.2.4). The final responsibility for verifying that all post -mortem  inspection 
and judgement requirements are met shall lie with the competent  authority.  
8.6.3.3 Carcasses and other relevant parts condemned by the competent person undertaking post -mortem 
inspection, as unsafe or unsuitable for human consumption shall be identified as appropriate and handled in a 
manner that does not result in cross -contamination of  meat from other carcasses and relevant parts. The reason 
for condemnation shall be recorded, and confirmatory laboratory tests may be taken if deemed necessary.  
8.6.3.4 The responsibilities of the establishment operator in respect of post -mortem inspection include:  
a) maintenance of the identity of a carcass and other relevant parts (including blood as appropriate) until  
inspection is complete;  
b) skinning and dressing of heads to the extent necessary to facilitate inspection, e.g., partial skinning to  allow 
access to sub -maxillary lymph nodes, detaching of the base of the tongue to allow access to the  
retropharyngeal lymph nodes;  
c) skinning of heads to the extent necessary to allow hygienic removal of edible parts, when this is a  processing 
option;  
d) presentation of a carcass and other relevant parts for inspection according to the requirements of the  
competent authority;  
e) a prohibition on establishment personnel intentionally removing or modifying any evidence of a disease or  
defect, or animal identification mark, prior to post mortem inspection;  
f) prompt removal of foetuses from the evisceration area, for rendering or other processes as allowed by the  
competent authority, e.g., collection of foetal blood;  
g) retention in the inspection area of all carcasses and other relevant parts required for inspection, until  
inspection and judgement has been completed;  
h) provision of facilities for identifying and retaining all carcasses and other relevant parts that require more  
detailed inspection and/or diagnostic tests before a judgement on safety and suitability can be made, in a  
manner that prevents cross -contamination of meat from other carcasses and other relevant parts;  
i) condemnation of parts of the carcass trimmed from the region of the sticking wound;   
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 j) routine condemnation of the liver and/or kidneys from older animals where the competent authority has  
determined that there may be accumulation of heavy metals to an unacceptable level;  
k) use of health marks (as specified by the competent authority) that communicate the outcome of post-mortem 
inspection; and  
l) co-operation with competent persons undertaking post -mortem inspection, in all other ways necessary to  
facilitate effective post -mortem inspection, e.g., access to processing records, and easy access to all  
carcasses and other relevant parts.  
8.6.3.5 Post-mortem inspection systems shall include:  
a) procedures and tests that are risk -based to the extent possible and practicable (refer to 9.5.1);  
b) confirmation of proper stunning and bleeding;  
c) availability of inspection as soon as is practicable after completion of dressing;  
d) visual inspection of the carcass and other relevant parts, including inedible parts, as determined by the  
competent authority;  
e) palpation and/or incision of the carcass and other relevant parts, including inedible parts, as determined  by 
the competent authority according to a risk -based approach;  
f) additional palpation and/or incisions, as necessary to reach a judgement for an individual carcass and  other 
relevant parts, and under appropriate hygiene control;  
g) more detailed inspection of edible parts intended for human consumption compared with inspection of  those 
parts for indicator purposes alone, as appropriate to the circumstances;  
h) systematic, multiple incisions of lymph nodes where incision is necessary;  
i) other organoleptic inspection procedures, e.g., smell, touch;  
j) where necessary, laboratory diagnostic and other tests carried out by the competent authority or by the  
establishment operator under instruction;  
k) performance objectives or performance criteria for the outcomes of organoleptic inspection, if available;  
l) regulatory authority to slow or halt processing so as to allow adequate post -mortem inspection at all  times;  
m) removal of specified parts if required by the competent authority, e.g., “specified risk materials” for BSE;  
and 
n) proper use and secure storage of equipment for health marking.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 8.6.3.6 The competent authority and industry shall record and disseminate the results of post -mortem  
inspection as appropriate. Notifiable human or animal health diseases and cases of non -complying residues  or 
contaminants shall be reported to national competent authorities as well as to the owner of the animal(s).  
8.6.3.7 Analysis of the results of post -mortem inspection over time is the responsibility of the competent  
authority, and the results of such analyses shall be made available to all interested parties.  
8.7 Post -mortem judgement  
8.7.1 Post-mortem judgement of edible parts as safe and suitable for human consumption shall primarily be 
based on food -borne risks to human health. Other risks to human health, e.g., from occupational exposure or 
from handling of meat in the home, also are an i mportant consideration. Judgements in relation to suitability 
characteristics of meat shall reflect consumer acceptability requirements appropriate to intended end -use. 
8.7.2 Although outside the mandate of competent authority, post -mortem inspection programmes may be 
utilised to identify and judge carcasses and other relevant parts according to risks to animal health, as specified 
in relevant Rwanda legislation.  
8.7.3 Judgement of edible parts as safe and suitable shall take into account information from the following  
sources:  
a) information from primary production (see Section 6 of RS CXC  1); 
b) observations made of animals in the lairage;  
c) ante-mortem inspection; and  
d) post-mortem inspection, including diagnostic tests, where required.  
8.7.4 Judgements shall be based on science and risks to human health to the greatest extent possible, with  
guidelines being provided by the competent authority. Judgements shall only be made by competent persons.  
8.7.5 The level of training, knowledge, skills and ability required for judgement may be less in situations  where 
edible parts demonstrating a specific abnormality are always judged to be unsafe or unsuitable for  human 
consumption and appropriately disposed of.  
8.7.6 Where the initial results of post -mortem inspection are insufficient to accurately judge edible parts as  
safe or suitable for human consumption, a provisional judgement shall be followed up with more detailed  
inspection procedures and/or tests. Pending the outcome of more detailed inspection and/or diagnostic tests,  
all parts of the animal that are required for further investigation shall be held under the control of the  competent 
person undertaking these activities.  
8.7.7 Judgement categories for edible parts include:  
a) safe and suitable for human consumption;  
b) safe and suitable for human consumption, subject to applicatio n of a prescribed process, e.g.  cooking,  
freezing;   
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 c) held on suspicion of being unsafe or unsuitable, pending the outcome of further procedures and/or tests;  
d) unsafe for human consumption but able to be used for some other purpose, e.g., pet -food, feed and feed  
ingredients, industrial non -food use, providing there are adequate hygiene controls to prevent any  
transmission of hazards, or illegal re -entry to the human food chain;  
e) unsafe for human consumption and requiring condemnation and destruction;  
f) unsuitable for human consumption, but able to be used for some other purpose, e.g., pet -food, feed and  
feed ingredients, industrial non -food use, providing there are adequate controls to prevent illegal re -entry  
to the human food chain;  
g) unsuitable for human consumption, and requiring condemnation and destruction; and  
h) unsafe for animal health reasons as specified in national legislation, and disposed of accordingly.  
8.7.8 When edible parts are judged to be safe and suitable for human consumption subject to application of 
a prescribed process, the specifications for that process shall be verified by the competent authority as sufficient 
to eliminate/reduce or adequately remo ve the hazard or condition of concern, e.g., specifications for retorting, 
high temperature rendering and freezing.  
8.7.9 The competent person can instruct that following post -mortem inspection, edible parts held under 
suitable inventory control can be designated as safe and suitable when subjected to a particular process e.g. 
freezing, cooking, canning.  
8.7.10  In some circumstances, edible parts may be judged as suitable for human consumption but subject to 
restricted distribution because the animals were sourced from geographical areas under quarantine for animal 
health reasons.  
8.8 Hygiene requirements for process control after post -mortem inspection  
8.8.1 Operations following post -mortem inspection include all procedures until the point of retail sales, e.g.  
chilling of carcasses, de -boning and cutting, further preparing, processing, packaging, freezing, storing, and  
distribution to the point of retail sale. Particular attention needs to paid to temperature control, with  temperatures 
of freshly slaughtered and dressed carcasses and other edible parts being reduced as rapidly as  possible to a 
temperature that minimise the growth of micro -organisms or th e formation of toxins that could  constitute a risk 
to human health. It is also important that the cold chain is not interrupted except to the  minimal extent necessary 
for practical operations, e.g., handling during transportation.  
8.8.2 In the case of poultry, viscera or parts of viscera, apart from kidneys, shall be  entirely removed as soon 
as possible, unless otherwise permitted by the competent authority.  
8.8.3 Meat passed as safe and suitable for human consumption shall be handled, stored and transported in  
a manner that will protect it from contamination and deterioration and shall be:  
a) removed without delay from the dressing area;  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 b) held under conditions that reduce its temperature and/or water activity as quickly as possible, unless cut  up 
or de -boned pre -rigor; and at temperatures that achieve safety and suitability objectives:  
1) after the dressing, meat (carcasses) shall be chilled immediately, in recommended conditions;  
2) shilled meat shall be stored at a temperature near to 0 ºC; 
3) either deboned, packaged or not, if the meat attend for long distance transport or long conservation 
it shall be frozen; and  
4) if frozen meat is not immediately dispatched, it shall be stored at -18 ºC. 
8.8.3 In the case of poultry undergoing immersion chilling:  
a) the immersion chilling process shall meet hygiene criteria as specified by the competent authority;  
b) the reduction in carcass temperature shall be as rapid as possible;  
c) carcasses emerging from the process shall have a lesser microbiological count for indicator  organisms and 
pathogens than those entering the process; and  
d) sanitation requirements shall include complete emptying, cleaning and sanitation of tanks as  appropriate.  
8.8.4 An official health mark applied to meat, wrapping or packaging, shall provide recognition that the  product 
has been produced in accordance with regulatory requirements, and shall assist with trace -back to the  
establishment of origin if required. When used as part of an official meat hygiene programme, the health mark  
shall include the approval/registration/listing number of the establishment, be applied in such a way that it  cannot 
be re -used, and be legible. Other marks may denote conformance with co mmercial specifications, or  
unacceptability for human consumption, e.g., distinctive brands for pet -food.  
8.8.5 Official health marks may be applied directly to the product, wrapping or packaging, or be printed on a  
label affixed to the product, wrapping or packaging. In circumstances of bulk transport to another  establishment 
for further handling, processing or wrapping, health marks may be applied to the external  surface of the 
container or packaging.  
8.8.6 Where carcasses, parts of carcasses or other meat is placed in a holding room:  
a) all requirements for hygienic control of operations shall be adhered to e.g., chiller loading rates,  
b) stock rotation, specifications for temperature and relative humidity;  
c) carcasses and parts of carcasses, whether hung or placed in racks or trays, shall be held in a manner  
permitting adequate circulation of air;  
d) the potential for cross -contamination via dripping of fluids shall be prevented; and   
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 e) water dripping from overhead facilities and condensation shall be controlled to the extent practicable, to  
prevent contamination of meat and food contact surfaces.  
8.8.7 Rooms and equipment for cutting, mincing, mechanical separation, meat preparation and the  
manufacturing of meat shall be designed such that activities can be carried out separately, or in such a  manner 
that does not led to cross contamination.  
8.8.8 Fresh meat intended for cutting or de -boning shall be brought into work rooms progressively as  needed, 
and shall not accumulate on work tables. If fresh meat is cut or de -boned prior to reaching  temperatures that 
are appropriate for storage and transport, it shall be immediately reduced in temperature to  prescribed levels.  
8.8.9 When fresh meat is cut or de -boned pre -rigor:  
a) it shall be transported directly from the dressing area to the cutting up or de -boning room;  
b) the cutting up or de -boning room shall be temperature -controlled and directly linked to the dressing  areas, 
unless the competent authority approves alternative procedures that provide an equivalent level of  hygiene; 
and 
c) cutting up, de -boning and packing shall be done without delay and shall meet all requirements for  hygienic 
process control.  
8.8.10  When raw meat is minced:  
a) it shall be obtained only from parts of animals as approved by the competent authority e.g. striated  muscle 
and adherent fatty tissues;  
b) it shall not contain bone fragments or skin;  
c) any grossly abnormal tissues and / or post -dressing contamination shall be removed before mincing; and  
d) the competent authority may specify compositional criteria.  
8.8.11  When raw meat is mechanically separated, the competent authority should:  
a) restrict the type of animal parts that can be used e.g. non -use of skulls;  
b) set compositional standards for maximum calcium content; and  
c) require specific labelling of the final product.  
8.8.12  When raw meat is minced, mechanically separated or used in meat preparations:  
a) the competent authority can specify maximum time/temperature schedules for process control at each  step 
of production e.g. maximum times and temperatures from chilling or freezing of raw material to the  time of 
preparation, maximum temperatures during production, maximum times before chilling or  freezing;  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 b) unless used directly as an ingredient for meat preparations and manufactured meat, it shall be  immediately 
wrapped and/or packaged, followed by immediate refrigeration;  
c) the competent authority may specify microbiological performance objectives, performance criteria,  process 
criteria or microbiological criteria for raw materials and final product;  
d) establishments shall have in -line magnets or other means of detecting contamination with metal  fragments 
as appropriate; and  
e) it shall not be refrozen after thawing.  
8.8.13  When meat preparations or manufactured meat are handled:  
a) the process flow of raw meat awaiting processing and during processing shall ensure uniform turnover of  
accumulated product and avoid possible cross -contamination, e.g. between raw materials and ready -to eat 
products;  
b) supply and addition of non -meat ingredients shall be subject to good hygienic practice and HACCP as  
appropriate and practicable, and may involve decontamination treatments e.g. for herbs and spices;  
c) products that include non -meat protein products (as defined or standardised by Codex) shall be  
appropriately labelled;  
d) process control for non -commercially sterile products shall prevent pathogen growth and toxin production  
during all processing activities e.g. during fermentation, partial heat treatment, drying, maturing and  curing. 
Process criteria may include for example, correct pH after fermentation, correct time/temperature  schedules 
during and after heating or smoking, correct moisture/protein ratio after drying, correct  formulation and 
application of nitrite as a cure ingredient;  
e) if heat and/or other processing treatments are not sufficient to ensure the stability of the product, the  product 
shall be cooled to an appropriate storage temperature and in a manner that ensures product  safety is not 
compromised as a result of germination and subsequent growth of pathogenic  spore formers ; 
f) product formulations e.g. distribution of antibacterial ingredients throughout cooked sausage emulsions,  
addition of cultures, adjustment of pH, shall achieve required levels of pathogen control;  
g) microbiological contamination of raw meat used to produce fermented products shall be as low as  possible, 
and similarly, mechanically separated meat shall only be used if appropriate time / temperature  schedules 
to achieve product safety requirements of the competent authority are used;  
h) processing of shelf -stable products in hermetically sealed rigid containers shall be according to RS  
CAC/RCP 23;  
i) cooked products shall achieve time / internal temperatures that are validated as achieving appropriate  
pathogen reduction, including meeting specified performance objectives, performance criteria and  
microbiological criteria;   
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 j) pasteurisation values or other heat processes shall be validated for all heat treated chilled products in  
hermetically sealed containers so as to ensure that product safety is maintained to the end of shelf life,  
taking into account all preservation factors that may be present;  
k) unless the absence of trichinellae  can be assured by testing or other means, process treatments for  
products containing striated muscle from affected animal species, either alone or in combination, shall be  
sufficient to destroy Trichinella  spp.;  
l) contamination with Listeria  monocytogenes  of heat treated / non -shelf stable and non -heat treated / shelf  
stable products shall be prevented by use of SSOPs and GHPs that are subject to routine microbiological  
verification;  
m) dried products shall be protected from environmental contamination and from re -absorption of moisture;  
and 
n) processes for products containing minced, comminuted or mechanically separated meat shall have inline  
magnets or other means of detecting contamination with metal fragments.  
8.8.14  Where meat is packaged or wrapped:  
a) packaging material shall be suitable for use, stored and used in a hygienic manner; and  
b) cases or cartons shall have a suitable inner liner or other means of protecting the meat, except that the  liner 
or other protection may not be required if pieces of meat, such as cuts, are individually wrapped  before 
packing.  
8.8.15  Where meat is placed in a room for freezing:  
a) meat that is not in cartons shall be hung or placed on racks or trays in a manner that allows adequate  
circulation of air;  
b) meat that is not in cartons shall be held in a manner whereby the potential for cross contamination via  
dripping of liquids is prevented;  
c) cartons containing meat shall be stacked so as to permit adequate circulation of air; and  
d) meat held on trays shall be placed so as to avoid contact with the base of an upper tray.  
8.8.16  Where meat is held in a freezer room or storage facility:  
a) the temperature of the meat shall have been reduced to an acceptable level before placement;  
b) exposed meat shall be stored in such a way that the hygiene cannot be compromised by the presence  of 
packaged meat or packaging material;  
c) meat, whether in carcass form or in cartons, shall not be stacked directly on the floor and shall be  positioned 
so that there is adequate air circulation;  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 d) the freezer store shall be operated and maintained under conditions appropriate to maintaining the  safety 
and suitability of meat;  
e) temperatures shall be continuously recorded and monitored; and  
f) adequate inventory control shall be maintained.  
8.8.17  Where raw meat is thawed for further processing, hygiene controls shall be such that thawing will not  
result in growth of micro -organisms or the formation of toxins to the extent that they may constitute a risk to  
human health. Hygiene controls shall include adequate drainage of liquid run -off. 
8.8.18  It is recommended that carcasses be thawed at 4 °C - 6 °C, in a hanging position and without any  
covering (plastic or jute is removed), inside a cold chamber with a reasonably low level of air circulation -about 
0.2 m/s. Relative humidity shall be kept low at the beginning (70 percent) to avoid frost forming on the  meat 
surface, with an increase at the end of the thawing period up to 90 % – 95 %.  
8.8.19  The establishment operator shall establish and implement a procedure for determining and validating  
the shelf life of manufactured meat and meat preparations.  
8.8.20  In some circumstances Ready -To-Eat (RTE) products that do not meet microbiological performance  
objectives, performance criteria, process criteria, or microbiological criteria, may be re -processed, condemned  
or treated as inedible. Where appropriate, follow -up sampling shall verify that re -processed Ready -To-Eat (RTE)  
products comply with regulatory microbiological requirements. When Ready -To-Eat (RTE) products have been  
contaminated subsequent to cooking and/or other preservation treatment with patho gens such that they could  
pose a risk to public health, the products shall be reworked or condemned without compromise.  
8.8.21  Where establishments are approved, registered and/or listed for different animal species, all  operations 
shall be controlled in terms of space or time so that there is no possibility of accidental mixing of  meat from 
different slaughter species, and no mis -identification at the time of packaging.  
8.9 Hygiene requirements for parts of animals deemed unsafe or unsuitable for human 
consumption  
8.9.1 Special hygiene measures shall be applied to operations involving parts of animals deemed unsafe or  
unsuitable for human consumption. These measures shall prevent cross -contamination to other edible parts  
and meat, and prevent any possibility of substitution.  
8.9.2 Parts of animals deemed unsafe or unsuitable for human consumption shall be:  
a) placed without delay into specifically identified chutes, containers, trolleys, or other handling facilities;  
b) identified by means as appropriate to the type and end use of the tissue; and  
c) in the case of condemned material, handled in rooms reserved for that purpose and conveyed in a  secure 
manner to a place of disposal (e.g. rendering station).   
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 8.10 Systems for removing products that are in circulation  
8.10.1  Establishments shall have adequate systems that enable removal of products that are in circulation.  
8.10.2  The competent authority shall verify that the systems are adequate. The competent authority shall be  
notified when an establishment operator removes product for public health reasons. Consumers and  interested 
parties shall be notified as appropriate in these cases.  
8.10.3  Removal of product requires systems that are capable of:  
a) withdrawal, where measures are applied by the establishment operator to prevent the distribution,  display 
or offer of a product that is not safe or suitable for human consumption;  
b) recall, where measures are applied to return unsafe or unsuitable product that has already been supplied  
or made available to consumers;  
c) detention, where measures are applied by the competent authority to ensure that the product is not  moved 
or tampered with pending a decision on its disposition; it includes storage by the establishment  operator in 
accordance with instructions from the competent authority.  
8.10.3  The particular systems that are enacted in the case of a removal will depend on the specific situation  
and the likely risks to human health.  
8.10.4  Where removal of product is necessary, the amount of product involved may be more than that from a  
single production or sampled lot. The competent authority shall verify that the establishment has taken all  steps 
necessary to ensure all affected product or potentially affected product is included in the removal.  
8.10.5  Product removal systems designed by the establishment operator shall:  
a) incorporate identification, management and operational procedures that facilitates the rapid and  complete 
removal of implicated lots;  
b) provide for records that facilitate trace -back to the origin of the problem;  
c) provide for records that facilitate investigation of any processing inputs that may be implicated;  
d) be reviewed and tested periodically; and  
e) include provision for communication where appropriate to the competent authority, consumers and other  
interested stakeholders particularly where public health issues are involved.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 9 Establishments: maintenance and sanitation  
9.1 General  
The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in 
RS/CXC  1. 
9.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to maintenance and sanitation of establishments, 
facilities and equipment  
Establishments, facilities and equipment shall follow these principles:  
a) establishments, facilities and equipment shall be maintained and sanitised in such a manner that  
contamination of meat is minimised to the greatest extent practicable.  
b) documented programmes for effective and appropriate maintenance and sanitation shall be in place (refer  
to 9.3.1).  
c) monitoring of the effectiveness of maintenance and sanitation shall be included as a basic component of  
meat hygiene programmes (refer to 9.2.1).  
d) special sanitation requirements shall be applied to the slaughter and dressing of animals that are  
condemned or designated as “suspects”.  
9.3 Maintenance and sanitation  
9.3.1 Establishments, facilities and equipment shall be kept in an appropriate state of repair and condition  to 
facilitate all sanitation procedures and prevent contamination of meat, e.g., from metal shards, flaking  plaster 
and chemical contaminants.  
9.3.2 Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) shall specify the scope of the cleaning  programme, 
cleaning specifications, persons responsible and monitoring and record keeping requirements.  
9.3.3 Cleaning procedures and programmes should:  
a) be specified in SSOPs as appropriate to the circumstances;  
b) provide for removal and storage of waste;  
c) ensure that there is no consequential contamination of meat with detergents or sanitising agents, unless  
allowable under conditions of use; and  
d) be monitored for their effectiveness, e.g., organoleptic checks and microbiological sampling of meat  contact 
surfaces, and be redesigned if and when necessary.  
9.2.4 Particular cleaning programmes are required for equipment used in the slaughter and dressing of  
carcasses e.g., knives, saws, machine cutters, evisceration machines and flushing nozzles.   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  50 
 9.2.5 Such equipment shall be:  
a) clean and sanitized before each new period of work;  
b) cleaned, and sanitised, by immersion in hot water or alternative methods, with appropriate frequency  during 
and/or between periods of work;  
c) immediately cleaned and sanitised when coming into contact with abnormal or diseased tissue that may  
harbour food -borne pathogens; and  
d) stored in designated areas in such a manner that it will not become contaminated.  
9.2.6 Containers and equipment shall not pass from an “inedible” area to an “edible” area before being  
cleaned and sanitised.  
9.2.7 Pest control programmes are an essential part of maintenance and sanitation and shall follow GHP as  
described in RS C XC1. 
9.2.8 In particular:  
a) the programme shall be properly documented and verified by the establishment operator;  
b) treatment of areas, rooms, facilities and equipment, with an approved pesticide shall be carried out  
according to the conditions of use; and  
c) pesticides and other pest control chemicals shall be kept in secure storage, with access being limited to  
authorised persons.  
10 Personal hygiene  
10.1 General  
10.1 Slaughter and dressing of animals, and handling and inspection of meat, presents many opportunities for 
cross -contamination. Personal hygiene practices shall prevent undue general contamination, and prevent cross -
contamination with human pathogens that may cause food -borne disease. The guidelines presented in this 
clause are s upplemental to the objectives and guidelines in RS  CXC 1. 
10.2 Persons moving from rooms or areas containing raw meat to rooms or areas used for meat preparations 
and manufactured meat (especially when these products are cooked) shall thoroughly wash, change and/or 
sanitise their protective clothing as appropriate, an d otherwise limit the possibility of cross contamination to the 
lowest level practicable.  
10.2 Personal cleanliness  
10.2.1 Persons who come into direct or indirect contact with edible parts of animals or meat in the course of 
their work shall maintain appropriate personal cleanliness and behaviour, and shall not be clinically affected by 
communicable agents likely to be transm itted by meat.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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 10.2.2 Persons who come into direct or indirect contact with edible parts of animals or meat should:  
a) maintain an appropriate standard of personal cleanliness;  
b) wear protective clothing appropriate to the circumstances, and ensure that non -disposable protective  
clothing is cleaned before and during work;  
c) if wearing gloves during the slaughter and dressing of animals and the handling of meat, ensure that they  
are of an approved type for the particular activity, e.g., chain -mail stainless steel, synthetic fabric, latex,  and 
they are used according to specifications, e.g., washing of hands before use, changing or sanitizing  gloves 
when contaminated; and  
d) store protective clothing and personal effects in locations that are separate from areas where meat may  be 
present.  
10.3 Personal health status  
10.3.1 The establishment shall maintain relevant personal health records of personnel.  
10.3.2 Persons who come into direct or indirect contact with edible parts of animals or meat in the course of  
their work should:  
a) where necessary, have a medical examination prior to and during employment;  
b) be examined daily, before starting work, for adverse health conditions such as suppurating abscesses,  
sores, cuts and abrasions which may pose a food safety risk;  
c) not work while clinically affected by, or suspected to be carrying, communicable agents likely to be  
transmitted through meat; and  
d) who were ill for three days or longer, present medical certificates to indicate that they are now fit to  handle 
meat or meat products  
e) be aware of and comply with reporting requirements to the establishment operator in respect of  
communicable agent.  
11 Transportation  
11.1 The guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in RS  CXC  1. 
11.2 Due to the potential for growth of pathogenic and spoilage micro -organisms under conditions of  
inadequate temperature control, meat shall be transported at temperatures that achieve safety and suitability  
objectives. Equipment for continuous monitoring and recording of temperatures shall accompany transport  
vehicles and bulk containers wherever appropriate. Additionally, the conditions of transport shall provide  
adequate protection from exogenous contamination and damage, and shall minimise growth of p athogenic  and 
spoilage micro -organisms.   
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 11.3 If meat is inadvertently exposed to adverse temperature conditions or sources of contamination that  may 
affect safety and suitability, an inspection shall be carried out by a competent person before further  transport or 
distribution is allowed.  
12 Product information and consumer awareness  
12.1 Appropriate product information and adequate knowledge of food hygiene is necessary to prevent  
mishandling at later stages in the food chain. Pre -packaged foods shall be labelled with clear instructions to  
enable the next person in the food chain to handle, display, store and use the product safely. Principles and 
guidelines for product information and consumer awareness in the context of safety and suitability of meat are  
described in general terms in RS CXC  1. 
12.2 The conditions of storage of meat preparations and manufactured meat shall be clearly presented on  the 
packaging.  
12.3 Meat preparations and manufactured meat should, where appropriate, be specifically labelled so as to  
provide safe handling, refrigeration and storage instructions for consumers. Foods containing meat that have  
not received an adequate biocidal treatment for pathogens (e.g. containing raw meat, partially cooked meat,  or 
products with secondary inhibitors) shall be labelled with handling, refrigeration, storage, cooking and  
preparation statements that have been validated as sufficiently biocidal.  
13 Training  
13.1 General  
Adequate training of competent personnel is of fundamental importance in the production of meat that is safe 
and suitable for human consumption. The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental 
to the objectives and guidelines in RS CAC/RCP 1.  
13.2 Principles of training in meat hygiene  
Persons engaged in meat hygiene activities shall be trained, and/or instructed to a required level of training,  
knowledge, skills, and ability. Training specified or recognised by the competent authority, shall be:  
a) appropriate to the activities and operations;  
b) proportional to the potential of the particular meat hygiene activity to impact on food -borne risks to human  
health;  
c) properly documented, including records of training programme delivery;  
d) verified as appropriate; and  
e) subject to recognition by the competent authority where delivered by third parties.  DRS 185: 20 23 
53                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 13.3 Training programmes  
Training programmes should:  
a) provide personnel with the training, knowledge, skills and ability to carry out specified meat hygiene  tasks, 
e.g., post -mortem inspection, verification of statistical process control, HACCP;  
b) provide practical training to the extent required;  
c) where necessary, arrange for formal testing of personnel;  
d) ensure that personnel involved in supervisory roles have appropriate skills;  
e) recognise and build on professional qualifications; and  
f) provide for the continuing education of competent persons.   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  54 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Risk -based evaluation of organoleptic post -mortem inspection 
procedures for meat  
A.1 Introduction  
A.1.1 Post-mortem meat inspection procedures are a set of food hygiene measures that are unique to the 
production of meat. Such procedures are regarded as a component of overall process control, which is defined 
as “all conditions and measures applied during the  production process that are necessary to achieve safety and 
suitability of meat”.  
A.1.2 The General Principles of Food Hygiene state that “in deciding whether a (food control) requirement is 
necessary or appropriate, an assessment of the risk shall be made, preferably within the framework of the 
HACCP approach” Many long -standing post -mortem meat inspection procedures are often complex,  labour -
intensive, undifferentiated for different classes of slaughtered livestock, and poorly evaluated in terms of their 
relative contribution to reducing food -borne risks to public health. For these reasons, competent authorities in a 
number of countrie s are carrying out investigations into the scientific basis of current procedures.  
NOTE  Competent authorities have different approaches to defining the respective roles of industry and competent 
authority personnel in delivering meat hygiene activities, and this issue is not covered in this Annex.  
A.1.3 This Annex generally applies to the evaluation of routine on -line organoleptic inspection procedures. 
The performance of other inspection technologies, e.g. tissue imaging, relative to organoleptic procedures, may 
also be considered.  
A.1.4 While risk -based evaluation of organoleptic post -mortem inspection procedures shall be based on risk 
assessment for hazards of concern and development of performance objectives, currently few such risk 
assessments are available. In their absence, other sou rces of scientific knowledge on food -borne risks to human 
health e.g. human surveillance data, risk ranking processes, can be used to develop risk -based post -mortem 
inspection procedures.  
A.1.5 The principles and guidelines presented in this Annex could also be adapted to evaluation of 
organoleptic post -mortem inspection procedures for determining the suitability of meat.  
A.2 Objectives of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures for meat  
A risk -based approach to post -mortem inspection for meat can achieve the following objectives:  
a) determination of the level of consumer protection provided by specified post -mortem inspection  procedures;  
b) relative measurement of the contribution of post -mortem inspection to the overall level of control of  hazards 
in meat (and risks to consumers), thereby allowing risk managers to allocate meat hygiene  resources 
proportionate to their greatest benefit in reducing risk by preventing exposure to meat -borne  hazards;  DRS 185: 20 23 
55                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 c) comparison of the effectiveness of different inspection procedures applied for the same purpose and in  the 
same context, e.g. positive predictive value;  
d) provision of information that allows appropriate evaluation of different risk management options e.g.  
regionalisation of inspection programmes, feasibility and comparative costs of different post -mortem  
inspection procedures, potential for cross -contamination; and  
e) full integration of post -mortem inspection procedures into a “production -to-consumption” approach to meat  
hygiene.  
A.3 Risk analysis  
A.3.1  Risk management framework  
A.3.1.1  Development and implementation of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures shall utilise a 
risk management framework.  
A.3.1. 2 The four components are: preliminary risk management activities, evaluation of risk management 
options, implementation of management decisions, and monitoring and review of decision taken. All 
components require effective risk communication among risk assessors, risk managers and other interested 
parties as necessary.  
A.3.2  Risk assessment  
A.3.2.1  If required, a risk assessment is commissioned during preliminary risk management activities. A  
risk assessment consists of four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment,  
and risk characterisation. The output of this process shall be qualitatively integrated with all other factors  relating 
to post -mortem meat inspection to make risk management decisions on appropriate procedures for  control of 
hazards.  
A.3.2. 2 In the ideal situation, risk estimates will be quantified in terms of risks to human health, and risk  
management decisions on an Appropriate Level Of Protection (ALOP) will dictate the nature and intensity of the  
post-mortem inspection procedures to be applied. However, risk assessment of microbiological hazards in  meat 
is currently limited by a lack of quantitative risk assessment models. Nevertheless, appropriate assembly  of 
scientific information and qualitative risk characterisation as to the pr obable impacts on human health can  
provide an objective basis for decision -making. In any case, risk management decisions will revolve around  the 
acceptability of the likely human health impact of differences in hazard levels brought about by different  
inspection procedures.  
A.4 General principles for development of risk -based post -mortem meat inspection 
procedures  
For the development of risk -based post -mortem meat inspection, the following shall apply:  
a) risk-based post -mortem inspection procedures shall be derived from the application of risk analysis  
principles.  
b) development of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures should:   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  56 
 1) involve application of a risk management framework;  
2) include quantitative risk assessment where appropriate and practicable;  
3) take into account all relevant information available from the food chain;  
4) take into account disease prevalence;  
5) take into account all relevant information from primary production and ante -mortem inspection of 
the animals.  
c) inspection procedures shall be evaluated for application within a specific context e.g. species and class  of 
slaughtered animal, defined geographical region, defined animal husbandry system. iv. Where  different 
inspection procedures that have the same purpose and context are being evaluated:  
1) an objective basis for comparison of the level of control of hazards associated with these 
procedures,  shall be established;  
2) the efficacy of each inspection procedure in detecting abnormalities and visible contamination  
affecting the safety of meat shall be taken into account;  
3) other risk management factors shall be taken into account as appropriate e.g. potential for  
inadvertent cross -contamination, feasibility, and practicality.  
d) where needed, representative and sufficiently large field trials shall be undertaken to determine the  
performance attributes of specified inspection procedures e.g. sensitivity, specificity, and no detection  rates 
for abnormalities;  
e) where appropriate, laboratory investigations shall be designed to detect the range of hazards of  possible 
public health importance that have been described in hazard identification;  
f) routine application of post -mortem inspection procedures shall not inadvertently increase cross 
contamination  with microbiological hazards;  
g) irrespective of inspection delivery systems, the competent authority shall be responsible for defining  the role 
of personnel involved in post -mortem inspection procedures, and verifying that any risk -based  regulatory 
requirements are met.; and  
h) alternative inspection procedures (e.g. serology) may be utilised to complement post -mortem  inspection, 
which might be reduced to visual inspection.  DRS 185: 20 23 
57                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 A.5 Guidelines for the development of risk -based post -mortem inspection 
procedures  
A.5.1  Identification of the meat hygiene issues  
A hazard identification process shall be undertaken to determine the likely range of hazards of public health 
significance that may be present in the abnormalities or visible contamination that are the target of the inspection 
procedure(s) being evaluated.  Following this, field trials shall be undertaken to determine the performance 
attributes of specified inspection procedures or new technologies relative to the hazards that may be present.  
A.5.2  Field trials  
A.5.2. 1 Once the likely range of hazards has been established, field trials may be an appropriate means to 
establish the prevalence of these hazards in the animal population, the potential exposure of consumers to 
these hazards and the potential impact of differen t inspection procedures on this exposure. Field trials shall be 
carried out under competent authority supervision and employing competent personnel. The number of animals 
inspected by the inspection procedures under evaluation shall give a statisti cally valid estimate of the detection 
rate of abnormalities achieved by specific post -mortem inspection procedures.  
A.5.2. 2 Sampling plans shall be representative of the slaughter population, and cater for known biological  
variation in respect of the type and prevalence of abnormalities e.g. influence of animal age, geographical  
region, farming type and season. Different trial designs may be employed, depending on the prevalence of  
abnormalities in the slaughter population, and the logistics of detailed inspection.  
A.5.2. 3 Where different post -mortem inspection procedures are being compared: all procedures shall be  
applied to the same animals, each inspection station shall be designed to provide independent results, and  the 
trial shall include enough samples so as to allow definite conclusions as to the consequences of changing  
inspection procedures. The possibility of target tissues acting as “indicators” for detection of abnormalities in  
other tissues and/or disposition of other tissues may be included in the design of field trials. Detailed recording  
of trial results is necessary, including appropriate pathological  descriptions of all abnormalities detected.  
A.5.2. 4 Laboratory investigations e.g. microbiological examination and histology shall be designed to  
identify the range of hazards of possible public health importance that have been identified in the hazard  
identification process. A representative number and range of samples shall be taken from abnormalities, so as  
to confirm the outcome of the hazard identification process and provide as much information as possible on  the 
prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in target tissue. Trial design shall inc lude representative  surveying 
of the prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in target tissues that are organoleptically normal,  so as to 
provide a comparison with the prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in those tissues that are  
organoleptically abnormal.  
A.6 Sensitivity  
A.6.1 An understanding of the level of consumer protection that is achieved by particular inspection  
procedures requires knowledge of the level of control of hazards that is attained by their application. The  
sensitivity of post -mortem inspection procedures shall be determined to establish their contribution to  achieving 
overall public health goals.  
A.6.2 The sensitivity of a post -mortem inspection procedure is the probability of identifying bodies or parts  
thereof that contain grossly detectable abnormalities likely to contain hazards of concern.   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  58 
 A.6.3 The sensitivity of an inspection procedure e.g. visual inspection, palpation, and/or incision, shall be  
determined within appropriate statistical limits established by the competent authority. The intended end -use of 
the target tissues has an important influence on the development of risk -based post -mortem inspection  
procedures. When selecting post -mortem inspection procedures, priority shall be given to those procedures  with 
high correlation between the detection of a specified abnormality and the pr esence of the hazard of  concern  
A.7 Risk management decisions  
A.7.1 Risk management decisions on the acceptability or otherwise of specified post -mortem inspection  
procedures will generally be based on the worst case of non -detection of abnormalities included in an  
appropriate statistical confidence interval. Decisions shall take into account the comparative public health risks  
associated with:  
a) the prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in target tissues that are organoleptically abnormal;  
b) the prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in target tissues that are organoleptically normal; and  
c) the overall prevalence (and concentration) of hazards being transmitted by all pathways throughout the  
production of meat.  
A.7.2 In the general case, new or alternative inspection procedures shall provide a level of consumer  
protection that is at least equivalent to that provided by existing procedures, unless there are strong mitigating  
factors that may influence a different risk management choice e.g. unacceptable introduction of new hazards,  
undue risks from occupational exposure.  
A.7.3 Required regulatory outcomes for post -mortem inspection may include performance attributes  
expressed as limits on non -detection rates for particular abnormalities. Those performance attributes may be  
derived quantitatively from risk assessment models, or qualitatively from baseline surveys of current  
performance.  
A.7.4 Where detailed information on the health status of slaughtered animals is available from primary  
production, risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures may be modified on a lot -by-lot basis, with the  
competent authority having responsibility for determining the frequency and extent of the procedures.  
A.7.5 The competent authority shall regularly analyse results of post -mortem inspection at both the  
establishment and national level, and provide appropriate feedback to establishments and other interested  
parties on the performance of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures. The competent authority could 
consider an incentive for improving the system, e.g. recognition of performance, decreased farm inspection  
frequency, additional change of inspection procedures, etc.  
A.7.6 The competent authority may change presentation requirements and the sequence of inspection  
procedures as a result of scientific evaluation of different post -mortem inspection procedures, and allow  
introduction of new inspection tools e.g. mirrors. Alternative technologies for detecting abnormalities e.g.  tissue 
imaging, shall be acceptable to the competent authority if validated as being as effective as current  procedures.  
  DRS 185: 20 23 
59                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Verification of process control of meat hygiene by microbiological 
testing  
B.1 Introduction  
B.1.1 Microbiological testing at specific points in the food chain is an important tool for verifying a risk based 
approach to food safety. Specification of food safety microbiological outcomes establishes appropriate levels of 
consumer protection, while providi ng maximum flexibility to industry in terms of the detailed process control 
systems that are employed.  
B.1.2 The General Principles of Food Hygiene state that “in deciding whether a (food control) requirement is 
necessary or appropriate, an assessment of the risk shall be made, preferably within the framework of the 
HACCP approach”, and any microbiological specifications “shall be based on sound scientific principles and 
state, where appropriate, procedures, analytical methods and action limits”  
NOTE  Specifications for microbiological testing in relation to the outcome of SSOPs are not regarded as  microbiological 
performance objectives or performance criteria for process control.  
B.1.3 Process control is defined as “all conditions and measures applied during the production process that  
are necessary to achieve safety and suitability of meat”.  
B.1.4 Where appropriate, microbiological performance objectives or performance criteria shall be included  in 
verification of process control.  
B.1.5 As described in this Annex, microbiological performance objectives or performance criteria are  different 
from microbiological criteria. The latter are used for judging the acceptability of a product or food lot  according 
to RS CAC/GL 21. Although not included in the scope of this annex, microbiological testing of meat  may also 
be used to assess suitability.  
B.2 Verification of process control by microbiological testing  
B.2.1 A preventative, HACCP -based approach shall be regarded as the most effective means of ensuring 
microbiological process control. Once process control has been validated, verification by microbiological testing 
can be important to assure that required food s afety outcomes are being met on an on -going basis. Verification 
by microbiological testing for process control purposes shall be implemented where meaningful in terms of 
consumer protection.  
B.2.2 Verification of process control of meat by microbiological testing provides a tool for:  
a) assessing the adequacy and efficacy of establishment process control in relation to faecal and other  
contamination;  
b) assuring the level of control of specified hazards of public health importance;   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  60 
 c) facilitating development of process criteria at a specified step or combination of steps that achieve  
microbiological performance objectives or performance criteria;  
d) identifying the need for review and redesign of HACCP plans;  
e) objective comparison of the outcome of different process control systems in different situations; and  
f) provision of assurances by competent authorities  
B.3 Principles for the establishment of microbiological testing requirements  
B.3.1  Microbiological testing requirements shall consider the following principles for the establishment:  
a) establishment of microbiological testing requirements shall take into account all information available 
throughout the food chain, including the health status of live animals relative to public health;  
b) microbiological testing requirements shall be: hazard -, product - and process -specific, reasonably 
achievable, and applied only at those points in the food chain specified. When validating the testing 
requirements, account shall be taken of the likelihood o f uneven distribution of micro -organisms in the 
sampled unit and the inherent variability of the analytical procedure;  
c) microbiological testing requirements shall be based on scientific analysis and advice, and, where sufficient 
data is available, developed from risk analysis. Where a food safety objective based on the required level 
of consumer protection has been establis hed, the relationship between the food safety objective (FSO) and 
performance objectives (POs) or performance criteria (PCs) shall be specified;  
d) the stringency of microbiological testing requirements shall be proportional to human health risk;  
e) in the absence of sufficient knowledge of risks to human health, microbiological testing requirements shall 
initially be established from baseline surveys of current industry performance, and subsequently be 
modified as appropriate to reflect public health  goals  
B.3.2 Sampling plans for baseline surveys shall be representative of the slaughter population, and cater for 
known biological variation in respect of hazards in the raw material supply e.g. influence of geographical region, 
farming type and season:  
a) microbiological testing requirements shall be based on micro -organisms that are indices of the presence of 
hazards to human health, or the pathogen itself, in the food specified;  
b) establishment of microbiological testing requirements, including performance objectives or performance 
criteria shall be the responsibility of competent authorities, in consultation with relevant interested parties, 
and may consist of guidelines or regulat ory standards; and  
c) the competent authority shall verify compliance with microbiological testing requirements where they are 
specified in regulation e.g., microbiological statistical process control requirements, standards for 
Salmonella spp.  DRS 185: 20 23 
61                ©RSB 2023 - All rights reserved  
 B.4 Implementation of a programme for verification of process control by 
microbiological testing  
B.4.1  Specifications  
B.4.1. 1 A standardised random sampling plan shall be developed, including specification of the process 
step,  product, size and type of sample, time and date of sampling, collection methods and transport. Sampling 
and testing at multiple steps in the food chain may provide greater information on process control and allows 
for a more targeted response to non -compliance by the establishment and the competent authority.  
B.4.1. 2 Sampling of tissue may be destructive e.g. by excision, or non -destructive e.g. by swabbing or  
sponging. No method will recover all the flora present on the surface. As non -destructive sampling will recover  
only a proportion of those recovered by the destructive method, microbiological testing requirements specified  
in this manner shall be established in relation to the type of sampling used.  
B.4.1.3  For practical reasons, microbiological testing requirements are unlikely to be verified on an on -
going  basis as part of a HACCP plan. However, microbiological verification shall be conducted with sufficient  
frequency to ensure effectiveness of any process criteria that are part of a HACCP plan. These criteria shall be 
measurable in real time, will most likely constitute critical limits at critical control points in HACCP plans,  and 
may be subject to microbiological verification as appropriate.  
B.4.1. 4 In the case of indicator micro -organisms e.g. generic Escherichia coli , Enterobacteriaciae  and total  
viable counts (aerobic plate counts), the presence and / or concentration of these indicator organisms shall  
reflect states or conditions that indicate process control or lack of process control. In the case of specific  hazards 
(e.g. Salmonella spp . on carcasses, Listeria monocytogenes  in Ready -To-Eat products), the  prevalence will 
generally be reflective of hazards arising pre -slaughter (e.g. Salmon ella present on hides of  incoming animals) 
and at specific steps during product processing.  
B.4.1. 5 The competent authority shall provide flexibility in regulation so that the most effective verification  
systems can be established at the establishment level e.g. provision for alternative carcass sampling sites if  an 
establishment can identify that they are equally as effective in assessing carcass contamination than those  
specified. Similarly, flexibility shall be provided by the competent authority with regard to the number of units  
comprising the sample or testing against alternative indicator m icro-organisms as long as the procedure can  
provide equivalent guarantees.  
B.4.1. 6 Alternative approaches to microbiological testing that are properly validated shall be established  
where they offer practical advantages.  
B.4.2  Frequency of sampling  
B.4.2. 1 There is no single method for determining the frequency of sampling. For slaughter and dressing  
establishments frequency of sampling may be fixed in relation to the particular process or may be based on  
throughput of animals. In addition to ensuring randomness, variables to be taken into account at the  
establishment level include: source of raw materials, type and nature of the meat process, and volume of  
production.  
B.4.2. 2 Sampling frequency shall be increased or decreased according to performance. Once results  show 
that the HACCP -based procedures are providing a consistent level of acceptable performance,  subsequent 
microbiological testing shall be sufficient to ensure that process control is maintained.   
©RSB 20 23 - All rights reserved                  62 
 B.4.3  Laboratory analysis  
B.4.3. 1 Methods for detection and enumeration shall be practical, accurate, reproducible, sensitive and  
selective. Only methods for which the reliability and reproducibility have been validated shall be used. Inter -
laboratory  testing shall be a feature of a microbiological verification programme. In cases of dispute,  recognised 
reference methods shall be used.  
B.4.3. 2 To allow meaningful analysis and to permit objective comparison of different control systems,  
methods for the computation of results shall be specified, including handling of pooled/individual results,  
calculation of mean results (e.g. log means) from groups of samples from the same carcass or different  
carcasses.  
B.4.4  Laboratory application  
B.4.4. 1 Regulatory requirements in terms of microbiological testing may be specified in several ways. For  
indicator organisms, two or three class attribute sampling plans that specify limits for numbers of  
microorganisms (m and M) may be useful, in other situations variable sampling plans may be useful. Two  class 
plans shall be applied for pathogen criteria. Where requirements are set according to current industry  
performance, percentile values may be used e.g. 80th percentile for m and 98th percentile for M, a variety of  
statistical approaches can be used.  
B.4.4.2  Effective systems shall be in place for distribution and sharing of information from the establishment  
to all interested parties, as appropriate, so as to maintain and improve process control of meat.  
B.4.4.3  The competent authority shall regularly analyse results at both the establishment and national level,  
and provide appropriate feedback to establishments and other interested parties.  
B.4.4. 4 Additional to verification of process control, the results of microbiological testing may be used to  
establish on -farm controls e.g. intensive measures to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella spp . in fattening  
pigs.  
B.4.4. 5 In situations of non -compliance with microbiological requirements, actions shall be specified.  
Regulatory and/or establishment responses shall be proportional to test results as well as the public health 
impact  of specific pathogens. Where detailed information on the status in relation to public health, of animals  
destined for slaughter, is available from primary production, e.g. in the case of Salmonella spp . in fattening  pigs 
and broiler chickens in some intensive production systems, responses in relation to process control at the  
establishment level, may include consideration of pre -slaughter levels of hazards.  
B.4.4. 6 The competent authority shall consider microbiological results in conjunction with public health and  
other relevant information when taking regulatory action. Regulatory intervention and/or sanctions may be  
necessary when validated controls are not being properly implemented.  
B.4.4. 7 In cases of repeated non -compliance, the competent authority in addition to other actions, shall  
require the establishment operator to review and revise the HACCP plan and may specify an increased  sampling 
frequency to verify that the required level of process control is restored.  DRS 185: 20 23 
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