DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 779 
Second  Edition  
2017 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 779: 2017 
© UNBS 2017   
  
Transportation of meat and meat products  —Requirements  
 DUS 779: 2017  
ii © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible f or its correct application  
© UNBS 2017   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior wr itten 
permission from UNBS.  
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The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
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Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
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 DUS 779:2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UN BS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agreement  of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the co mments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/TC 2, Food and Agriculture, 
Subcommittee SC 12, Meat,  poultry and processed product . 
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition ( US 779:2007), which has been technically revised.  DUS 779: 2017  
iv © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Introduction  
Meat and meat products are highly perishable food products and if not properly handled, can cause h ealth 
problems to consumers. A number of diseases are known to be associated with poorly handled meat  or meat 
products.   
This standard serves as a guide to producers, transporters and consumers of meat in assessing their facilities, 
equipment and practices  with regard to meat and meat products transportation. It also provides guidance to 
government and other stakeholders in the industry.  
Transportation and handling regimes are subject to change as market practices evolve and technology 
develops. The meat a nd meat products transportation industry must continuously keep in line with new 
research and technological advances. This will enhance transportation practices and ensure that meat and 
meat products are transported in the most safe and effective manner po ssible . 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 779: 2017  
 
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  1 
 Transportation of meat and meat products — Requirements  
1 Scope   
This Draft  Uganda Standard specifies requirements for the transportation of meat and meat products . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents 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.  
US 1 659, Materials in Contact with Food — Requirements for Packaging materials  
US EAS 12, Potable water — Specification  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
3.1 
Meat  
edible parts of an animal i ncluding poultry, rabbits, hares, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, farmed and wild 
game that are intended for, or have been judged as safe and suitable for human consumption  
3.2 
Poultry  
domesticated birds including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guin ea-fowls, quail or pigeons  
3.3 
meat flesh  
skeletal muscle of any slaughtered animal, and any attached animal rind; fat; connective tissue; nerve; blood; 
blood vessels; and skin, in the case of poultry  
3.4  
meat products  
products resulting from the proces sing of meat or from the further processing of such processed products, so 
that the cut surface shows that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh meat  
3.5 
packaging  
technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, s torage,  sale, and use, also refers to the 
process of designing, evaluating, an d producing packages . 
3.6  
transportation of meat and meat products  
conveyance of meat and meat products from one point to another    
2 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 3.7 
transportation vessel   
any container for convey ance of meat and meat products  
3.8 
meat movement permit  
official document issued by the inspector/authorised officer specifying that meat or meat products are suitable 
for human consumption and have been produced under sanitary conditions   
3.9 
Carcass  
the body of an animal or a bird after dressing  
3.10 
health certificate  
certificate issued by a competate authority and carried by a meat handler showing his/her health status  
3.11  
personal hygiene practices  
all conditions and measures necessary to ensur e the safety and suitability of meat at all stages of the food 
chain  
3.12 
inspection stamp  
an official  marking on meat or meat products showing evidence of inspection by authorised person  
3.13  
label  
a tag, brand, mark, pictorial or other descriptive ma tter, written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed or 
impressed on, or attached to, a container of food  
3.14 
license  
official document issued by the competent authority specifying that a particular person is permitted to transport 
meat and meat product s 
3.15  
meat hygiene  
all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of meat at all stages of the food 
chain  
3.16  
competent authority  
official charged by government with the control of meat hygiene including setting and enforc ing regulatory 
meat hygiene requiremen ts 
4 Requirements for transportation   
4.1 Personal health and personal hygien e 
The personnel directly involved in the handling and the transportation of meat or meat products shall  
a) be free from communicable disease s listed in Annex A , 
b) have a valid health certificate,  
c) observe good personal hygiene practices, and  DUS 779: 2017  
© UNBS  2017  – All rights reserved  3 
 d) behave in such a way  as to minimize contamination of the meat  
4.1.1  Meat and meat products handlers shall be dresses in a full protective gear dur ing handling and 
transportation  
4.2 Transport vessel   
4.2.1  General requirements  
a) meat transportation vessels/containers shall be made of impervious materials that are non - corrosive, 
easy to clean, disinfect and maintain.  
b) vessel for the transportation of meat and meat products shall be well constructed, strong and easily 
lockable  
c) meat transportation vessel shall be kept in good state of repair.  
d) vessel shall be designated for transportation of only meat and meat products  
e) meat and meat product transpor tation vessel shall be labelled  with the words ‘MEAT’ in red colors on 
a white background and its approval number be legible at a distance of at least 50 m.   
f) vessel shall be regularly inspected and licensed as may be required by the authority.  
g) vessels sh all be cleaned before and after transportation of the meat or meat products  
4.2.2  Specific requirements for lorries and pickups  
a) vessel shall be spaciou s to allow air circulation.  
b) vessel or container carrying carcass or cuts shall have provisions for hoist ing th e carcass  or cuts . 
c) distance between the carcasses and surface walls of the vessel shall be such as to allow free air 
circulation with in the vessel   
d) meat transportation vessel shall be constructed in such a manner as to protect meat and meat 
product s from dust, smoke, water, rodents, and insects and other pests and contaminants.  
e) vessels for transportation of meat for more than one hour or for transportation of refrigerated meat 
and meat products shall be well insulated and refrigerated  
f) meat transpor tation vessel shall have provisions for holding the meat to avoid c ontact with the vehicle 
floor.  
g) vessel s shall be inspected before transportation of meat  for hygiene and other compliance qualities .  
4.3 Packaging  and transportation    
a) meat and meat produc ts for transportation shall be packaged in clean, food grade packaging 
materials  as in accordance with  US 1659 . 
b) meat and meat products from different species shall be packaged separately and shall be transported 
in different containers to avoid cross conta mination and to protect cultural values.  
c) meat or meat products shall be properly secured during transportation.   
4 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 4.4 Documentatio n  
Every consignment of meat shall be accompanied by a meat movement permit, issued by the authorized 
officer.  
The movement p ermit shall specify but not be l imited to the following details;   
a) name and address including license number of the transporter of the meat or meat product;  
b) transportation vessel number;  
c) name and address including license number of the consignee/ owner of the meat or meat product;  
d) quantity and packaging form of the meat;  
e) origin and destination of meat;  
f) name of the transporter and his/her approval number;  
g) name, title, physical address, official stamp and signature of the issuing offi cer;  
h) prescribed route of transport; and  
i) any additional requirements as may apply to that consignment.  
4.5 Cleaning and disinfection   
a) all establishments handling meat and meat products shall designate a place for cleaning and 
disinfection of vesse ls of meat and meat products.  
b) vessel for the transportation of meat and meat products shall be properly cleaned before and after 
use.  
c) vessel shall be free from soil, dirt or blood stains.  
d) inspector shall ascertain the cleanliness of every vessel/contain er before it is loaded with meat or 
meat products for transportation.   
e) places of cleaning shall have water meeting requirements for US EAS 12 .  
f) sanitizer and disinfectants used shall be only those approved by the competent authority  
 DUS 779: 2017  
© UNBS  2017  – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Communicable diseases in meat handlers  
These diseases include ; 
a) persistent respiratory tract diseases  for example Tuberculosis   
b) persistent or recurring skin conditions subject to infection,   
c) inflammatory diseases of the ear throat and eyes,  
d) typhoid and paratyphoid diseases,  
e) intestinal diseases, for example, helminthic infections, hepatitis and  
  
6 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] US 779:2007, Requirements for transportation of meat and meat products   
[2] FDUS CAC/RCP 58 -2005, Code of hygienic practice for meat  
[3] US ISO 22000:2005, Food safety management systems – Requirements for any organization in the 
food chain  
 DUS 779: 2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  7 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control  and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing ma y be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS 779: 2017    
 
ICS 67.120.10 
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© UNBS 2017 – All rights reserved