Reference number  
DRS 185:2018  
© RSB 2018  
 
 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
185 
 
2nd edition  
Published by RSB 2018 -mm-dd 
(Reaffirmed 2018 ) 
Code of hygienic practice for meat   
 
  DRS 185:2018  
©RSB 2018 - 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 2018  
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. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw   
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 185:2018  
iii                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 General principles of meat hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 10 
5 Primary production  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  11 
5.1 Principles of meat hygiene applying to primary production  ................................ ..........................  12 
5.2 Hygiene of slaughter animals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  12 
5.3 Hygiene of killed wild game  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  14 
5.4 Hygiene of feed and feed ingredients  ................................ ................................ ...............................  15 
5.5 Hygiene of the primary production environment  ................................ ................................ .............  15 
5.6 Transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  16 
5.6.1  Transport of slaughter animals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  16 
5.6.2  Transport of killed wild game  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  17 
6 Presentation of animals for slaughter  ................................ ................................ ...............................  17 
6.1 Principles of meat hygiene applying to animals presented for slaughter  ................................ ..... 17 
6.2 Conditions of lairage  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  18 
6.3 Ante -mortem inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  18 
6.3.1  Design of ante -mortem inspection systems  ................................ ................................ .....................  19 
6.3.2  Implementation of ante -mortem inspection ................................ ................................ ......................  20 
6.3.3  Ante -mortem judgement categories  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 21 
6.4 Information on animal presented for slaughter  ................................ ................................ ...............  21 
7 Presentation of killed wild game for dressing  ................................ ................................ ..................  22 
7.1 Principles of meat hygiene applying to inspection of killed game presented for dressing  ........  22 
7.2 Inspection of killed wild game presented for dressing  ................................ ................................ ... 22 
8 Establishments: Design, facilities and equipment  ................................ ................................ ..........  23 
8.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  23 
8.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to establishments, facilities and equipment  ......................  23 
8.3 Design and construction of lairage  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 24 
8.4 Design and construction of slaughter areas  ................................ ................................ ....................  25 
8.5 Design and construction of areas where bodies of animals are dressed or meat may 
otherwise be present ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  25 
8.6 Design and construction of equipment where bodies of animals are dressed or meat 
maybe present  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 27 
8.7 Water supply  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  28 
8.8 Temperature control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  28 
8.9 Facilities and equipment for personal hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................  28 
8.10  Means of transport  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  29 
9 Process control  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 30 
9.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  30 
9.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to process control  ................................ ................................  30 
9.3 Process control systems  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  31 
9.3.1  Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)  ................................ ................................ ...... 32 
9.3.2  HACCP  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  32 
9.3.3  Outcome -based parameters for process control  ................................ ................................ .............  33 
9.3.4  Regulatory systems  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  35 
9.3.5  Quality assurance (QA) systems  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 36 DRS 185:2018  
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 9.4 General hygiene requirements for process control  ................................ ................................ ........  36 
9.5 Hygiene requirements for slaughter and dressing  ................................ ................................ .........  37 
9.6 Post -mortem inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  40 
9.6.1  Design of post -mortem inspection systems  ................................ ................................ ....................  40 
9.6.2  Implementation of post -mortem inspection  ................................ ................................ .....................  41 
9.7 Post -mortem judgement  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  43 
9.8 Hygiene requirements for process control after post -mortem inspection  ................................ ... 45 
9.9 Hygiene requirements for parts of animals deemed unsafe or unsuitable for human 
consumption  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 50 
9.10  Systems for removing products that are in circulation  ................................ ................................ .. 50 
10 Establishments: maintenance and sanitation  ................................ ................................ .................  51 
10.1  Principles of meat hygiene applying to maintenance and sanitation of establishments, 
facilities and equipment  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  51 
10.2  Maintenance and sanitation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  51 
11 Personal hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  53 
11.1  Personal cleanliness  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  53 
11.2  Personal health status  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  53 
11.3  Transportation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 54 
12 Produ ct information and consumer awareness  ................................ ................................ ..............  54 
13 Training  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  54 
13.1  Principles of training in meat hygiene  ................................ ................................ ..............................  55 
13.2  Training programmes  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  55 
Annex  A (normative)  Risk -based evaluation of organoleptic post -mortem  inspection procedures 
for meat  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  56 
A.1 Introduction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  56 
A.2 Objectives of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures for meat  ................................ ...... 56 
A.3 Risk analysis  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 57 
A.3.1  Risk  management framework  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  57 
A.3.2  Risk assessment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 57 
A.4 General principles for development of risk -based post -mortem meat inspection 
procedures  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  57 
A.5 Guidelines for the development of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures  .................  59 
A.5.1  Identi fication of the meat hygiene issues  ................................ ................................ ........................  59 
A.5.2  Field trials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  59 
A.6 Sensitivity  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  59 
A.7 Risk man agement decisions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  60 
Annex  B (normative)  Verification of process control of meat hygiene by microbiological testing  ....... 61 
B.1 Introduction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  61 
B.2 Verification of process control by microbiological testing  ................................ ............................  61 
B.3 Principles for the establishment of microbiological testing requirements  ................................ .. 62 
B.4 Implementation of a programme for verification of process control by microbiological 
testing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  63 
B.4.1  Specifications  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 63 
B.4.2  Frequency of sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  63 
B.4.3  Laboratory analysis  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  64 
B.4.4  Laboratory application  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  64 
 DRS 185:2018  
v                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda 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.  
DRS 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  (s): 
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 second  edition cancels and replaces the first edition (RS  185:2013) , which has been technically revised.  
(The first/second/third/... edition (RS  nnn-n: yyyy) has been re affirmed  by the Board on dd-mm-yyyy. ) 
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.  
Paragraph of p articipants  
Rwanda  Stand ards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 185:2018  
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  vi 
 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 ri sk-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 specific 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 measure 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 ant e- 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 and animal health activities are integrated.  
 DRS 185:2018  
1                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 Code of hygienic practice for meat   
1 Scope   
1.1 The scope of this code 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 Princip les 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 Criteria for 
Foods are further developed and applied in the specific context of meat hygiene.  
1.2 For the purposes of this code, meat is that derived from domestic ungulates, domestic solipeds, domestic 
birds, lagomorphs, farmed game, farmed game birds (in cluding ratites) and wild game. This Code of Practice 
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 al l species of 
animal as described above, this code also presents specific measures that apply to different species and 
classes of animals, e.g. wild game killed in the field.  
1.3 The hygiene measures that are applied to the products described in this code, shall take into account any 
further measures and food handling practices that are likely to be applied by the consumer. It shall be noted 
that some of the products described in this code may not be subjected to a heat or other biocidal process 
before consu mption.  
1.4 Traditional practices may result in departures from some of the meat hygiene recommendations presented 
in this code when meat is produced for local trade.  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way t hat 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, Principle s 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 Cr itical 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 accreditati on of food import and export 
inspection and certification systems.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  2 
 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, Drinking (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 sol ipeds;  
c) domestic birds i.e. poultry;  
d) lagomorphs;  
e) farmed game;  
f) farmed game birds, including ratites;  
g) wild game, i.e. wild land mammals and birds which are hunted (including those living in enclosed territory  
under conditions of freedom similar to those of wi ld game); and  
h) 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  DRS 185:2018  
3                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 3.4 
brand  
any m ark or stamp approved by the controlling authority and also includes any tag or label bearing such mark 
or stamp  
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   
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 body officially recognised and overseen by the competent authority to undertake specified meat hygiene  
activities  
3.12 
competent person  
person who has the tr aining, 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 substa nce 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 accident or injury, or which is affected by a  
disease, which does not necessarily call for total condemnation at meat inspection, which however is like ly to 
deteriorate unless slaughter takes place immediately  
3.17 
equivalence  DRS 185:2018  
5                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 capability of different meat hygiene systems to meet the same food safety and/or suitability objectives  
3.18 
establishment  
building or area used for performing meat hygiene activit ies 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 sa fety 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 
game depot  
building in which killed wild game is temporarily held prior to transf er to an establishment, and which is  
approved, registered and/or listed by the competent authority for this purpose. (Note that for the purposes of  
this code, a game depot is a particular type of establishment)  
3.23 
good hygienic practice  
all practices reg arding the conditions and measures necessary to ensure the (GHP) safety and suitability of  
food at all stages of the food chain  
3.24 
hazard  
biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the potential to cause an adverse health  
effec t  
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 3.25 
hunter  
person involved in the killing and/or bleeding, partial evisceration and partial field dressing of killed wild game  
3.26 
inedible  
inspected and judged by a competent person, or otherwise determined by the competent authority to be  
unsuitable for human consumption  
3.27 
manufactured Meat  
products resulting from the processing of raw meat or from the further processing of such processed products,  
so that when cut, the cut surface shows that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh m eat 
3.28 
meat  
all parts of an animal that are intended for, or have been judged as safe and suitable for, human consumption  
3.29 
meat hygiene  
all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of meat at all stages of the food  
chain  
3.30 
meat preparation  
raw meat which has had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it  
3.31 
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  
3.32 
minced meat  
boneless meat which has been reduced into fragments  DRS 185:2018  
7                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 3.33 
official inspector  
competent person who is appointed, accredited or otherwise recognised by the competent author ity to perform  
official meat hygiene activities on behalf of, or under the supervision of the competent authority  
3.34 
organoleptic inspection  
using the senses of sight, touch, taste and smell for identification of diseases and defects  
3.35 
performance cri terion  
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)  
3.36 
performance objec tive 
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  
3.37 
potable water  
water that is pure and wholesome at the point of sage in accordance with requirements contained in the RS  
EAS 12  
3.38 
post -mortem inspection  
any procedure or test conducted by a competent person on all relevant parts of slaughtered/killed animals for  
the purpose of judgement of safety and suitability and disposition  
3.39 
primary production  
all those steps in the food chain constituting animal prod uction and transport of animals to the abattoir, or  
hunting and transporting wild game to a game depot   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  8 
 3.40 
process control  
all conditions and measures applied during the production process that are necessary to achieve safety and  
suitability of meat  
3.41 
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  
3.42 
protective clothing  
special garments intended to prevent the contaminati on of meat and used as outerwear by persons in an  
abattoir or establishment, and includes head coverings and footwear  
3.43 
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  
3.44 
quality assurance (QA) system  
organisational structure, procedures, processes and resources needed to implement quality assurance  
3.45 
raw meat  
fresh meat, minced meat or  mechanically separated meat  
3.46 
ready -to-Eat (RTE) products  
products that are intended to be consumed without any further biocidal steps  DRS 185:2018  
9                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 3.47 
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  
3.48 
risk-based  
containing any performance objective, p erformance criterion or process criterion developed according to risk  
analysis principle  
3.49 
safe for human consumption  
safe for human consumption according to the following criteria:  
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  
3.50 
sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs)  
documented system for assuring t hat personnel, facilities, equipment and utensils are clean and where  
necessary, sanitised to specified levels prior to and during operations  
3.51 
suitable for human consumption  
suitable for human consumption according to the following criteria:  
a) has been p roduced 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   
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 3.52 
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  
3.53 
verification  
activities performed by the competent authority an d/or competent body to determine compliance with 
regulatory requirements  
3.54 
verification (Operator)  
continual review of process control systems by the operator, including corrective and preventative actions to 
ensure that regulatory and/or specified requ irements are met  
3.55 
veterinary inspector  
official inspector who is professionally qualified as a veterinarian and carries out official meat hygiene activities 
as specified by the competent authority  
3.56 
viscera  
organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavit y 
4 General principles of meat hygiene  
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 o utcome;  
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 establi shment operator 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, monitoring and other relevant activities;  DRS 185:2018  
11                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 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 Obj ectives (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 entir e 
food chain. Information available from primary production shall be taken into account so as to tailor meat 
hygiene requirements to the spectrum and prevalence 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;  
i) the range of activities involved in meat hygiene shall be carried out by personnel with the appropriate 
training, k nowledge, 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 an d other interested 
parties shall be considered and undertaken where appropriate;  
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 suitabi lity and facilitate fair practices in the trading of meat.  
5 Primary production  
5.1 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 dur ing primary production, often 
presents considerable challenges, e.g., E. 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 the level of primary 
production.  
5.2 Provision of relevant information on animals intended for slaughter facilitates application of risk -based 
meat hygiene programmes, and allows inspection p rocedures to be tailor -made to the spectrum and 
prevalence of diseases and defects in the particular animal 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.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  12 
 5.3 Voluntary or officially recognised QA systems implemented at primary production shall be appropriately 
taken into account during veri fication of regulatory requirements.  
5.4 The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in 
Section III of RS CAC/RCP 1.  
5.1 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 po ssible 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;  
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 
notifiabl e zoonotic diseases shall be reported 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 fact ors, 
and should include application of HACCP principles 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.  
5.2 Hygi ene of slaughter animals  
5.2.1  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 imple ment 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 programme s shall be taken into account by the 
competent authority in the overall design and implementation of risk -based meat hygiene programmes.  
5.2.2  So as to facilitate the application of risk -based meat hygiene programmes:  
a) primary producers shall record relevan t 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  DRS 185:2018  
13                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 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 responsibili ties 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  
i) control movement of animals between primary production units, and to abattoirs, where populations are 
under quarantine restrictions.  
5.2.3  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 s o 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.  
5.2.4  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.  
5.2.5  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 availab le 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, transport may proceed if the a nimals 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.   
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 5.3 Hygiene of killed wild game  
5.3.1  Only limited knowledge can be gained on the health status of populations of wild game hunted for meat; 
however, the competent authority shall consider all sources when gathering such information. In this respect, 
hunters s hall be encouraged to provide relevant information, e.g., geographical origin of wild game, and any 
clinical symptoms of disease observed in wild animal populations.  
5.3.2  Wild game shall be harvested in a manner so that:  
a) killing methods are consistent wit h the production of meat that is safe and suitable for human 
consumption; and  
b) their geographical origin is not subject to relevant official prohibitions on harvest, e.g., in the case of 
concurrent chemical pest control programmes or animal health quarantin e. 
5.3.3  Hunters are particularly important in providing information on killed animals. They shall be aware of their 
responsibilities in terms of supplying to the establishment, all relevant information that may impact on the 
safety and suitability of killed wild game meat, e.g., symptoms of disease immediately before killing, grossly 
apparent diseases and defects detected during partial field dressing and/or evisceration. The competent 
authority shall require that hunters or other people involved in harvesting of wild game undergo basic training 
in meat hygiene appropriate to field procurement, e.g., recognition of diseases and defects, application of 
GHP in partial field dressing and transport to a game depot.  
5.3.4  As wild game are killed in the field, appropriat e hygienic practices immediately following death are 
essential to minimise contamination of edible parts. GHP should be applied to the extent practicable during 
bleeding, partial dressing, e.g., removal of the head, and/or partial evisceration (where allow ed by the 
competent authority).  
5.3.5  Bleeding and partial dressing of killed wild game in the field shall include:  
a) bleeding and partial evisceration as soon as possible after killing (unless exempted by the competent 
authority for a particular species of wild game);  
b) partial skinning and/or partial dressing in a manner that minimises the level of contamination of edible 
parts to the lowest level practicable;  
c) removal only of those parts of the animal that are not necessary for post -mortem inspection and 
judgement; and  
d) retention of the lungs, liver, heart and kidneys as a minimum if partial evisceration is carried out, either by 
natural attachment to the carcass or identified and packaged as an attachment to the carcass, unless a 
hunter, who is a competent per son, has carried out an inspection and has not detected or suspected 
abnormalities.  
5.3.6  Game depots shall not be simultaneously used for a purpose other than receiving and holding killed wild 
game, unless the competent authority specifies other uses and conditions.  
5.3.7  Delivery of killed wild game to a game depot or an establishment shall be within time limits established 
by the competent authority considering harvesting, environmental conditions and desired food safety DRS 185:2018  
15                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 outcomes. The body and other anim al parts shall not be frozen before dressing and post -mortem inspection in 
an establishment, unless unavoidable due to ambient temperatures.  
5.3.8  Partial evisceration usually only involves removal of the gastrointestinal tract, and this aids cooling.  
5.3.9 In the case of small killed wild game, the competent authority may allow full evisceration.  
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 maintai ned 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 establis h 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 (in cluding 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 hu man 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 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 desig n 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.   
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 5.5.3  Facilities and procedures shall be in pla ce 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 (refer to Section  
10 of RS CAC/RCP 1);  
b) systems for a ctive 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 safet y 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 hazard s are not introduced during transport;  
c) animal identification as to the place of origin is maintained; and  
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 (refer to Section 10 of RS CAC/RCP 1).  DRS 185:2018  
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 g) Transport vehicles, and crates where used shall be cleaned and sanitised as soon as practicable after 
animals have been unloaded at the establishment.  
5.6.2  Transport of killed wild game  
5.6.2.1  Following killing and partial dressing in the field, the body and other parts shall be transported to an 
establishment, including a game depot, without delay and in a manner that minimises contamination of edible 
parts. The use of these vehicles for this purpose shall be consistent with good hygienic practice and any 
specific regulatory requirements.  
5.6.2.2  Unless deemed unnecessary due to low environmental ambient temperatures, the temperature of the 
body shall be actively reduced as quickly as possible after partial field dressing and transport.  
6 Presentation of animals for slaughter  
6.1 Only healthy, clean and appropriately identified animals shall be presented for slaughter.  
6.2 All animals shall be screened upon arrival at the abattoir. Where abnormali ties 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.  
6.3 Ante-mortem inspection is an important pr e-slaughter activity, and all relevant information on animals  
presented for slaughter shall be utilised in meat hygiene systems.  
6.1 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 con tamination with  food-
borne pathogens and facilitate efficient slaughter and dressing;  
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 impl emented, 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 pr imary 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 pr oducer  
as appropriate.   
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 6.2 Conditions of lairage  
6.2.1  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 
anim als has a major influence on the level of microbiological 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 suf ficiently clean are slaughtered and to assist in reducing 
microbiological cross - contamination.  
6.2.2  Quality Assurance (QA) systems implemented by the establishment operator shall enhance 
achievement of appropriate conditions of lairage on an on -going bas is. 
6.2.3  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 an imals 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 pathogens 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 informa tion on individual animals or lots of animals to facilitate ante - and post -
mortem inspection.  
6.2.4  The competent authority or the competent body shall take into account QA systems properly 
implemented by the establishment operator, in setting the frequenc y and intensity of verification activities 
necessary to determine that the conditions of lairage are in accordance with regulatory requirements.  
6.3 Ante -mortem inspection  
6.3.1  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.  
6.3.2  Ante-mortem inspection shall support post -mortem inspection by application of a specific r ange of 
procedures and/or tests that considers the behaviour, demeanour and appearance, as well as signs of 
disease in the live animal.  DRS 185:2018  
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 6.3.3  Animals described below shall be subject to special controls, procedures or operations imposed by the 
competent au thority (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 o f animal medicines), are absent or inadequate.  
6.3.1  Design of ante -mortem inspection systems  
6.3.1.1  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 contr ol (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 sy stems.  
6.3.1.2  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 scient ific knowledge and practice.  
6.3.1.3  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.  
6.3.1.4  Where indicated by public health concerns, measures additional to routine ante -mortem  inspection 
may be required.  
6.3.1.5  Characteristics of a risk -based ante -mortem inspection programme are:  
a) procedures for confirmat ion 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) integrati on with HACCP -based process control to the extent practicable, e.g., application of objective  
criteria for ensuring appropriate cleanliness of animals presented for slaughter;   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  20 
 e) on-going tailoring of procedures to information received from the primary produc tion 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 co ntinuous improvement in the safety and  
suitability status of animals presented for slaughter (see 6.4).  
6.3.2  Implementation of ante -mortem inspection  
6.3.2.1  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 pe rsonnel involved, and the roles of the official inspector, including the  veterinary 
inspector (refer to 9.2). Verification of inspection activities and judgements shall be undertaken as  appropriate 
by the competent authority or competent body. The final re sponsibility for verifying that all  regulatory 
requirements are met shall lie with the competent authority.  
6.3.2.2  The responsibilities of the establishment operator in respect of ante -mortem inspection include:  
a) providing verifiable information required b y the competent authority with respect to ante -mortem  
inspection carried out at primary production;  
b) segregation 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 suf ficiently clean; and  
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.  
6.3.2.3  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.  
6.3.2.4  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);  DRS 185:2018  
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 c) results of ante -mortem inspection are made available to the competent person undertaking post mortem  
inspection b efore 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 labor atory tests being carried out if  
deemed necessary. Feed back of this information to the primary producer shall take place.  
6.3.2.5  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.  
6.3.3  Ante -mortem judgement categories  
Ante-mortem judgement categories include:  
a) passed for slaughter;  
b) passed for slaughter subjec t 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 slaug hter as “suspects”, where the competent  
person undertaking ante -mortem inspection suspects that post -mortem inspection findings could result in  
partial or total condemnation;  
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.  
6.4 Information on animal presented for slaughter  
6.4.1  Information provided on animals presented for slaughter may be an im portant 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   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  22 
 into acc ount when setting hygiene requirements for risk -based hygiene systems throughout the entire food  
chain (see 9.2).  
6.4.2  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. Sci entific analysis and  dissemination of 
results to interested parties is the responsibility of the competent authority.  
6.4.3 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.  
6.4.4 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 facili tates on -going review.  
7 Presentation of killed wild game for dressing  
Killed wild game presented at an establishment have been subject to different harvesting, handling and  
transportation arrangements compared to live animals presented for slaughter. Killed  wild game shall undergo  
an appropriate inspection before dressing and full post -mortem inspection commences, so as to prevent  
undue contamination of the dressing environment and wastage of resources.  
7.1 Principles of meat hygiene applying to inspection of ki lled game presented for dressing  
Inspection of killed wild game for safety and suitability prior to dressing shall be risk -based to the extent  
practicable, and shall take into account relevant information available from the field.  
7.2 Inspection of killed wild  game presented for dressing  
7.2.1  The inspection shall determine to the extent possible whether hygienic practice for field -harvested  
animals has been appropriately applied, including an assessment of cleanliness sufficient for hygienic  
dressing. Special measures required by the competent authority to facilitate post -mortem inspection, e.g.,  
correct identification and attachment of viscera separated from the animal body (refer to 5.3), shall be  
confirmed at this time.  
7.2.2  The inspection shall take into account any information available from harvesting in the field, e.g. 
Presence  of abnormalities at the time of death, geographical location. Where practicable, the results shall be  
returned to hunters or other people involved  in harvesting of wild game so as to improve their knowledge of  
and contribution to meat hygiene.  DRS 185:2018  
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 7.2.3 Inspection of killed wild game for safety and suitability prior to dressing shall be risk -based to the  extent 
practicable, given that the entire animal may not be presented for dressing, e.g., the gastrointestinal  tract of 
large killed wild game will most likely have been discarded in the field. Inspection procedures prior to  dressing 
and post -mortem inspection will be necessarily limited in nature. They shall be focused on detecting  
abnormalities intrinsic to field harvesting of wild game, e.g. signs of natural death or the animal being  
moribund at the time of death, the effects of a misplaced or expanding bullet, decomposition, and any  
evidence of intoxi cation with poisons or environmental contaminants. Systems for the implementation of  
inspection procedures and judgements shall be based on those used for ante -mortem inspection of other  
classes of animals (see 6.3).  
7.2.4  Identity of the body of the anima l along with those parts required for post -mortem inspection shall be  
maintained until final post -mortem judgement.  
8 Establishments: Design, facilities and equipment  
8.1 General  
8.1.1  The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to th e objectives and guidelines 
in Section IV of RS CAC/RCP 1 and as specified in RS 201.  
8.1.2  The competent authority should allow variations in the design and construction of game depots and 
establishments processing killed wild game, and their facilities, where they are by necessity impermanent, as 
long as meat hygiene is not compromised.  
8.2 Principles of meat hygiene applying to establishments, facilities and equipment  
8.2.1  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 processin g 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.  
8.2.2  Each establishment shall have appropriate facilities and equipment for competent persons to properly 
carry out their meat hygiene activities.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  24 
 8.2.3  Laboratory facilities necessary to support meat hygiene activities may be located in the establishment or 
provided at a separate location.  
8.3 Design and construction of lairage  
8.3.1  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.  
8.3.2  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;  
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 and farmed game birds, 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.  
8.3.3  In the case of poultry and farmed game birds, “suspect” birds are usually slaughtered on the slaughter  
line under special hygiene provisions.  
8.3.4  There is an adjacent area with adequate facilities for cleaning and sanit ation of transport vehicles and  
crates, unless there are facilities within close distance that are approved by the competent authority.  
8.3.5  Special facilities may be required to handle condemned animals.  
8.3.6  These facilities shall be:  
a) constructed so th at all parts, gut contents and faeces from condemned animals can be held under secure  
containment as appropriate to the circumstances; and  DRS 185:2018  
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 b) constructed and equipped so as to facilitate effective cleaning and sanitation (see Section 10 of RS  
CAC/RCP 1).  
8.4 Desi gn and construction of slaughter areas  
8.4.1  Stunning and bleeding areas shall be separated from dressing areas (either physically or by distance),  
so that cross -contamination of animals is minimised.  
8.4.2  Areas for scalding, dehairing, defeathering, scra ping and singeing (or similar operations) shall also be  
appropriately separated from dressing areas.  
8.4.3  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 cr oss-contamination.  
8.4.4  Special facilities may be required to slaughter and dress “suspect” or injured animals.  
8.4.5  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  
CAC/RCP 1).  
8.5 Design and construction of areas where bodies of animals are dressed or meat may 
otherwise be present  
8.5.1  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 grea test extent 
practicable.  
8.5.2  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 c leaning, sanitation and maintenance can be carried out during and between periods of  
operation; (see Section 10 of RS CAC/RCP 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;   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  26 
 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 ski n-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 i s 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 ined ible 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 ar e 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.  
8.5.3  Appropriately designed and insulated rooms shall be available as neces sary for cooling, chilling and 
freezing of meat.  
8.5.4  Establishments that de -bone or otherwise cut up meat shall have for this purpose:  
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.  
8.5.5  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.  
8.5.6  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 isolated from any area wh ere bodies of animals are dressed or meat 
may be present.  DRS 185:2018  
27                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 8.5.7  Establishments shall have an appropriate area, sufficiently protected from environmental contamination 
and capable of preventing adverse temperature variations, for dispatching meat.  
8.6 Design and construction of equipment where bodies of animals are dressed or meat 
maybe present  
8.6.1  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 structures not designed for such cont act. 
8.6.2  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 di fferent slaughter 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 st ages.  
8.6.3  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 Section 10 of RS CAC/RCP 1).  
8.6.4  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.  
8.6.5  Equipment and implements for use with inedible or condemned parts of animals shall be distinctively 
identified.  
8.6.6  Establishments shall be provided with adequate means of natural or mechanical ventilation so as to 
prevent excessive heat, humidity and co ndensation, and ensure that air is not contaminated with odours, dust 
or smoke.  
8.6.7  Ventilation systems shall be designed and constructed so that:  
a) air-borne contamination from aerosols and condensation droplets is minimised;  
b) ambient temperatures, humidit y 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.  
8.6.8  Equipment used for heat treatment of manufactured meat and meat preparations sh all be fitted with all 
control devices necessary to ensure that an appropriate heat treatment is applied.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  28 
 8.7 Water supply  
8.7.1  Adequate facilities shall be provided for monitoring and maintaining potability, storage, and temperature  
control, distribution of water and for the disposal of waste water.  
8.7.2  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;  
8.7.3  Where non -potable water is supplied for various uses e.g., fire f ighting, steam production,  refrigeration, 
reticulation systems shall be designed and identified so that cross -contamination of the potable  water supply 
is prevented.  
8.8 Temperature control  
8.8.1  In the absence of suitable temperature, humidity and other envir onmental controls, meat is particularly  
vulnerable to survival and growth of pathogens and spoilage micro -organisms.  
8.8.2 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  
c) monitoring of temperature, humidity, air flow and other environmental factors so as to assure that process  
control regimes are achieved.  
8.8.3  Where steam is generate d 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.  
8.9 Facilities and equipment for personal hygiene  
8.9.1  Slaughter and dressing of ani mals and animal parts, and further handling of meat preparations and  
manufactured meat presents many opportunities for cross -contamination of meat by food handlers ( see 
Section 11 of RS CAC/RCP 1).  Appropriate personal hygiene facilities are needed to mini mise cross -
contamination  of meat from this source.  
8.9.2  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 Section 11 of RS CAC/RCP 1).  DRS 185:2018  
29                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 8.9.3  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.  
8.9.4  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 no t 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.  
8.10 Means of transport  
8.10.1  Vehicles or shipping containers in which unprotected meat is transported shall:  
a) be designed and equipped so that the meat does not contact the floor;  
b) have joint and door seals that prevent entry of all sources of contamination; and  
c) where necessary, be equipped so that temperature control and humidity can be maintained and  
monitored.  
8.10.2  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 lo west 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 ea ch delivery, at a place specially 
constructed for the purpose.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  30 
 9 Process control  
9.1 General  
9.1.1  An extensive range of hazards are associated with meat, e.g., Salmonella spp. and veterinary drug 
residues; the processing environment, e.g., Listeria monocytogene s; 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.  
9.1.2  The principles and guidelin es presented in this clause shall satisfy the general objectives and guidelines 
in Section V of RS CAC/RCP 1.  They are developed in this clause in respect of hazards in meat however they 
are equally applicable to suitability characteristics.  
9.1.3  Many asp ects 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. Systems for pr ocess 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.  
9.1.4  Ready -to-eat (RTE) products may require specific microbiological testing regimes that incorporate 
microbiological criteria.  
9.2 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 a re applied, the competent authority shall verify that they achieve all meat hygiene  
requirements;  
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;  DRS 185:2018  
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 g) the competent authority shall determine the procedures and tests to be used in post -mortem inspection,  
how that inspection is to be i mplemented, 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 in formation 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 ex posure 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  prepar ation 
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 un dertake  
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.  
9.3 Process control systems  
9.3.1  Effective process control requires design and imp lementation 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 prerequisite GHP and HACCP plans as appropriate to th e circumstances.  
9.3.2  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 preventa tive actions.  
9.3.3  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 sha ll be part of HACCP or QA systems as appropriate to the 
circumstances.  
9.3.4  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 system s shall be according to RS 184.  
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  32 
 RS CAC/GL 26 provides general requirements for control of operations for food as they relate to international 
trade.  
9.3.1  Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)  
9.3.1.1  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.  
9.3.1.2  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 appropriat e disposition of product; and  
e) periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of the system by the establishment operator.  
9.3.1.3  Microbiological verification of SSOPs can utilise a range of direct or indirect methods.  Establishment 
operators shall use statistic al process control or other methods to monitor sanitation trends.  
9.3.1.4  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 ty pes of product.  
9.3.2  HACCP  
9.3.2.1  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 cri teria (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.  
9.3.2.2  Verification frequency may vary according to the operational aspects of pro cess 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.  
9.3.2.3  Microbiologica l 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.  
9.3.2.4  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 DRS 185:2018  
33                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 of process and product -specific HACCP plans. Guidelines shall be developed in consultation  with industry and 
other interested sta keholder 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 stabl e 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  
9.3.2.5  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 co oling, 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.  
9.3.2.6  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.  
9.3.2.7  Internal temperatures of product shall be taken as necessary to verify the adequacy of the co ok. 
9.3.3  Outcome -based parameters for process control  
9.3.3.1  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 me at. 
9.3.3.2  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 preventativ e 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 e xtent possible, and  
periodically review process control trends in relation to national meat hygiene goals.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  34 
 9.3.3.3  Where possible, performance objectives or performance criteria shall objectively express the level  of 
hazard control as derived from the appl ication 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 app ropriate to reflect  
public health goals. Where outcome -based parameters have been established for suitability characteristics of  
meat, outcomes shall be practically achievable and reflect consumer expectations.  
9.3.3.4  Organoleptic parameters may also be e stablished.  
9.3.3.5  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 a nd 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.  
9.3.3.6  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 appropriate con trol is  maintained by 
industry. 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.  
9.3.3.7  Where performance objectives or performance criteria ar e established as regulatory requirements  e.g., 
guidelines for allowable levels of generic E. coli, standards for absence of E. coli O157:H7, maximum  residue 
limits for chemicals with acute toxicity, explanation of the linkage to an appropriate level of con sumer  
protection shall be provided to all interested parties,.  
9.3.3.8  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.  
9.3.3.9  The competent authority should, wherever practicable, recognise different risk -based meat  hygiene 
activities within its competence, whic h have been demonstrated to meet at least the same risk -based  meat 
hygiene outcomes.  DRS 185:2018  
35                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 9.3.4  Regulatory systems  
9.3.4.1  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 (g enerally 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, o r 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.  
9.3.4.2  The competent authority shall verify compliance with:  
a) GHP requirements for: animals presented for slaughter (and killed wild game presented for dressing),  
establishments, facilities and equipment, process cont rol, transport, and hygiene of personnel;  
b) SSOPs;  
c) HACCP plans;  
d) all regulatory requirements relating to ante - and post -mortem inspection;  
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 fo r E. coli  
O157:H7; and  
i) additional risk management measures as specified by the competent authority.  
9.3.4.3  Verification activities may include assessment of processing activities carried out by  establishment 
personnel, documentary checks, organoleptic ins pection of edible parts and meat, taking of  samples for 
laboratory tests and testing for pathogens, indicator organisms, residues, etc.  Approval/registration/listing of  
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  36 
 an establishment may facilitate the ability of the competent authority to verify  that i t is operating in compliance 
with regulatory requirements.  
9.3.4.4  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.  
9.3.3.5  The official inspector (including the veterinary inspector) shall verify compliance with t he 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, sh all be determined by the competent authority in relation to  deployment of other 
competent persons, and in relation to potential risks to human health associated with the  classes of animals 
and meat involved.  
9.3.4.6  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 reg ains 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 destr uction 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.  
9.3.5  Quality assurance (QA) systems  
Whenever there are verifiabl e quality assurance (QA) systems in place in the industry, the competent authority 
shall take them into account.  
9.4 General hygiene requirements for process control  
9.4.1  Process control shall meet the general hygiene requirements of RS CAC/RCP 1.  
9.4.2  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;  DRS 185:2018  
37                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 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 cont ainers 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.  
9.4.3  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 sampl es 
shall utilise validated analytical methods.  
9.4.4  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 affe cting individual animals; and  
e) Monitoring of zoonoses.  
9.5 Hygiene requirements for slaughter and dressing  
9.5.1  Only live animals intended for slaughter shall be brought into an abattoir, with the exception of  animals 
that have undergone emergency slaughter ou tside the slaughterhouse and have appropriate  veterinary 
documentation.  
9.5.2  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 anima l handling area of the abattoir.  
9.5.3  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.  
9.5.4  All animals brought to the slaughter floor shall be slaughtered without delay, and stunning, sticking  and 
bleed ing of animals shall not proceed at a rate faster than that at which bodies of animals can be  accepted for 
dressing.  
9.5.5  During initial dressing operations and with due consideration to minimising contamination:   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  38 
 a) slaughtered animals that are scalded, flam ed 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, p rovided  
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 dehair ed, 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.  
9.5.6  Poultry and farmed game birds, following de -feathering, can only be effectively cleaned of d ust, 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 carrie d out by several methods e.g.,  
spraying, immersion washing.  
9.5.7  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  
9.5.8  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 h as 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 carcasse s 
is more difficult in the case of poultry and farmed game birds, such contact shall be minimised).  
9.5.9  During dressing and with due consideration to minimising contamination:  
a) where bodies of animals are skinned, this process shall be completed before ev isceration;  DRS 185:2018  
39                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 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 excessive ly 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) intest ines 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 and game birds;  
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 vis ible 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.  
9.5.10  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 be appropriately maintained and monitored.  
9.5.11  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 o r other appropriate measures, as deemed necessary (refer to 9.2.4).  
9.5.12  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 sla ughtered animals that 
have been removed before post -mortem inspection is performed shall remain identifiable, as belonging to a 
single carcass (or a group of carcasses) when required for post -mortem judgement.  
9.5.13  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.  
9.5.14  The competent authority shall encourage develop ment 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.   
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 9.6 Post -mortem inspection  
9.6.1  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.  
9.6.2  Post-mortem inspection of carcasses and other relevant parts shall u tilise 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. Wher e 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 aside and followed up  
with confirmatory inspection procedures and/or tests.  
9.6.1  Design of post -mortem inspection systems  
9.6.1.1  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  
judgeme nt 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.  
9.6.1.2  Post-mortem procedures and tests may be integrated and implemented to gether 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.  
9.6.1.3  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.  
9.6.1.4  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. 
9.6.1.5  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 in to account the type (age), geographical origin and 
primary production system of the slaughter animals, e.g., multiple incisions of relevant muscles in all pigs 
from geographical regions where Taenia solium is present;  
c) procedures that minimise cross -contami nation 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 ani mals where they may play an indicator role in the judgement of edible 
parts;  DRS 185:2018  
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 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 laborato ry 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 (refer to 6.4).  
9.6.2  Implementation of post -mortem inspection  
9.6.2.1 Post-mortem inspection shall occur as soon as is practicable after slaughter of animals, or  delivery of 
killed wild game 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”.  
9.6.2.2  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 inspe ctor, and any personnel not employed by the competent authority), and the frequency and  
intensity of verification activities (refer to 9.2.4). The final responsibility for verifying that all post -mortem  
inspection and judgement requirements are met shall l ie with the competent authority.  
9.6.2.3  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.  
9.6.2.4  The responsibilities of the establishment ope rator 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;   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  42 
 b) skinning and dressing of heads to the extent necessary to facilitate inspec tion, 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 thi s 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 inspec tion 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 inspecti on 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 st icking wound;  
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 autho rity) 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.  
9.6.2.5  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;  DRS 185:2018  
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 e) palpation and/or incision of the carcass and othe r 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 wh ere 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 objective s 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 author ity, e.g., “specified risk materials” for BSE;  
and 
n) proper use and secure storage of equipment for health marking.  
9.6.2.6  The competent authority and industry shall record and disseminate the results of post -mortem  
inspection as appropriate. Notifiable hum an 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).  
9.6.2.7  Analysis of the results of post -mortem inspection over time is the respon sibility of the competent  
authority, and the results of such analyses shall be made available to all interested parties.  
9.7 Post -mortem judgement  
9.7.1  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 important consideration. Judgements in relation to suitability 
characteristics of meat shall reflect consumer acceptability requirements appropriate to intended end -use. 
9.7.2  Although outside the mandate of competent authority, post -mortem inspection prog rammes may be 
utilised to identify and judge carcasses and other relevant parts according to risks to animal health, as 
specified in relevant Rwanda legislation.  
9.7.3  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 CAC/RCP 1);   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  44 
 b) observations made of animals in the lairage;  
c) ante-mortem inspection; and  
d) Post-mortem  inspection, including diagnostic tests, where required.  
9.7.4  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.  
9.7.5  The level of training, knowledge, skills and ability require d 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.  
9.7.6  Where the initial results of post -mortem inspection ar e 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.  
9.7.7  Judgement categories for edible parts include:  
a) safe and suitable for human consumption;  
b) safe and suitable for human consumption, subject to application of a prescribed process, e.g., cooking,  
freezing;  
c) held on suspicion of being unsafe or unsuitable, pending the outcome of further procedures and/or tests;  
d)  unsafe for human consumption but abl e 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 con sumption 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.  
9.7.8  When edible parts are judged to b e 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 remove the hazard or condition of con cern, e.g., specifications for retorting, 
high temperature rendering and freezing.  DRS 185:2018  
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 9.7.9  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.  
9.7.10  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 u nder quarantine for animal 
health reasons.  
9.8 Hygiene requirements for process control after post -mortem inspection  
9.8.1  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 edi ble parts being reduced as rapidly as  
possible to a temperature that minimise the growth of micro -organisms or the 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.  
9.8.2  In the case of poultry and farmed game birds, viscera or parts of viscera, apart from kidneys, shall be  
entirely removed as soon as possible, unless otherwise per mitted by the competent authority.  
9.8.3  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 dres sing area;  
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 b e chilled immediately, in recommended conditions;  
2) shilled meat shall be stored at a temperature near to 0 0C; 
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 0C.  
9.8.3  In the case of poultry or farmed game birds 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 empty ing, cleaning and sanitation of tanks as  appropriate.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  46 
 9.8.4  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 commercial specifications, or  
unacceptability for human consumption, e.g., distinctive brands for pet -food.  
9.8.5  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.  
9.8.6  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  
e) water dripping from overhead facilities and condensation shall be controlled to the extent practicable, to  
prevent contamination of meat and food contact surfaces.  
9.8.7  Rooms and equipment for cutting, mincing, mechanical separation, meat preparation and the  
manufacturing of meat sha ll be designed such that activities can be carried out separately, or in such a  
manner that does not led to cross contamination.  
9.8.8  Fresh meat intended for cutting or de -boning shall be brought into work rooms progressively as  needed, 
and shall not accu mulate 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.  
9.8.9  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 pro cedures 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.  
9.8.10  When raw meat is minced:  DRS 185:2018  
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 a) it shall be obtained only from parts of ani mals 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.  
9.8.11  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 calc ium content; and  
c) require specific labelling of the final product.  
9.8.12  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 o f 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;  
b) unless used directly as an ingredient for meat prepara tions 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 criteri a 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.  
9.8.13  When meat preparations or manufactured meat a re 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 -
toeat  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;   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  48 
 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 ingredi ent; 
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 germi nation 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 r eduction, including meeting specified performance objectives, performance criteria and  
microbiological criteria;  
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 L. monocytogenes of heat treated / non -shelf stable and non -heat treated / shelf  
stable products shall be prev ented by use of SSOPs and GHPs that are subject to routine microbiological  
verification;  
m) dried products shall be protected from environmental contamination and from reabsorption of moisture;  
and 
n) processes for products containing minced, comminuted or mecha nically separated meat shall have inline  
magnets or other means of detecting contamination with metal fragments.  
9.8.14  Where meat is packaged or wrapped:  
a) packaging material shall be suitable for use, stored and used in a hygienic manner; and  DRS 185:2018  
49                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 b) cases or cart ons 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.  
9.8.15  Where meat is placed in a room for f reezing:  
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.  
9.8.16  Where meat is held in a freezer room or storage facilit y: 
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 carca ss form or in cartons, shall not be stacked directly on the floor and shall be  
positioned so that there is adequate air circulation;  
d) the freezer store shall be operated and maintained under conditions appropriate to maintaining the  safety 
and suitability o f meat;  
e) temperatures shall be continuously recorded and monitored; and  
f) adequate inventory control shall be maintained.  
9.8.17  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. 
9.8.18  It is recommended that carcasses be thawed at 4° °C - 6 °C, in a hanging po sition 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 %.  
9.8.19  The establishment operator shall establish and implement a procedure for determining and validating  
the shelf life of manufactured meat and meat preparations.  
9.8.20  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, follo w-up sampling shall verify that re -processed ready -to-eat (RTE)   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  50 
 products comply with regulatory microbiological requirements. When ready -to-eat (RTE) products have been  
contaminated subsequent to cooking and/or other preservation treatment with pathogens s uch that they could  
pose a risk to public health, the products shall be reworked or condemned without compromise.  
9.8.21 Where establishments are approved, registered and/or listed for different animal species, all  operations 
shall be controlled in terms o f 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.  
9.9 Hygiene requirements for parts of animals deemed unsafe or unsuitable for human 
consumption  
9.9.1 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 subst itution.  
9.9.2  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).  
9.10 Systems for removing products that are in circulation  
9.10.1  Establishments shall have adequate systems that enable removal of products that are in circulation.  
9.10.2  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.  
9.10.3  Removal of product requires systems that are capable of:  
a) withdrawal, where measures are applied by the establishment operator to pr event 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, wh ere 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 authori ty. 
9.10.3  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.  DRS 185:2018  
51                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 9.10.4  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.  
9.10.5  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.  
10 Establishments: maintenance and sanitation  
The principles and guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in 
Section VI of RS/CAC/RCP 1.  
10.1 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 sanita tion 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”.  
10.2 Maintenance and sanitation  
10.2.1 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.   
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 10.2.2  Sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs) shall specify the scope of the cleaning  programme, 
cleaning specifications, persons responsible and monitoring and record keeping requirements.  
10.2.3  Cleaning procedures and programmes should:  
a) be spe cified 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.  
10.2.4  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.  
10.2.5  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.  
10.2.6  Containers and equipment shall not pass from an “inedible” area to an “edible” area before being  
cleaned and sanitised.  
10.2.7  Pest control programmes are an essential part of maintenance and sanitation and shall follow GHP as  
described in RS CAC/RCP 1.  
10.2.8  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 appro ved 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.  DRS 185:2018  
53                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 11 Personal hygiene  
11.1 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 gu idelines presented in 
this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in Section VII of RS/CAC/RCP 1.  
11.2 Persons moving from rooms or areas containing raw meat to rooms or areas used for meat preparations 
and manufactured meat (especially w hen these products are cooked) shall thoroughly wash, change and/or 
sanitise their protective clothing as appropriate, and otherwise limit the possibility of cross contamination to 
the lowest level practicable.  
11.1 Personal cleanliness  
11.1.1  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 transmitted by meat.  
11.1.2  Persons who come into direct or indirect contact with edible parts of animals or meat should:  
d) maintain an appropriate standard of personal cleanliness;  
e) wear protective clothing appropriate to the circumstances, and ensure that non -disposable protect ive 
clothing is cleaned before and during work;  
f) 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 fabri c, latex,  
and they are used according to specifications, e.g., washing of hands before use, changing or sanitizing  
gloves when contaminated; and  
g) d) store protective clothing and personal effects in locations that are separate from areas where meat 
may be present.  
11.2 Personal health status  
11.2.1  The establishment shall maintain relevant personal health records of personnel.  
11.2.2  Persons who come into direct or indirect contact with edible parts of animals or meat in the course of  
their work should:  
a) where nec essary, 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   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  54 
 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 c omply with reporting requirements to the establishment operator in respect of  
communicable agent.  
11.3 Transportation  
12.1 The guidelines presented in this clause are supplemental to the objectives and guidelines in Section VIII  
of RS/CAC/RCP 1.  
12.2 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 pathogenic  
and s poilage micro -organisms.  
12.3 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 distri bution is allowed.  
12 Product information and consumer awareness  
13.1 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 gener al terms in Section IX of the RS CAC/RCP 1.  
13.2 The conditions of storage of meat preparations and manufactured meat shall be clearly presented on  the 
packaging.  
13.3 Meat preparations and manufactured meat should, where appropriate, be specifically label led 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  
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 Section X of RS CAC/RCP 1.  DRS 185:2018  
55                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 13.1 Principles of training in meat hygiene  
Persons engaged in meat hygi ene 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 pot ential 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 delive red by third parties.  
13.2 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 2018 - All rights reserved                  56 
 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 uni que 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 reason s, competent authorities in 
a number of countries 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 per sonnel 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 o n risk 
assessment for hazards of concern and development of performance objectives, currently few such risk 
assessments are available. In their absence, other sources 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 specif ied 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  DRS 185:2018  
57                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 resources proport ionate to their greatest benefit in reducing risk by preventing exposure to meat -borne  
hazards;  
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 -contaminat ion; 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 requir e 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 o f 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 managemen t 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 probable 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 ap ply: 
a) risk-based post -mortem inspection procedures shall be derived from the application of risk analysis  
principles.   
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 b) development of risk -based post -mortem inspection procedures should:  
1) involve application of a risk management framework;  
2) include quantitativ e 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 inspecti on 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 vi sible 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 investi gations 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 requiremen ts 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 185:2018  
59                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
 A.5 Guidelines for the development of risk -based post -mortem inspection 
procedures  
A.5.1  Identificat ion 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 
inspectio n 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 likel y 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 different inspection p rocedures 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 statistically valid estimate o f 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 abno rmalities 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 fie ld 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 p rocess and provide as much information as possible on  the 
prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in target tissue. Trial design shall include representative  surveying 
of the prevalence (and concentration) of hazards in target tissues that are organolept ically 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 inspe ction  
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.   
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 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 presence of the hazard of  
concern  
A.7 Risk management decis ions 
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. De cisions 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 particu lar 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 availa ble 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 sh all 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 co mpetent 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 requirement s 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 i maging, shall be acceptable to the competent authority if validated as being as effective as current  
procedures.  
  DRS 185:2018  
61                ©RSB 2018  - 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 specif ic 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 providing maximum flexibility to industr y 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 test ing 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 performanc e 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 testin g 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 safety 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  
contaminati on; 
b) assuring the level of control of specified hazards of public health importance;   
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 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 microbio logical 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 fo od 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. Whe n validating the testing 
requirements, account shall be taken of the likelihood of 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 s cientific 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 established, 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, mic robiological 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 representa tive 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 regulatory 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 185:2018  
63                ©RSB 2018  - 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 ma y 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 estab lished 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 suf ficient  
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 m icrobiological 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 o f hazards arising pre -slaughter (e.g. Salmonella 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 micro -organisms as long as the procedure can  
provide equivalent guarantees.  
B.4.1.6  Alternative approaches to microbiolog ical 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 
microbiol ogical testing shall be sufficient to ensure that process control is maintained.   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  64 
 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 per mit 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  
microo rganisms (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. 80 th 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  Additiona l 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 micro biological 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 h ealth, 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 l evel, 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 interventi on 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 revis e the HACCP plan and may specify an increased  
sampling frequency to verify that the required level of process control is restored.  
 
 
 DRS 185:2018  
65                ©RSB 2018  - All rights reserved  
   
©RSB 2018 - All rights reserved                  66 
 Bibliography  
[1] ISO/IEC Directives, Part  2, Rules for the structure and drafting of International Standards , 2016  DRS 185:2018  
ICS 67.120  
 
 
©RSB 2018 - All right s reserved