1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of15February1971
►M19 on health problems affecting the production and placing on the market of fresh poultry-
meat◄
(71/118/EEC)
(OJL55,8.3.1971,p.23)
Amendedby:
OfficialJournal
No page date
►M1CouncilDirective74/387/EECof15July1974 L202 36 24.7.1974
►M2CouncilDirective75/379/EECof24June1975 L172 17 3.7.1975
►M3CouncilDirective75/431/EECof10July1975 L192 6 24.7.1975
►M4CouncilDirective78/50/EECof13December1977 L15 28 19.1.1978
►M5Council Directive 80/216/EEC of 22 January 1980 amending 71/118/
EEConhealthproblemsaffectingtradeinfreshpoultrymeatL47 8 21.2.1980
►M6CouncilDirective81/476/EECof24June1981 L186 20 8.7.1981
►M7CouncilDirective81/578/EECof21July1981 L209 35 29.7.1981
►M8CouncilDirective82/532/EECof19July1982 L234 12 9.8.1982
►M9CouncilDirective84/186/EECof26March1984 L87 27 30.3.1984
►M10CouncilDirective84/335/EECof19June1984 L177 20 4.7.1984
►M11CouncilDirective84/642/EECof11December1984 L339 26 27.12.1984
►M12CouncilDirective85/324/EECof12June1985 L168 45 28.6.1985
►M13CouncilDirective85/326/EECof12June1985 L168 48 28.6.1985
►M14CouncilRegulation(EEC)No3768/85of20December1985 L362 8 31.12.1985
►M15CouncilRegulation(EEC)No3805/87of15December1987 L357 1 19.12.1987
►M16CouncilDirective88/657/EECof14December1988 L382 3 31.12.1988
►M17CouncilDirective89/662/EECof11December1989 L395 13 30.12.1989
►M18CouncilDirective90/654/EECof4December1990 L353 48 17.12.1990
►M19CouncilDirective92/116/EECof17December1992 L62 1 15.3.1993
►M20CouncilDirective94/65/ECof14December1994 L368 10 31.12.1994
►M21CouncilDirective96/23/ECof29April1996 L125 10 23.5.1996
Amendedby:
►A1ActofAccessionofDenmark,IrelandandtheUnitedKingdomofGreat
BritainandNorthernIrelandL73 14 27.3.1972
(adaptedbyCouncilDecisionof1January1973) L2 1 1.1.1973
►A2ActofAccessionofGreece L291 17 19.11.1979
►A3ActofAccessionofAustria,SwedenandFinland C241 21 29.8.1994
(adaptedbyCouncilDecision95/1/EC,Euratom,ECSC) L1 1 1.1.1995
1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—2
Correctedby:
►C1Consolidated text of corrigenda to instruments published in Special
Editions1952-72,p.84(71/118/EEC)
►C2Corrigendum,OJL127,29.4.1998,p.34(94/65/EC)
▼B
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of15February1971
►M19 onhealthproblemsaffectingtheproductionandplacingon
themarketoffreshpoultrymeat ◄
(71/118/EEC)
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community,andinparticularArticles43and100thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission;
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanParliament(1);
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee;
Whereas Council Regulation No 123/67/EEC(2) of 13 June 1967 on
the common organisation of the market in poultrymeat established asinglemarketforthatsector;
Whereas,solongastradeishinderedbydifferencesbetweenthehealth
requirementsofMemberStatesconcerningpoultrymeat,theimplemen-
tationofthatRegulationwillnothavethedesiredeffect;
Whereas to eliminate those differences the health provisions of the
MemberStatesmustbeapproximated;
WhereasCommunityprovisionsshouldbeadoptedwhich,afteratran-
sitional period during which they will concern only intra-Communitytrade, will apply also to poultrymeat marketed within the MemberStates; whereas, however, this Directive should not apply to poultry-meat which, subject to certain conditions, is delivered direct to the
consumerbytheproducer;
Whereastheobjectoftheproposedapproximationmustbeinparticular
to standardise hygiene requirements in respect of poultrymeat inslaughterhouses and during storage and transportation; whereas the
competent authorities oftheMemberStatesshouldremain responsible
for approving slaughterhouses which meet the hygiene requirementslaid down in this Directive and for ensuring that the conditionsgoverning such approval are observed; whereas provision should alsobemadeforapprovalofcoldstoresbyMemberStates;
Whereas in order to ensure satisfactory health inspection, taking into
account the particular conditions under which it is carried out, certaintasksmustbeentrustedtoqualifiedassistantsactingundertherespon-sibilityandsupervisionoftheofficialveterinarian;
Whereas minimum standard requirements forthe theoretical and prac-
ticalleveloftrainingofthoseassistantsandtheotherconditionswhichare essential to ensure their competence, honesty and impartialityshouldbelaiddownforalltheMemberStates,butsoasnottoexcludethe possibility of progressive standardisation of regulations and
programmesrelatingtotheirtraining;
Whereas,asregardsintra-Communitytrade,theissueofahealthcerti-
ficate drafted by an official veterinarian of the exporting country isconsideredtobethebestwayofassuringthecompetent authorities of
thecountry ofdestination thataconsignment ofpoultrymeat complies
with the provisions of this Directive; whereas this certificate mustaccompanytheconsignmentofpoultrymeattotheplaceofdestination;
Whereas Member States must have the right to prohibit the introduc-
tion into their territory from another Member State of poultrymeat
which proves unfit for human consumption or does not comply withCommunityhealthprovisions;1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—3
(1) OJNo109,9.7.1964,p.1721/64.
(2) OJNo117,19.6.1967,p.2301/67.
▼B
Whereas, in such cases, the consignor should at his own request or
uponrequestofhisrepresentativebeallowedtohavethemeatreturnedtohimunlesstherearereasonsonhealthgroundstothecontrary;
Whereas, in case of prohibition or restriction, the reasons therefor
should be made known to the consignor or his agent and also, incertaincases,tothecompetentauthoritiesoftheexportingcountry;
Whereas,intheeventofdisputebetweenhimselfandtheauthoritiesof
theMemberStateofdestinationastothejustificationforprohibitionorrestriction, the consignorshouldbeenabled to obtain the opinionofaveterinary expert whomhe m ay select froma panel drawn up by the
Commission;
Whereas disputesbetween MemberStatesastowhetherapprovalofa
slaughterhouse was justified should be settled under the emergencyprocedure within the Standing Veterinary Committee set up by theCouncilon15October1968;
Whereas, in certain fields presenting special problems, the provisions
inMemberStatescannotbeapproximateduntilamorethoroughstudy
hasbeenmade;
Whereas animal health provisions relating to trade in live poultry and
fresh poultrymeat will be the subject of other Community directives;whereasithasbecomeapparentthatthefirststepsshouldnowbetakentowardsapproximatingnationalprovisionsinthisfieldbylayingdowncertain conditionsunderwhichMemberStatesmayprohibitorrestrict
the introduction of poultrymeat into their territory for animal health
reasons and by providing for a Community emergency procedurewithintheStandingVeterinaryCommitteeunderwhichmeasurestakenby a Member State could be examined in close co-operation byMember States and the Commission and, where appropriate, amended
orrepealed;
HASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE:
CHAPTERI
General provisions
Article 1
ThisDirectivelaysdownhealthrulesfortheproductionandplacingon
themarketoffreshpoultrymeat.
ThisDirectiveshallnotapplytothecuttingandstorageoffreshpoul-
trymeat in retail shops or in premises adjacent to sales points, wherethe cutting and storage are performed solely for the purpose of
supplying the consumer directly, such operations continuing to be
subject to the public health checks provided for in national rulesgoverningretailing.
Article 2
ForthepurposesofthisDirective,thedefinitionsgiveninArticle2(l)
to(n)and(q)to(s)ofDirective77/99/EEC(
1)shallapply.
Inadditionthefollowingdefinitionsshallapply:1.poultrymeatmeans all parts fit for human consumption from
domestic birds of the following species: domestic fowl, turkeys,
guinea-fowl,ducksandgeese;
2.fresh poultrymeat means poultrymeat, including meat which is
vacuum-wrapped or wrapped in a controlled atmosphere, which hasnotundergoneanypreservingprocessotherthanchillingorfreezing;1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—4
(1) OJ No L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 85. Directive updated by Directive 92/5/EEC
(OJ No L 57, 2. 3. 1992, p. 1), and last amended by Directive 92/45/EEC
(OJNoL268,14.9.1992,p.35).▼M19
▼M19
3.carcasemeans the whole body of a bird referred to in 1 after
bleeding, plucking and evisceration; however, removal of the heart,liver, lungs, gizzard, crop and kidneys, sectioning of the legs at the
tarsus and removal of the head, oesophagus or trachea shall be
optional;
4.carcase parts meanspartsofacarcaseasdefinedin3;
5.offalmeans fresh poultrymeat other than that of the carcase as
defined in 3, even if it remains naturally connected to the carcase, as
well as the head and feet where these are presented separately fromthecarcase;
6.viscerameans offal from the thoracic, abdominal and pelvic
cavities,andalso,whereappropriate,thetrachea,oesophagusandcrop;
7.official veterinarian means the veterinarian designated by the
competentcentralauthorityoftheMemberState;
8.auxiliarymeans a person officially designated by the competent
authoritypursuanttoArticle8(2)toassisttheofficialveterinarian;
9.pre-slaughter health inspection means inspection of live poultry
carriedoutinaccordancewithChapterVIofAnnexI;
10.post mortemhealthinspection meansinspectionoftheslaughtered
poultry, after slaughter, in a slaughterhouse, carried out in accordancewithChapterVIIIofAnnexI;
11.means of transport meansthefreight-carryingpartsofmotorvehi-
cles, rail vehicles and aircraft and the holds of shipsor containers fortransportbyland,seaorair;
12.establishment means an approved slaughterhouse, an approved
cutting plant, an approved cold store, an approved rewrapping centreoraunitgroupingtogetherseveralsuchestablishments.
CHAPTERII
RulesapplicabletoCommunityproduction
Article 3
I. Freshpoultrymeatmustmeetthefollowingconditions:
A. Carcasesandoffalmust:
(a) come from an animal inspected before slaughter in accor-
dance with Chapter VI of Annex I and considered,following such inspection, suitable for slaughter for theplacingonthemarketoffreshpoultrymeat;
(b) have been obtained froman approved slaughterhouse
subjecttoown-checksinaccordancewithArticle6(2)and
to checks by the competent authority in accordance withArticle8;
(c) have been treated under satisfactory hygiene conditions in
accordancewithChapterVIIofAnnexI;
(d) have been inspected post mortem in accordance with
ChapterVIIIofAnnexIandnothavebeenfoundunfitforhuman consumption in accordance with Chapter IX ofAnnexI;
(e) be given a health marking conforming to the requirements
of Chapter XII ofAnnexI, onthe understanding that such
marking is not necessary for carcases that are to be cut inthesameestablishment;
(f) afterpost morteminspection have been handled in accor-
dance with point 46of Chapter VIIof Annex Iand stored
inaccordancewithChapterXIIIofAnnexIundersatisfac-
toryhygieneconditions;
(g) have been suitably packaged in accordance with Chapter
XIV of Annex I; where a protective covering is used, itmustsatisfytherequirementsofthatChapter.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—5
▼M19
Where appropriate, a decision may betaken tosupplement
theprovisionsofthisChapterinaccordancewiththeproce-durelaid downinArticle 21totake account, inparticular,
ofvariousformsofpresentationusedinthetrade,provided
suchformscomplywiththerulesofhygiene;
(h) have been transported in accordance with Chapter XV of
AnnexI;
(i) beaccompaniedduringtheirtransportby:
— eitheracommercialdocument.Thisdocumentmust:
— inadditiontotheparticularsprovidedforinpoint66
of Chapter XII of Annex I, bear code numbers bywhichthecompetentauthorityresponsibleforsuper-
vising the establishment of origin can be identified
as well as the official veterinarian responsible forthe health inspection on the day the meat wasproduced,
— bekeptbytheconsigneeforatleastoneyearsothat
it can be produced at the request of the competentauthority,
— formeatintendedforFinlandandSweden,bearone
of the markings provided for in Annex VI, part IV,under(e),
— orahealthcertificateshowninAnnexVIinthecaseof
freshpoultrymeatreferredtoinArticle2fromaslaugh-
terhousesituatedinaregionorarearestrictedonhealthgrounds,orinthecaseoffreshpoultrymeattobesenttoanother Member State after transit through a thirdcountryinasealedmeansoftransport.
Detailedrulesforapplyingthisprint,andinparticularthose
concerning theallocation ofcodenumbersandthecompli-anceofoneormorelistsidentifyingcompetentauthorities,shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laiddowninArticle21.
B. 1. Partsofcarcasesorbonedmeatmust:
(a) have been cut and/or boned in cutting plants approved
andsupervisedinaccordancewithArticle6;
(b) have been cut and obtained in accordance with the
requirementsofChapterVIIofAnnexIandcomefrom:
— animals slaughtered in the Community and
complyingwiththerequirementssetoutinAofthis
Article,
— carcases of fowl imported from third countries in
accordance with Chapter III of Annex I and having
undergone the checks provided for in Directive 90/
675/EEC(
1);
(c) havebeensubjecttothecheckprovidedforinArticle8
(i)(b)(ii);
(d) satisfy the requirement of A (c), (h) and (i) of this
Article;
(e) have been wrapped, packaged or labelled in accordance
with A (e) and (g) of this Article on the spot or inrewrapping centres specially approved bythecompetent
authorityforthatpurpose;
(f) have been stored under satisfactory hygiene conditions
andinaccordancewithChapterXIIIofAnnexI.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—6
(1) OJNoL373,31.12.1990,p.1.DirectiveasamendedbyDirective91/496/
EEC(OJNoL268,24.9.1991,p.56).▼A3
▼M19
▼M19
2. When cutting plants use fresh meat other than poultrymeat,
suchmeat mustconform tothe relevant standardsofDirec-tives64/433/EEC(
1),91/495/EEC(2)and92/45/EEC(3).
C. Fresh meat which has been stored in accordance with this
Directive in a cold store approved by a Member State andwhich has not thereafter undergone any handling, except inconnection with storage, must meet the requirements of A (c),
(e), (g) and (h) and B of this Article or be fresh poultrymeat
imported from third countries in accordance with Chapter IIIandbecheckedinaccordancewithDirective90/675/EEC.
II. Member States may derogate from the requirements of A where
farmers with an annual production of under 10000 birds of thetypes referred to in point 1 of the second paragraph of Article 2supply fresh poultrymeat coming from their holdings in smallquantities:
— either directly to the final consumer at the holding or at the
weeklymarketsnearesttotheirholdings,
— ortoretailers withaviewtodirect saletothefinalconsumer,
provided that such retailers pursue their activities in the samelocalityasthatoftheproducerorinaneighbouringlocality.
MemberStatesmayspecifytheextenttowhich,inderogationfrom
B,theabovetransactionmayalsocovercuts.
This exception shall not apply in respect of itinerant sale, sale by
mailorderor,asregardstheretailer,saleatamarket.
The above transactions shall continue to be subject to the public
healthchecksprovidedforinnationalrules.
III. Inaddition,withoutprejudicetoCommunityanimalhealthrequire-
ments,paragraphIshallnotapplyto:
(a) fresh poultrymeat intended for uses other than human
consumption;
(b) fresh poultrymeat intended for exhibition, special studies or
analysis, provided that official control makes it possible toensure that the meat is not used for human consumption andthat, when the special studies or analysis have been carried
out,themeat,withtheexceptionofthatusedforthepurposes
ofanalysis,isdestroyed;
(c) fresh poultrymeat intended exclusively as supplies for interna-
tionalorganzations.
Article 4
1. Member States shall ensure that, in addition to the requirements
of Article 3 (I) (A) and without prejudice to Community rules on theexamination of animals and fresh meat for the presence of residues,freshpoultrymeatorpoultryissubjected:
(a) to tests for residues where the official veterinarian suspects their
presence on the basis of the findings of the pre-slaughter inspec-
tionsoranyotherinformation;
(b) tothesampling providedforinAnnexIV(I)ofDirective 92/117/
EEC(
4).
Thetestsprovidedforat(a)mustbecarriedouttotestforresiduesof
substances having a pharmacological action and their derivatives,compliancewithwithdrawalperiods,andforothersubstancestransmis-1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—7
(1) OJNo121,29.7.1964,p.2012/64.DirectiveaslastamendedbyDirective
91/497/EEC(OJNoL268,24.9.1991,p.69).
(2) OJNoL268,24.9.1991,p.41.
(3) OJNoL268,14.9.1992,p.35.
(4) Council Directive 92/117/EEC of 17 December 1992 concerning measures
for protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonotic agents in
animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of
food-borne infections and intoxications (see page 38 of this Official
Journal).
▼M19
sible to poultrymeat which are likely to render the consumption of
freshpoultrymeatdangerousorharmfultohumanhealth.
Thetestingreferredtointheprevioussubparagraphmustbecarriedout
inaccordancewithprovenmethodswhicharescientificallyrecognized,
inparticularthoselaiddownatCommunityorinternationallevel.
It must be possible to evaluate the results of the examinations using
reference methods established in accordance with the procedurereferredtoinparagraph3.
Iftheresultsarepositive,theofficialveterinarianshalltakeappropriate
measurestotakeaccountoftheriskincurred,andinparticularto:
— steps up checks on the poultry raised or any quantity of meat
obtained intechnologically similar conditions andlikely topresentthesamerisk,
— stepupchecksonotherflocksontheholdingoforiginand,should
theproblemrecur,takeappropriatemeasuresregardingtheholdingoforigin,
— if there is ambient contamination, take measures regarding the
productionchain.
2. Thetolerancesforthesubstancesreferredtoinparagraph1,other
thanthosereferredtoinDirective86/366/EEC(
1),shallbeestablished
undertheprocedureprovidedforinRegulation(EEC)No2377/90(2).
4. Until the entry into force of the implementing measures for this
Article, national rules shall remain applicable, subject to the general
provisionsoftheTreaty.
Article 5
1. Without prejudice to Directives 91/494/EEC(3), 81/602/EEC(4)
and88/146/EEC(5)ortotherestrictionsimposedbyDirective92/117/
EEC, poultrymeat cannot be placed onthe market forthe purposesofhumanconsumptionwhere:
(a) it originates frompoultry affected by the disease referred to in
Directive91/494/EEC;
(b) itshowstracesofresiduesinquantitieswhichexceedthetolerance
tobesetinaccordance withArticle4(2)orhasbeentreatedwithantibiotics, tenderizers or preservatives, unless those preservatives
are authorized under Community legislation, on the understanding
thatagentsusedspecificallytopromotewaterretentionareprohib-ited, as well as any quantity of poultrymeat obtained intechnologically similar conditions and likely as a result to presentthesamerisk;
(c) itoriginatesfromanimalsfoundtohaveoneofthefaultslistedin
point53(a)ofChapterIXofAnnexI;
(d) it has been declared unfit for human consumption pursuant to
points53(b)and54ofChapterIXofAnnexI.
2. Pending the entry into force of any Community provisions, this
Directive shall not affect the provisions of Member States concerningthetreatmentofpoultrymeatbyionizingandultravioletradiation.Any1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—8
(1) OJNoL221,7.8.1986,p.43.
(2) Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 of 26 June 1990 laying down a
Community procedure for the establishment of maximum residue limits of
veterinarymedicinal productsinfoodstuffsofanimalorigin(OJNoL224,
18. 8. 1990, p. 1). Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation(EEC)No675/92(OJNoL73,19.3.1992,p.8).
(
3) OJNoL268,24.9.1991,p.35.
(4) OJNoL222,7.8.1981,p.32.DirectiveasamendedbyDirective85/358/
EEC(OJNoL191,23.7.1985,p.46).
(5) OJNoL70,16.3.1988,p.16.▼M21
▼M19
▼M19
tradeinproductswhichhaveundergonethistypeoftreatmentshallbe
subject to Article 5 (2) of Directive 89/662/EEC. To that end, theMemberStateoforiginwhichhasrecoursetosuchtreatmentshallnot
dispatch products treated by such a process to a Member State the
legislation of which forbids such treatment within its territory andwhich has informed the Commission and other Member States of theexistenceofsuchabanintheStandingVeterinaryCommittee.
3. InrespectofsalmonellaandpendingtheadoptionofCommunity
provisions, the following rules shall apply for meat intended forFinlandandSweden;
(a) theconsignmentsofmeathavebeensubjectedtoamicrobiological
testbysamplingintheestablishmentoforiginaccordingtorulesto
be laid down by the Council, acting on a proposal fromtheCommission, before the date of entry into force of the AccessionTreaty;
(b) thetestprovidedforin(a)shallnotbecarried outformeat origi-
nating in an establishment subject to a programme recognized as
equivalenttothatreferredtoinparagraph4,pursuanttotheproce-
dureprovidedforinArticle16.
4. Theguaranteesprovidedforinparagraph3shallapplyonlyafter
approval by the Commission of an operational programme to bepresentedbyFinlandandSweden.TheCommissiondecisionsmustbetaken before the date of entry into force of the Accession Treaty inorder for the operational programmes and the guarantees provided for
inparagraph3tobeapplicable asfromthedateofentryintoforceof
theAccessionTreaty.
►
C25. Member States ◄shall ensure that mechanically recov-
ered meat may be traded only if it has previously undergone heattreatmentinaccordancewithDirective77/99/EECintheestablishmentof origin or any other establishment designated by the competentauthority.
Article 6
1. Each Member State shall draw up a list af approved establish-
ments other than those referred to in Article 7, each of which shallhave a veterinary approval number. It shall send this list to the other
MemberStatesandtotheCommission.
Asingleapprovalnumbermaybegiventoanestablishmentprocessing
orrewrappingproductsobtainedfromorwithrawmaterialscoveredby
one of the Directives referred to in Article 2 (d) of Directive 77/99/EEC.
Thecompetentauthorityshallnotapproveanestablishmentunlessitis
satisfiedthatitcomplieswiththisDirective.
Where hygiene is found to be inadequate and where the measures
provided for in the second paragraph of point 51 of Chapter VIII ofAnnex I have proved insufficient to remedy the situation, the compe-tentnationalauthorityshalltemporarilysuspendapproval.
If the operator of the establishment, the owner or his agent does not
make good the shortcomings noted within the period fixed by the
competentnationalauthority,thelattershallwithdrawapproval.
The Member States in question shall take account here of the conclu-
sionsofanycheckcarriedoutinaccordancewithArticle10.Theother
Member States and the Commission shall be informed of the with-drawalofapproval.
2. The operator of the establishment, the owner or his agent must
conductregularchecksonthegeneralhygieneofconditionsofproduc-tion in his establishment, inter aliaby means of microbiological
controls.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—9
▼A3
▼M20
▼M19
▼M19
Checks must cover utensils, fittings and machinery at all stages of
productionand,ifnecessary,products.
Theoperatoroftheestablishment,theownerorhisagentmustbeina
position,uponrequestfromthecompetentauthority,toinformtheoffi-
cial veterinarian or the Commission's veterinary experts of the nature,frequencyandresultsofthechecksconducted,togetherwiththenameoftheinvestigatinglaboratoryifneedbe.
The nature of the checks, their frequency, as well as the sampling
methods and the methods for bacteriological examination shall be
establishedinaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddowninArticle21.
3. The operator of the establishment, the owner or his agent must
establish a staff training programme enabling workers to comply withconditionsofhygienicproductionadaptedtotheproductionstructure.
The official veterinarian responsible for the establishment must be
involvedintheplanningandimplementationofthatprogramme.
4. The operator of a cutting plant or of a rewrapping centre, the
owner or his agent must keep records of fresh poultrymeat entering
andleavingtheestablishment,specifyingthenatureofthepoultrymeatreceived.
5. Inspection and supervision of establishments shall be carried out
undertheresponsibilityoftheofficialveterinarian who,inaccordancewith Article 8 (2), may be assisted in purely material tasks by auxili-aries.Theofficialveterinarianmustatalltimeshavefreeaccesstoall
parts of establishments in order to ensure that this Directive is being
compliedwith.
The official veterinarian must regularly analyse the results of the
checksprovidedforin2.Hemay,onthebasisofthisanalysis,conductfurther microbiological examinations at all stages of production or ontheproducts.
Theresultsoftheseanalysesshallbewrittenupinareport,theconclu-
sions and recommendations of which shall be notified to the operatorof the establishment, the owner or his agent, who shall rectify theshortcomingsnotedwithaviewtoimprovinghygiene.
Article 7
A. InaccordancewithAnnexII,MemberStatesmayexemptslaughter-
houseshandlingunder150000birdsperyearfromthestructureorinfrastructure requirements of Annex I, provided they satisfy the
followingrequirements:
1. the establishments concerned must be the subject of special
veterinary registration and be given a specific approval numberlinkedtothelocalsupervisoryunit.
Inordertobeapprovedbythecompetentnationalauthority:
(a) theestablishmentmustfulfiltheconditionsforapprovallaid
downinAnnexII;
(b) the operator of the slaughterhouse, the owner or his agent
mustkeeparegisterof:
— animalsenteringtheestablishmentandslaughterproducts
leavingit,
— thecheckscarriedout,— theresultsofthosechecks.
This information shall be communicated to the competent
authorityatitsrequest;
(c) the slaughterhouse must notify the veterinary service of the
time of slaughter and the number and the origin of theanimals, and send it a copy of the health attestation showninAnnexIV;1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—10
▼M19
(d) theofficialveterinarianoranauxiliarymustbepresentatthe
time of evisceration to ensure compliance with the hygieneruleslaiddowninChaptersVIIandVIIIofAnnexI.
Where the official veterinarian or the auxiliary cannot be
presentatthetime ofslaughter, themeat maynotleave the
establishment until the post mortem inspection has beencarried out in accordance with Article 8 (2), on the day ofslaughter,exceptinthecaseofmeatcoveredbypoint49ofChapterVIIIofAnnexI;
(e) the competent authority must monitor the chain of distribu-
tion of meat coming from the establishment and the
appropriate marking of products declared unfit for human
consumptionaswellastheirsubsequentdestinationanduse.
Member States shall draw up a list of establishments bene-
fiting fromsuch derogations and shall forward this list, andanysubsequentamendmentsthereto,totheCommission;
(f) thecompetentauthoritymustensurethatfreshmeatfromthe
establishments referred to in (e) is marked with stamps orlabels approved for the purpose in accordance with theprocedure laid down in Article 21, showing the administra-
tivedistrictofthehealthunitunderwhichtheestablishment
comes;
2. derogations may also be granted by the competent authority in
accordance with Annex II in the case of cutting plants whichare not situated in an approved establishment and which areapproved pursuant to Article 4 (2) of Directive 64/433/EEC,provided the cutting plant does not handle more than three
tonnes per week, subject to compliance with the temperature
requirementlaiddowninpoint49ofChapterVIIIofAnnexI.
TheprovisionsofChapters VIIIandXandpoint 64ofChapter
XI of Annex I shall not apply to storage and cutting operationsintheestablishmentsreferredtointhefirstsubparagraph;
3. meatthathasbeenjudgedtocomplywiththehygieneandhealth
inspection requirements laid down by this Directive must bemarked with a stamp showing the administrative district of the
health unit responsible for the establishment of origin. The
model of thisstamp shall be determined in accordance with theprocedurelaiddowninArticle21;
4. meatmustbe
(i) kept for direct sale on the local market, fresh or processed,
to retailers or to the consumer without pre-packaging orpre-wrapping;
(ii) transported fromthe establishm ent to the consignee under
hygienicconditionsoftransport.
B. The Commission's veterinary experts may, in conjunction with the
competent national authority and in so far as is necessary for the
uniformapplication of this Article, carry out on-site checks on arepresentative number ofestablishments benefiting fromthecondi-tionslaiddowninthisArticle.
C. Member States may derogate from the structural requirements
provided for in Chapter I for low-capacity cold stores in whichmeatisstoredonlyifitispackaged.
D. Detailed rules for implementing this Article shall be adopted in
accordancewiththeprocedurelaiddowninArticle21.
E. TheCouncilshall,before1January1998,reviewtheprovisionsof
thisArticleonthebasisofareportfromtheCommission.
Article 8
1. MemberStatesshallensurethat:
(a) allfarmsdeliveringpoultryofthespeciesreferredtoinpoint1of
thesecondparagraphofArticle2toslaughterhousesarekeptunderveterinarysupervision;1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—11
▼M19
(b) itisguaranteedthat:
(i) in slaughterhouses approved in accordance with Article 6, at
least one official veterinarian is present throughout the post
morteminspection;
(ii) in cutting plants approved in accordance with Article 6, a
memberoftheinspectionteamreferredtointhethirdsubpar-
agraphofparagraph2ispresentatleastonceadaywhenmeatisbeingworkedon,tocheckthegeneralhygieneoftheplantandtheregisteroffreshmeatenteringandleavingit;
(iii) incoldstores,amemberoftheinspectionteamreferredtoin
thethirdsubparagraphofparagraph2isregularlypresent.
2. The official veterinarian may be assisted by auxiliaries placed
under his authority and responsibility in carrying out the followingoperations:
(a) if they fulfil the conditions in point 3 (a) of Annex III, collecting
the information needed to assess the health status of the flock oforigin, inaccordance withChapter VIofAnnexI,whichthe offi-cialveterinarianistousetomakehisdiagnosis;
(b) iftheyfulfiltheconditionsinpoint3(b)ofAnnexIII:
(i) checkingthattheconditionsofhygieneprovidedforinChap-
ters I, V, VII and X of Annex I and in Annex II, and theconditionsprovidedforinpoint47ofAnnexIaremet;
(ii) establishing that the cases referred to in point 53 of Chapter
IXofAnnexIarenotpresentatthe post morteminspection;
(iii) carrying out the inspection provided for in (a) and (b) of the
second paragraph of point 47 of Chapter VIII of Annex I,andespeciallythequalityassessmentofthecarcasesandtrim-mings,providedthattheofficialveterinarianisactuallyableto
supervisetheworkoftheauxiliariesonthespot;
(iv) supervising the health marking provided for in point 67 of
ChapterXIIofAnnexI;
(v) carryingoutthehealthcontrolofcutandstoredmeat;
(vi) monitoring transport vehicles or containers and the loading
conditionsprovidedforinChapterXVofAnnexI.
Only persons who satisfy the requirements of Annex III may be
appointed as auxiliaries following a test organized by the competentcentralauthorityoftheMemberStateorbytheauthorityappointedbythatcentralauthority.
Inordertoprovidetheassistancereferredtoabove,theauxiliariesmust
formpart of an inspection teamunder the supervision and responsi-bility of the official veterinarian. They must be independent of theestablishmentconcerned.ThecompetentauthorityoftheMemberState
concerned shall determine the composition of the inspection team for
each establishment in such a way that the official veterinarian is abletosupervisetheaboveoperations.
DetailedrulesgoverningtheassistancereferredtointhisArticleshall,
insofarasnecessary,bedeterminedinaccordancewiththeprocedure
laiddowninArticle21.
3. The competent authority may permit the staff ofthe undertaking
who have received special training fromthe official veterinarian, thegeneralcriteriaforwhichshallbeestablishedundertheprocedurelaid
downinArticle 21before1October1993,tocarryouttheoperations
provided for in (a) and (b) of the second paragraph of point 47 ofChapter VIII of Annex I under the direct supervision of the officialveterinarian.
Article 9
Member States shall entrust to a central service or body the task of
collecting and using the results of pre-slaughter and post mortem
inspections carried out by the official veterinarian and relating to thediagnosisofdiseasestransmissibletoman.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—12
▼M19
Wheresuchadiseaseisdiagnosed,theresultsofthespecificcaseshall
be communicated as soon as possible to the competent veterinaryauthorities responsible for supervision of the flock fromwhich the
animalsoriginated.
MemberStatesshallsubmittotheCommissioninformation oncertain
diseases, particularly where diseases transmissible to man have been
diagnosed.
TheCommissionshall,inaccordance withtheprocedurelaiddownin
Article 21,adoptdetailed rulesforimplementing thisArticle,inparti-
cularwithregardto:
— the regularity with which information has to be submitted to the
Commission,
— thetypeofinformation,
— thediseasetowhichthecollectionofinformationistoapply,
— proceduresforcollectingandusinginformation.
Article 10
1. Veterinary experts from the Commission may, in so far as is
necessaryfortheuniformapplicationofthisDirectiveandincoopera-
tion with the competent national authorities, make on-site checks. Todo this, they may verify by checking a representative percentage ofestablishments whether the competent authorities are checking thatapproved establishments are complying with this Directive. The
Commission shall inform the Member States of the results of the
checkscarriedout.
A Member State in whose territory a check is being carried out shall
give the experts all the assistance they need for the performance of
theirduties.
The general provisions for implementing this Article shall be adopted
inaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddowninArticle21.
After obtaining the opinion of the Member States in the Standing
Veterinary Committee, the Commission shall draw up a recommenda-
tion concerning the rules to be followed in carrying out the checks
providedforinthisparagraph.
2. Before 1 January 1995 the Council shall review this Article on
thebasisofareportfromtheCommission,whichmaybeaccompaniedbyproposals.
Article 11
Member States may, by way of derogation from the requirements of
Article 3 (I) (A) (a), authorize the stunning, bleeding and plucking ofbirdsintendedfortheproductionfor‘foiegras'’onthefatteningfarm,
providedthattheseoperationsarecarriedoutinaseparateroomwhich
satisfiestherequirementsofChapterII(14)(b)ofAnnexI,andthat,inaccordancewithChapterXVofAnnexI,theunevisceratedcarcasesaretransportedimmediatelytoanapprovedcuttingplantwhichisequippedwithaspecialroomasdefinedunder(ii)inthesecondindentofpoint15(b),ofChapterIIIofAnnexI,wherethecarcasesmustbeeviscer-
atedwithin24hoursunderthesupervisionoftheofficialveterinarian.
Article 12
1. MemberStatesmayauthorizeuseoftheprocessofchillingfresh
poultrymeat by immersion in water if it is carried out in accordancewith the conditions laid down in points 42 and 43 of Chapter VII ofAnnex I. Chilled fresh meat obtained in accordance with this process
maybemarketedeitherchilledorfrozen.
2. Member States in which this process is used must inform the
Commission and the other Member States as soon as possible and in
anycasebefore1January1994.
3. MemberStatesmaynotobjecttotheintroductionintotheirterri-
tory of fresh poultrymeat chilled in accordance with points 42and 431971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—13
▼M19
ofChapterVIIofAnnexIwhentheuseofthischillingprocessisindi-
cated on the accompanying document referred to in Article 3 (I) (A)(i),providedthat:
(a) eitherthemeathasbeenfrozenafterchillingwithoutunduedelay;
(b) or chilled poultrymeat is produced under the same conditions in
theirterritory.
Article 13
The rules laid down in Directive 89/662/EEC(
1) shall apply in parti-
cular to checks at origin, to the organization of and follow-up to thechecks to be carried out by the Member State of destination, and totheprotectivemeasurestobeimplemented.
CHAPTERIII
ProvisionsapplicabletoimportsintotheCommunity
Article 14
A. The conditions applicable to the placing on the market of fresh
poultrymeat imported from third countries must be considered,
under the procedure provided for in Article 21, as at least equiva-lent to those laid down for the placing on the market of freshpoultrymeat obtained in accordance with Articles 3 to 6 and 8 to13.
B. For the purposes of uniformapplication of A, the following para-
graphsshallapply.
1. In order to be imported into the Community, fresh poultrymeat
must:
(a) comefromthirdcountriesorpartsofthirdcountrieslistedin
accordance with Article 9 (1) and (2) of Directive 91/494/
EECandmeettherequirementsofthisDirective;
(b) comefromestablishmentsforwhichthecompetentauthority
ofthethirdcountryhasprovidedtheCommissionwithguar-anteesthattheseestablishmentsmeettherequirementsofthisDirective;
(c) beaccompaniedbythecertificatereferredtoinArticle12of
Directive 91/494/EEC supplemented by a declaration to theeffect that the meat fulfils the requirements of Chapter IIandanyadditional conditions, oroffersthe equivalent guar-anteesreferredtoin2(b)ofthisparagraph.Ifnecessary,thecontent of this declaration shall be established under the
procedurelaiddowninArticle21.
2. Thefollowingshallbeestablishedundertheprocedurelaiddown
inArticle21:
(a) aCommunitylistofestablishmentswhichsatisfytherequire-
ments in (b). Pending the compilation of that list, MemberStates are authorized to maintain the controls provided forin Article 11 (2) of Directive 90/675/EEC and the nationalhealth certificate required for establishments which have
beenthesubjectofnationalapproval;
(b) thespecificconditionsandtheequivalentguaranteesrelating
to the requirements of this Directive, other than thoseenabling meat to be excluded from human consumption inaccordancewithArticle3(I)(A)(d)andthoselaiddowninChapter VI, in points 42 and 43 of Chapter VII and in
Chapter VIII of Annex I. Such conditions and guarantees
maynotbelessstringentthanthoselaiddowninArticles3to6and8to13.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—14
(1) OJ No L 395, 30. 12. 1989, p. 13. Directive as last amended by Directive
90/654/EEC(OJNoL353,17.12.1990,p.48).
▼M19
3. ExpertsfromtheCommissionandtheMemberStatesshallcarry
outon-the-spotcheckstoverifywhether:
(a) theguaranteegivenbythethirdcountryregardingthecondi-
tions of production and placing on the market can be
consideredequivalenttothoseappliedintheCommunity;
(b) theconditionsofparagraphs1and2arefulfilled.
TheexpertsfromtheMemberStatesresponsibleforthesechecks
shallbeappointedbytheCommission,actingonaproposalfromtheMemberStates.
ThesechecksshallbemadeonbehalfoftheCommunity,which
shall bear the cost of any expenditure in this connection. ThefrequencyofandproceduresforthesechecksshallbedeterminedundertheprocedurelaiddowninArticle21.
4. Pending the organization of the checks referred to in paragraph
3, national rules applicable to inspection inthird countries shallcontinue to apply, subject to notification, through the StandingVeterinary Committee, of any failure to comply with hygienerulesfoundduringtheseinspections.
Article 15
ThelistprovidedforinArticle14(B)(2)mayincludeonlythirdcoun-
triesorpartsofthirdcountries:
(a) fromwhichimportsarenotprohibitedpursuanttoArticles9to12
ofDirective91/494/EEC;
(b) which, in view of their legislation and the organization of their
veterinary services and of their inspection services, the powers of
such services and the supervision to which they are subject, havebeenrecognized, inaccordance withArticle 3(2)ofDirective 72/462/EEC(
1)orArticle9(2)ofDirective91/494/EEC,ascapableof
guaranteeingtheimplementationoftheirlegislationinforce;or
(c) the veterinary services of which are able to guarantee that health
requirements at least equivalent to those laid down in Chapter IIarebeingcompliedwith.
Article 16
1. Member States shall ensure that fresh poultrymeat is imported
intotheCommunityonlyifit:
— isaccompaniedbythecertificateprovidedforinArticle14(B)(1)
(c),
— hassatisfiedthechecksrequiredbyDirective90/675/EEC.
2. Pendingtheestablishmentofdetailedrulesforimplementingthis
chapter:
— the national rules applicable to imports from third countries for
which such requirements have not been adopted at Communitylevel shall continue to apply, provided that they are not morefavourablethanthoselaiddowninArticle14(B)(2)(b),
— imports must take place under the conditions laid down in Article
11(2)ofDirective90/675/EEC.
Article 17
The principles and rules laid down in Directive 90/675/EEC shall
apply, with particular reference to the organization of and follow-up
tothecheckstobecarriedoutbytheMemberStatesandthesafeguardmeasurestobeimplemented.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—15
(1) OJ No L 302, 31. 12. 1972, p. 28. Directive as last amended by Directive
91/688/EEC(OJNoL377,31.12.1991,p.18).
▼M19
Pending implementation of the decisions provided for in Article 8 (3)
of Directive 90/675/EEC, imports must take place in accordance withArticle11(2)ofthatDirective.
CHAPTERIV
Finalprovisions
Article 18
1. The provisions of the Annexes shall not apply to establishments
situated oncertain islandsoftheHellenic Republic wherethe produc-tion of such establishments is exclusively reserved for localconsumption.
2. The arrangements for applying paragraph 1 shall be adopted
undertheprocedureprovidedforinArticle21.Underthesameproce-dureitmaybedecidedtoamendtheprovisionsofthatparagraphwitha view to the progressive extension of Community standards to allestablishmentssituatedontheislandsreferredtointhatparagraph.
Article 19
The Annexes shall be amended by the Council acting by a qualified
majority on a proposal from the Commission, in particular to adaptthemtotechnologicalandscientificprogress.
Article 20
In accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 21, the
followingmaybeadopted:
— special conditions for the approval of establishments in wholesale
markets,
— rules for the marking of products from a rewrapping centre and
supervision procedures enabling the establishment of origin of therawmaterialstobetraced.
Article 21
1. Where the procedure laid downinthisArticle istobe followed,
matters shall without delay be referred to the Standing Veterinary
Committee (hereinafter called ‘the Committee'’) set up by Decision68/361/EEC(
1) by its chairman, either on his own initiative or at the
requestofaMemberState.
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall
deliveritsopiniononthedraftwithinatimelimitwhichthechairmanmay lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinionshall be delivered bythe majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of theTreaty inthecaseofdecisionswhichtheCouncil isrequired toadoptonaproposalfromtheCommission.Thevotesoftherepresentativesof
the Member States within the Committee shall be weighted in the
mannersetoutinthatArticle.Thechairmanshallnotvote.
3. (a) TheCommissionshalladoptthemeasuresenvisagedandimple-
ment them immediately if they are in accordance with the
opinionoftheCommittee.
(b) Ifthemeasuresenvisagedarenotinaccordancewiththeopinion
oftheCommittee,orifnoopinionisdelivered,theCommission
shallwithoutdelaysubmittotheCouncilaproposalrelating to
the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualifiedmajority.
If, within three months from the date of referral to the Council, the
Council has not acted, the Commission shall adopt the proposed1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—16
(1) OJNoL255,18.10.1968,p.23.
▼M19
measures save where the Council has rejected the said measures by a
simplemajority.
Article 22
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—17
▼M19
ANNEX I
CHAPTERI
GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR THE APPROVAL OF ESTABLISH-
MENTS
Establishmentsmusthaveatleast:
1. in rooms where fresh meat is produced, worked on or stored and in areas
andcorridorsthroughwhichfreshmeatistransported:
(a) waterproof flooring which is easy to clean and disinfect, rotproof and
laid in such a way as to facilitate the draining of water; the water
must be channelled towards drains fitted with gratings and traps to
preventodours.However:
— inthecaseofroomsreferredtoinpoint14(e)ofChapterII,point
15(a)ofChapterIIIandpoint16(a)odChapterIV,channellingof
water towards drains fitted with gratings and traps is not required
and, in the case of premises referred to in point 16 (a), a device
withwhichwatermayeasilyberemovedissufficient,
— inthecaseofroomsreferredtoinpoint17(a)ofChapterIVwhich
store only wrapped or packaged meat and in areas and corridors
through which fresh meat is transported, waterproof and rotproof
flooringissufficient;
(b) smooth, durable, impermeable walls, with a light-coloured, washable
coatinguptoaheightofatleasttwometres;inchillingorrefrigeration
roomsandinstoresthewallsmustbecoatedatleasttostorageheight.
Walltofloorjunctionsmustberoundedorsimilarlyfinishedexceptin
theroomsreferredtoinpoint17(a)ofChapterIV.
However,theuseofwoodenwallsintheroomsreferredtoinpoint17
of Chapter IV does not constitute grounds for withdrawing approval
providedtheywerebuiltbefore1January1994;
(c) doorandwindowframesinhard-wearing,non-corrodible material and,
ifofwood,withasmoothandimpermeablecoveringonallsurfaces;
(d) insulationmaterialswhicharerotproofandodourless;
(e) adequateventilationandgoodextractionofsteam;
(f) adequatenaturalorartificiallightingwhichdoesnotdistortcolours;
(g) acleanandeasilycleanedceiling;failingthat,aroofcoveringwithan
interiorsurfacewhichfulfilstheseconditions;
2. (a) asnearaspossibletotheworkstations,asufficientnumberoffacilities
for cleaning and disinfecting hands and for cleaning tools with hot
water.Tapsmustnotbehand-operableorarm-operable.
For washing hands, these facilities must have hot and cold running
water or water premixed to a suitable temperature, cleaning and disin-
fectingproductsandhygienicmeansofdryinghands;
(b) facilities for disinfecting tools, with water supplied at not less than
82ºC;
3. appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as insects and
rodents;
4. (a) instruments and working equipment such as automatic equipment for
workingonmeat,cuttingtables,tableswithdetachablecuttingsurfaces,
containers, conveyor belts and saws, made of corrosion-resistant mate-
rial not liable to taint meat and easy to clean and disinfect. Surfaces
coming into, or capable of coming into contact with meat, including
welds and joins, must be maintained smooth. The use of wood is
forbiddenexceptinroomswheretheonlyfreshmeatstoredishygieni-
callypackagedfreshpoultrymeat;
(b) corrosion-resistantfittingsandequipmentmeetinghygienerequirements
for:
— meathandling,
— storingmeatcontainers,insuchawaythatneitherthemeatnorthe
containerscomeintodirectcontactwiththefloororwalls;
(c) facilities, including suitably laid out and equipped reception and
marshalling areas, for the hygienic handling and protection of meat
duringloadingandunloading;1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—18
▼M19
(d) special watertight non-corrodible containers, with lids and fasteners to
prevent unauthorized persons fromrem oving things fromthem , for
keepingmeatnotintendedforhumanconsumption,oralockableroom
forsuchmeatifthequantitiesarelargeenoughtonecessitatethisorif
the meat is not removed or destroyed at the end of each working day;
where such meat is removed through conduits, these must be so
constructed and installed as to avoid any risk of contamination of the
freshpoultrymeat;
(e) roomsforthehygienicstorageofmaterialsforwrappingandpackaging
wheresuchactivitiesarecarriedoutintheestablishment;
5. refrigeration equipment to keep the internal temperature ofthe meat atthe
levelsrequiredbythisDirective.Thisequipmentmustincludeasystemfor
drainingoffwaterofcondensationwithoutanypossibilityofcontamination
ofthefreshpoultrymeat;
6. an adequate pressurized supply of potable water within the meaning of
Directive 80/778/EEC(1). Non-potable water pipes must be clearly distin-
guishedfromthoseusedforpotablewater;
7. anadequatesupplyofhotpotablewaterwithinthemeaningofDirective80/
778/EEC;
8. aliquidandsolidwastedisposalsystemwhichmeetshygienerequirements;
9. an adequately equipped lockable roomfor the exclusive use of the veter-
inary service, or suitable facilities in the case of stores referred to in
ChapterIVandofrewrappingcentres;
10. facilitiesenablingtheveterinaryinspectionsprovidedforinthisDirectiveto
becarriedoutefficientlyatanytime;
11. anadequatenumberofchangingroomswithsmooth,waterproof,washable
wallsand floors,washbasins,showersand flushlavatories soequipped as
toprotectthecleanpartsofthebuildingfromcontamination.
Lavatoriesmustnotopendirectlyontotheworkrooms.Showersareunne-
cessary in cold stores receiving and shipping hygienically wrapped fresh
meat only. Wash basins must have hot and cold running water or water
premixed to a suitable temperature, materials for cleaning and disinfecting
hands and hygienic means of drying hands. Wash basin taps must not be
hand-operable or arm-operable. There must be asufficient number ofsuch
washbasinsnearthelavatories;
12. aplaceandadequatefacilitiesforcleaninganddisinfectingmeansoftrans-
port for meat except in the case of cold stores receiving and shipping
hygienicallypackedfreshmeatonly.Slaughterhousesmusthaveaseparate
placeandseparatefacilitiesforcleaninganddisinfectingmeansoftransport
and crates used for poultry for slaughter. However, these places and facil-
ities are not compulsory if provisions exist requiring that means of
transportor crates becleaned and disinfected at officially authorized facil-
ities;
13. a roomor secure place for the storage of detergents, disinfectants and
similarsubstances.
CHAPTERII
SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR THE APPROVAL OF POULTRY
SLAUGHTERHOUSES
14. Inadditiontothegeneralrequirements,slaughterhousesmusthaveatleast:
(a) a roomor covered space which is sufficiently large and easy to clean
anddisinfectforthepre-slaughterinspectionprovidedforinthesecond
paragraph of point 28 of Chapter VI and to accommodate the birds
referredtoinpoint1ofthesecondparagraphofArticle2ofthisDirec-
tive;
(b) a slaughter roomlarge enough for stunning and bleeding on the one
hand, and plucking and any scalding on the other, to be carried out in
separate places. Any communication between the slaughter room and
the roomor space referred to in (a) other than the narrow opening
throughwhichonlyslaughterpoultrymaypassmusthaveanautomati-
callyclosingdoor;
(c) an evisceration and preparation roomwhich is large enough for evis-
ceration to be carried out in a place sufficiently far fromthe other1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—19
(1) OJNoL229,30.8.1980,p.11.Directive aslastamended byDirective91/692/EEC
(OJNoL377,31.12.1991,p.48).
▼M19
work stations, or separated fromthemby a partition, so as to prevent
contamination. Any communication between the evisceration and
preparationroomandtheslaughterroomotherthanthenarrowopening
throughwhichonlyslaughterpoultrymaypassmusthaveanautomati-
callyclosingdoor;
(d) ifnecessary,adispatchingroom;
(e) one or more sufficiently large chilling or refrigerating rooms, with a
lockablefacility,forfreshpoultrymeatwhichhasbeendetained;
(f) aroomorspaceforcollectingfeathersunlessthesearetreatedaswaste;
(g) separatewashbasinsandlavatoriesforstaffhandlinglivebirds.
CHAPTERIII
SPECIALCONDITIONSFORTHEAPPROVALOFCUTTINGPLANTS
15. Inadditiontothegeneralrequirements,cuttingplantsmusthaveatleast:
(a) chillingorrefrigeratingroomslargeenoughformeatpreservation;
(b) — aroomforcutting,boningandwrapping,
— insofarasthisoperationiscarriedoutinthecuttingplant:
(i) a roomfor the evisceration of geese and ducks reared for the
production of ‘foie gras’, which have been stunned, bled and
pluckedonthefatteningfarm;
(ii) aroomfortheeviscerationofpoultryreferredtoinpoint49of
ChapterVIII;
(c) a roomfor packaging, where such operations are carried out in the
cuttingplant,unlesstheconditionsprovidedforinpoint74ofChapter
XIVarefulfilled.
CHAPTERIV
SPECIALCONDITIONSFORTHEAPPROVALOFCOLDSTORES
16. Inadditiontothegeneralrequirements,storesinwhichfreshmeatisstored
inaccordancewiththefirstindentofpoint69ofChapterXIIImusthaveat
least:
(a) sufficiently large chilling and refrigerating rooms, which are easy to
cleanandinwhichfreshmeatcanbestoredatthetemperatureprovided
forinthefirstindentofpoint69;
(b) a recording thermometer or recording telethermometer in or for each
storagearea.
17. Inadditiontothegeneralrequirements,storesinwhichfreshpoultrymeatis
stored in accordance with the second indent of point 69 of Chapter XIII
musthaveatleast:
(a) sufficiently large chilling and refrigerating rooms which are easy to
clean and in which fresh poultrymeat can be stored at the temperature
providedforinthesecondindentofpoint69;
(b) a recording thermometer or recording telethermometer in or for each
storagearea.
CHAPTERV
HYGIENE OF STAFF, PREMISES ANDEQUIPMENT IN THE ESTAB-
LISHMENTS
18. Absolutecleanlinessshallberequiredofstaff,premisesandequipment.
(a) Staffhandlingexposedorwrappedfreshmeatorworkinginroomsand
areas in which such meat is handled, packaged or transported must in
particular wear clean and easily cleanable headgear, footwear and
light-coloured working clothes or other protective clothing. Staff
engagedinworkingonorhandlingfreshmeatmustwearcleanworking
clothes at the commencement of each working day and must renew
suchclothingduringthedayasnecessaryandmustwashanddisinfect
theirhandsseveraltimesduringtheworkingdayandeachtimeworkis
resumed. Personswhohavebeen incontact withsickbirdsorinfected
meatmustimmediatelyafterwardscarefullywashtheirhandsandarms
with hot water and then disinfect them. Smoking is forbidden in work
rooms and storerooms and in other areas and corridors through which
freshmeatistransported.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—20
▼M19
(b) Noanimalmayentertheestablishmentsexcept,inthecaseofslaughter-
houses, animals for slaughter. Rodents, insects and other vermin must
besystematicallydestroyed.
(c) Equipment andinstrumentsusedforhandlinglivepoultryandworking
on freshpoultrymeat must be kept clean and in a goodstate of repair.
Theymustbecarefullycleanedanddisinfectedseveraltimesduringthe
working day, at the end of the day's work and before being re-used
whentheyhavebeensoiled.
(d) Crates fordelivering poultry mustbe made of non-corrodible material,
be easy to clean and disinfect. They must be cleaned and disinfected
eachtimetheyareemptied.
19. Rooms,instrumentsandworkingequipment mustnotbeusedforpurposes
otherthanworkonfreshpoultrymeat, freshmeat orgamemeat authorized
inaccordancewithDirectives91/495/EECand92/45/EECormeatprepara-
tionsorproductsunlesstheyarecleanedanddisinfectedbeforere-use.
Thisrestrictionshallnotapplytotransportequipmentusedonthepremises
referredtoinpoint17(a),whenthemeatispackaged.
20. Poultrymeat and containers thereof must not come into direct contact with
thefloor.
21. Potable water must be used for all purposes; however, non-potable water
maybeusedforsteamproduction,firefighting,coolingrefrigerationequip-
ment and removing waste feathers in the slaughterhouse provided that the
pipes installed for this purpose preclude the use of such water for other
purposesandpresentnodangerofcontaminationoffreshmeat.Non-potable
waterpipesmustbeclearlydistinguishedfrompipesusedforpotablewater.
22. — Feathersandby-productsofslaughterunfitforhumanconsumptionmust
betakenawayimmediately.
— Thespreadingofsawdustoranyothersimilarsubstanceonthefloorof
theworkroomandfreshpoultrymeatstorageroomsisprohibited.
23. Detergents,disinfectantsandsimilarsubstancesmustbeusedinsuchaway
that instruments, working equipment and fresh meat are not adversely
affected. Their use must be followed by thorough rinsing of such instru-
mentsandworkingequipmentwithpotablewater.
24. Persons likely to contaminate meat are prohibited from working on it and
handlingit.
When recruited, any person working on and handling fresh meat shall be
requiredtoprove,byamedicalcertificate,thatthereisnomedicalimpedi-
ment to such employment. The medical supervision of such a person shall
be governed by the national legislation in force in the Member State
concerned.
CHAPTERVI
PRE-SLAUGHTERHEALTHINSPECTION
25. (a) The official veterinarian of the slaughterhouse may authorize the
slaughter of a consignment of poultry from a holding only, without
prejudicetothecertificate showninModel5inAnnexIVtoDirective
90/539/EEC,where:
(i) the poultry intended for slaughter is accompanied by the health
attestationprovidedforinAnnexIV;or,
(ii) 72 hours before the arrival of the poultry at the slaughterhouse he
wasinpossessionofadocumenttobedeterminedbythecompetent
authoritycontaining:
— relevantup-to-dateinformationregardingtheflockoforigin,in
particulardetailstakenfromtheholding'srecordsreferredtoin
27(a)coveringthetypeofpoultrytobeslaughtered,
— proof that the holding of origin is under the supervision of an
officialveterinarian.
Thisinformationmustbeassessedbytheofficialveterinarianprior
to deciding what measures are to be taken with respect to fowl
coming from the holding concerned, particularly the type of pre-
slaughterinspection.
(b) Wheretheconditionsprovidedforin(a)arenotmet,theofficialveter-
inarianoftheslaughterhousemayeitherpostponeslaughteror—where
compliance with the welfare rules requires — authorize slaughter
having first carried out the tests provided for under 27 (b), and must
have an official veterinarian inspect the holding of origin of the fowl
concerned with a view to obtaining this information. Any costs asso-1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—21
▼M19
ciated with the application of this paragraph shall be charged to the
farmer in accordance with rules to be decided on by the competent
authority.
(c) However,inthecaseoffarmerswithanannualproductionofnotmore
than20000domesticfowl,15000ducks,10000turkeys,10000geese
or an equivalent quantity of the other species of fowl referred to in
point 1 of the second paragraph of Article 2, the pre-slaughter inspec-
tion referred to in 27 (b) may be carried out at the slaughterhouse. In
that case the farmer must provide a declaration to the effect that his
annualproductiondoesnotexceedthesaidfigures.
(d) Thefarmermustkeepforaminimumoftwoyearstherecordsreferred
toinpoint27(a)forsubmissiontothecompetentauthorityondemand.
26. Theowner,thepersonauthorizedtodisposeofthepoultryortheirrepresen-
tative must facilitate the pre-slaughter inspection operations and in
particularassisttheofficialveterinarianinanyhandlingdeemednecessary.
The official veterinarian must carry out the pre-slaughter inspection in
accordancewithprofessionalrules,inadequatelighting.
27. Pre-slaughter inspection on the farmof origin referred to in point 25 shall
comprise:
(a) checking of the farmers' records, which must include at least the
following,dependingonthetypeofpoultry:
— dayofarrivalofthebirds,
— sourceofthebirds,
— numberofbirds,— actualperformanceoftheparticularbreeds(e.g.weightgain),
— mortality,
— suppliersoffeedingstuffs,
— type,periodofuseandwithdrawalperiodsoffeedadditives,
— comsumptionoffeedingstuffsandwater,
— examination and diagnosis of the attending veterinarian, together
withanylaboratoryresults,
— type of any medicinal product, with dates of administration and
withdrawal,giventothebirds,
— dateandtypeofanyvaccinesgiven,
— weightgainduringthefatteningperiod,
— resultsof any previousofficial health inspections ofbirdsfromthe
sameflock,
— numberofbirdssentforslaughter,
— expecteddateofslaughter;
(b) the additional examination needed to establish a diagnosis where the
birds:
(i) aresufferingfromadiseasewhichcanbetransmittedtohumansor
toanimals orarebehaving, onanindividual orcollective basis,in
suchawayastoindicatethatsuchadiseasemayoccur;
(ii) show disturbance of general behaviour or signs of sickness which
maymakethemeatunfitforhumanconsumption;
(c) regularsamplingofwaterandfeedwithaviewtocheckingcompliance
withwithdrawalperiods;
(d) the results of tests for zoonotic agents carried out in accordance with
Directive92/117/EEC.
28. Attheslaughterhouse,theofficial veterinarianshallensurethatthepoultry
isidentified,checkcompliancewithChapterIIofDirective91/628/EEC(
1)
andinparticularcheckwhetherthepoultryhassufferedinjuryduringtrans-
port.
Moreover,intheeventofdoubtconcerningtheidentityofaconsignmentof
poultryandwherethepoultrymustundergopre-slaughterhealthinspection
at the slaughterhouse in accordance with point 25 (c), the official veteri-
narian mustexamine each crate if thepoultry showthe symptomsreferred
toinpoint27(b).1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—22
(1) OJNoL340,11.12.1991,p.17.
▼M19
29. Wherethepoultryhasnotbeenslaughteredwithinthreedaysofitsexami-
nationandtheissueofthehealthattestationprovidedforinpoint25(a)(i):
— wherethepoultryhasnotlefttheholdingoforigin,anewhealthattes-
tationmustbeissued,
— or, after assessingthe reasons for the delay, the official veterinarian of
the slaughterhouse shall authorize slaughterif there isnohealth reason
topreventit,ifneedbefollowingafurtherexaminationofthepoultry.
30. Without prejudice to the requirements of Directive 91/494/EEC, slaughter
for the purpose of human consumption must be forbidden if the clinical
symptomsofthefollowingdiseaseshavebeenestablished:
(a) ornithosis;
(b) salmonellosis.
Theofficial veterinarianmay,attherequestoftheownerofthepoultryor
of his representative, authorize the slaughter at the end of the normal
slaughterprocessprovidedprecautionsaretakentokeeptoaminimumthe
risk of spreading bacteria and to clean and disinfect the facilities after the
slaughter, withthemeat resulting fromtheslaughter beinghandled asifit
weremeatdeclaredunfitforhumanconsumption.
31. Theofficialveterinarianmust:
(a) forbidslaughterwherehehasevidence thatthemeat fromtheanimals
concernedwouldbeunfitforhumanconsumption;
(b) postponeslaughterwerethewithdrawalperiodforresidueshasnotbeen
respected;
(c) ensure, withregard toclinically healthy poultry froma flock slaughter
ofwhichisobligatory underaprogrammeforthecontrolofinfectious
disease, that the poultry is slaughtered at the end of the day or under
conditions such that any contamination of other poultry is avoided.
Member States may dispose of this meat in their territories according
totheirnationalrules.
32. Theofficialveterinarianmustimmediatelynotifythecompetentauthorityof
any prohibition of slaughter, giving reasons, and provisionally place the
poultryaffectedbythatslaughterprohibitioninsafekeeping.
CHAPTERVII
HYGIENEREQUIREMENTSFORSLAUGHTERANDTHEHANDLING
OFFRESHMEAT
33. Onlylivepoultrymaybebroughtintoslaughterpremises.Assoonasthey
are brought into thosepremises the birds mustbe slaughtered immediately
afterstunning,exceptinthecaseofslaughteraccordingtoreligiousrite.
34. Bleeding must be completed and carried out in such a way that the blood
cannotcausecontaminationoutsidetheplaceofslaughter.
35. Slaughterpoultrymustbepluckedimmediatelyandcompletely.
36. Evisceration mustbecarried out immediately in the case oftotal eviscera-
tionorwithintheperiodlaiddowninpoint49ofChapterVIIIinthecase
of partial or deferred evisceration. Slaughtered poultry must be opened in
such a way that the cavities and all the relevant viscera can be inspected.
Forthispurposetheviscera tobeinspected mayeither bedetached orleft
attached tothecarcasebytheirnaturalconnections.Ifdetached, theymust
beidentifiableasbelongingtoagivencarcase.
However, ducks and geese reared and slaughtered for the production of
‘foiegras’maybeevisceratedwithin24hours,providedthatuneviscerated
carcasesareassoonaspossiblereducedtoandthenkeptatthetemperature
laiddowninthefirstindentofpoint69ofChapterXIII,andtransportedin
accordancewiththerulesofhygiene.
37. After inspection, the viscera which have been removed must be separated
immediately from the carcase, and the parts unfit for human consumption
removedatonce.
Viscera or parts of viscera remaining in the carcase must, with the excep-
tion of the kidneys, be removed entirely if possible, under satisfactory
hygieneconditions.
38. It is forbidden to clean poultrymeat by wiping with a cloth or to fill the
carcase with anything other than edible offal or neck offal frompoultry
slaughteredintheslaughterhouse.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—23
▼M19
39. Itisforbiddentocutthecarcaseorremoveortreatthepoultrymeatbefore
the inspection has been completed. The official veterinarian may prescribe
anyotherhandlingrequiredbytheinspection.
40. Detained meat, on the one hand, and meat declared unfit for human
consumptioninaccordance withpoint53ofChapterIXornotallowedfor
human consumption in accordance with point 54 of Chapter IX, on the
other, and feathers and waste must be removed as soon as possible to the
rooms,facilities orcontainers provided for in point 4 (d) ofChapter Iand
point14(e)and(f)ofChapterIIandmustbesohandledthatcontamination
iskepttoaminimum.
41. Afterinspectionandevisceration,freshpoultrymeatmustbecleanedimme-
diately and chilled in accordance with the hygiene requirements to ensure
compliance with the temperature laid down in Chapter XIII as soon as
possible.
42. Poultrymeattobesubjectedtoanimmersionchillingprocessinaccordance
withtheprocessdescribedinpoint43must,immediatelyafterevisceration,
be thoroughly washed by spraying and immersed without delay. The
spraying must be carried out by means of equipment which washes both
theinternalandexternalsurfacesofthecarcasesefficiently.
Forcarcasesweighing:
— not more than 2,5 kg, at least 1,5 litres of water must be used per
carcase,
— between 2,5 kg and 5 kg, at least 2,5 litres of water must be used per
carcase,
— 5kgormore,atleast3,5litresofwatermustbeusedpercarcase.
43. Theimmersionchillingprocessmustmeetthefollowingrequirements:
(a) thecarcasesmustpassthroughoneormoretanksofwateroroficeand
water,thecontentsofwhicharecontinuouslyrenewed.Onlythesystem
whereby the carcases are constantly propelled by mechanical means
throughacounterflowofwaterisacceptable;
(b) thetemperatureofthewaterinthetankortanksmeasuredatthepoints
of entry and exit of the carcases must not be more than + 16 ºC and
+4ºCrespectively;
(c) it must be carried out in such a way that the temperature specified in
the first indent of point 69 of Chapter XIII is reached in the shortest
possibletime;
(d) the minimum flow of water throughout the whole chilling process
referredtoin(a)mustbe:
— 2,5litrespercarcaseweighing2,5kgorless,
— 4litrespercarcaseweighingbetween2,5kgand5kg,— 6litrespercarcaseweighing5kgormore.
Ifthereareseveral tanks,theinflowoffreshwater andtheoutflowof
usedwaterineachtankmustberegulatedinsuchawayastoprogres-
sively decrease inthe direction ofmovement ofthecarcases, thefresh
water being divided between the tanks in such a way that the flow of
waterthroughthelasttankisnotlessthan:
— 1litrepercarcaseweighing2,5kgorless,
— 1,5litrespercarcaseweighingbetween2,5kgand5kg,— 2litrespercarcaseweighing5kgormore.
The water used for first filling the tanks must not be included in the
calculationofthesequantities;
(e) thecarcasesmustnotremaininthefirstpartoftheapparatusorthefirst
tank for more than half an hour or in the rest of the apparatus or the
othertank(s)forlongerthanisstrictlynecessary.
Allnecessaryprecautionsmustbetaken toensurethat, intheevent of
interruptions of the process, the transit time laid down in the first
subparagraphiscompliedwith.
Whenever the equipment stops, the official veterinarian must satisfy
himselfpriortothere-settinginmotionthatthecarcasesstillmeettherequirementsofthisDirectiveandarefitforhumanconsumptionor,if
suchisnotthecase,ensurethattheyaretransportedassoonaspossible
tothepremisesprovidedforinpoint4(d)ofChapterI;
(f) each piece of equipment must be entirely emptied, cleaned and disin-
fectedwheneverthisisnecessaryattheendoftheperiodofworkand
atleastonceaday;1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—24
▼M19
(g) calibratedcontrolequipmentmustpermitadequateandcontinuedsuper-
visionofthemeasuringandrecordingof:
— thewaterconsumptionduringspray-washingbeforeimmersion,
— the temperature of the water in the tank or tanks at the points of
entryandexitofthecarcases,
— thewaterconsumptionduringimmersion,
— thenumberofcarcasesineachoftheweight-rangeslistedin(d)and
inpoint42;
(h) the results of the various checks carried out by the producer must be
keptandsubmittedonrequesttotheofficialveterinarians;
(i) thecorrectfunctioningofthechillingplantanditseffectonthehygiene
level shall be evaluated — pending adoption, in accordance with the
proceduresetoutinArticle21ofthisDirective,ofCommunitymicro-
biologicalmethods—byscientificmicrobiologicalmethodsrecognized
bytheMemberStates,thecontaminationofthecarcaseswithtotaland
enterobacteriacea bacteria being compared before and after immersion.
Such comparison must be carried out when the plant is first brought
intouseandafterthatperiodicallyandinanycaseeachtimeanyaltera-
tionsaremadetotheplant.Thefunctioningofthevariouspartsmustbe
regulatedsoastoensureasatisfactorystandardofhygiene.
44. Untiltheinspectionhasbeencompleted,itmustnotbepossibleforcarcases
andoffalnotinspectedtocomeintocontactwithcarcasesandoffalalready
inspected, and the removal, cutting or further treatment of the carcase is
forbidden.
45. It must not be possible for meat detained or declared unfit for human
consumption or inedible by-products to come into contact with meat
declared fit for human consumption, and the former must be placed as
soon as possible in special rooms or containers located and laid out in
suchawayastoavoidanycontaminationofotherfreshmeat.
46. Thedrawingandtrussing,handling,furthertreatmentandtransportofmeat,
including offal, must be performed meeting all hygiene requirements.
Where such meat is packaged, the conditions laid down in point 14 (d) of
Chapter II and in Chapter XIV must be complied with. Packaged or
wrappedmeatmustbestoredinaseparateroomfromexposedfreshmeat.
CHAPTERVIII
POST MORTEM HEALTHINSPECTION
47. The poultry must be inspected immediately after slaughter under suitable
lighting.
Aspartofthisinspection:
(a) thefollowingparts:
(i) thesurfaceofthebird'sbody,excludingheadandfeetsavewhere
theseareintendedforhumanconsumption;
(ii) theviscera;and
(iii) thebodycavities,
must be subjected to visual inspection and, where necessary, palpation
andincision;
(b) attentionmustalsobepaidto:
(i) anomaliesofconsistency,colourandsmell,inthecarcases;
(ii) majoranomaliesresultingfromslaughteringoperations;
(iii) properfunctioningoftheslaughterequipment.
Theofficialveterinarianmustinanyevent:
(a) subjecttoadetailedinspectionarandomsampleofthebirdsrejectedin
thepost mortemhealthinspection,themeatofwhichwasdeclaredunfit
forhumanconsumptioninaccordancewithpoint53ofChapterIX;
(b) examine a random sample of 300 birds taken from the entire consign-
ment which has undergone the post mortem inspection, for an
inspectionofthevisceraandthebodycavities;
(c) carry out a special post morteminspection of the poultrymeat if there
are other indications that themeat fromthat poultry couldbe unfit for
humanconsumption.
Theownerorthepersonauthorizedtodisposeofthepoultrymustcooperate
totheextent required in carrying out the post morteminspection. Hemust
make the poultry and poultrymeat available in a condition suitable for
inspection. He must provide adequate additional assistance at the request1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—25
▼M19
oftheinspector.Ifthepersonauthorizedtodisposeofthepoultrydoesnot
fulfilhiscooperationobligations,theinspectionshallbesuspendeduntilhe
cooperatestotheextentrequiredfortheinspection.
48. In the case of partly eviscerated poultry (‘effilé’) whose intestines were
removed immediately, the viscera and the bodycavities of at least 5 % of
theslaughteredpoultryfromeachconsignmentshallbeinspectedafterevis-
ceration.Ifduringsuchinspectionanomaliesarediscoveredinanumberof
birds,thenallthebirdsintheconsignmentshallbeinspectedinaccordance
withpoint47.
49. InthecaseofNewYorkdressedpoultry:
(a) thepost mortemhealthinspectioninaccordancewithpoint47shalltake
place at the latest 15 daysafter slaughter, duringwhich period it must
bestoredatatemperaturenotexceeding+4ºC;
(b) at the end of this period at the latest, it must be eviscerated in the
slaughterhouse where the slaughtering was performed or in another
approved cutting plant fulfilling the additional requirements under (ii)
in the second indent of point 15 (b) of Chapter III and in this last
case,beaccompaniedbythehealthattestationshowninAnnexV;
(c) the poultrymeat must not bear the health mark referred to in Chapter
XIIbeforetheeviscerationreferredtoinpoint(b)hasbeenperformed.
50. Thetakingofsamplestoexamine forresiduesmustbecarriedoutbyspot
checks and in any case in the event of justified suspicion. In the case of
examination forresidues by sampling, examination shall be carried out for
theresiduesreferredtoinGroupAIIIandGroupBI(a)and(c)andII(a)
ofAnnexItoDirective86/469/EEC(1).
Theobligation toexamine forresiduesofsubstanceswithpharmacological
actionreferredtointhesecondsubparagraphofArticle4(1)ofthisDirec-
tive shall not apply to poultry fromholdings under official veterinary
controlwhereexamination forthoseresiduesiscarriedoutontheholdings
oforigin.
51. Where a disease is suspected on the basis of the pre-slaughter or post
morteminspection,theofficialveterinarianmayaskfortherequisitelabora-toryteststobecarriedoutifheconsidersthemnecessarytosubstantiatehis
diagnosis or to detect substances with pharmacological action likely to be
presentgiventhepathologicalconditionobserved.
Intheeventofdoubt,theofficialveterinarianmayperformthefurthercuts
and inspections of the relevant parts of the poultry necessary in order to
reachadefinitivediagnosis.
Wheretheofficialveterinarianfindsthatthehygieneruleslaiddowninthis
Directive are clearly being breached or that adequate health inspection is
being hampered, he shall be empowered to take action with regard to the
useofequipment orpremisesandtotake anymeasure required,uptoand
includingareductionintherateofproductionorinterruptionoftheproduc-
tionprocess.
52. The results of the pre-slaughter and post mortem inspections shall be
recorded by the official veterinarian and, where transmissible diseases arediagnosed,communicated tothecompetentveterinaryauthorityresponsible
forsupervisionoftheholdingfromwhichtheanimalsoriginated,aswellas
to the owner of the holding of origin or his representative, who must take
account of and keep such information and submit it to the official veteri-
narian carrying out the ante mortem inspection during the subsequent
productionperiod.
CHAPTERIX
DECISION OF THE OFFICIAL VETERINARIAN AT THE POST
MORTEMINSPECTION
53. (a)Poultrymeatshall be declared totally unfit for human consumption
wherethe post morteminspectionrevealsanyofthefollowing:
— generalized infectious disease and chronic localization in organs of
pathogenicmicro-organismstransmissibletohumans,
— systematic mycosisand local lesionsin organssuspected of having
been caused by pathogenic agents transmissible to humans or their
toxins,1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—26
(1) OJNoL 275, 26. 9. 1986, p. 36. Directive as amended by Decision 89/187/EEC(OJ
NoL66,10.3.1989,p.37).
▼M19
— extensivesubcutaneousormuscularparasitismandsystematicpara-
sitism,
— poisoning,
— cachexia,
— abnormalsmell,colourortaste,
— malignantormultipletumours,
— generalsoilingorcontamination,— majorlesionsandecchymosis,
— extensive mechanical lesions, including those due to extensive
scalding,
— insufficientbleeding,
— residues of substances exceeding the authorized standards or resi-
duesofprohibitedsubstances,
— ascites.
(b) Partsofaslaughteredanimalwhichshowlocalizedlesionsorcontami-
nationsnotaffectingthehealthoftherestofthemeatshallbedeclared
unfitforhumanconsumption.
54. The head separated fromthe carcase with the exception of the tongue,
comb, wattles and caruncles and the following viscera, are excluded from
use for human consumption: trachea, lungs separated from the carcase in
accordance with point 37 of Chapter VII, oesophagus, crop, intestine and
gallbladder.
CHAPTERX
PROVISIONSCONCERNINGMEATINTENDEDFORCUTTING
55. The carcase shall be cut up into parts and boned only in approved cutting
rooms.
56. The operator of the plant, the owner or his representative must facilitate
operations for supervising the plant, in particular any handling which is
considerednecessary,andmustplacethenecessaryfacilitiesatthedisposal
of the supervisory service. In particular, he must be able on request to
informtheofficial veterinarian responsibleforsupervisionofthesourceof
themeatbroughtintohiscuttingplantandtheoriginoftheanimalsslaugh-
tered.
57. Withoutprejudicetopoint19ofChapterV,meatwhichdoesnotfulfilthe
requirementsofArticle3(I)(B)(1)ofthisDirectivemaynotbeplacedin
approvedcuttingplantsunlessplacedinspecialstorageareas;itmustbecut
up in other places or at other times than meat which does fulfil those
requirements. The official veterinarian must at all times have access to all
storageroomsandworkroomsinordertosatisfyhimselfthatthepreceding
provisionsarerigorouslyobserved.
58. Freshmeatintendedforcuttingmust,assoonasitisbroughtin,beplaced
inthecuttingroomand,untilcutup,intheroomprovidedforinpoint15
(a)ofChapterIII.
However,notwithstandingpoint41ofChapterVII,meatmaybetransported
directlyfromtheslaughterroomtothecuttingroom.
Insuchcasestheslaughterroomandthecuttingroommustbesufficiently
near to each other and located in the same group of buildings, since the
meat to be cut must be transferred in one operation from one room to the
otherbymeansofanextensionofthemechanicalhandlingsystemfromthe
slaughterroom,andcuttingmustbecarriedoutimmediately.Assoonasthe
prescribed cutting and packaging are completed, the meat must be trans-
portedtothechillingroomprovidedforinpoint15(a)ofChapterIII.
59. Meatmustbebroughtintotheroomsreferredtoinpoint15(b)ofChapter
III as required. As soon as cutting and, where appropriate, packaging are
completed, the meat must be transported to the chilling room provided for
inpoint15(a).
60. Exceptinthecaseofmeat cutwhilewarm,cuttingmaytakeplace onlyif
themeathasreachedatemperaturenotexceeding+4ºC.
61. Cleaningoffreshmeatbywipingwithaclothisprohibited.62. Cutting must be carried out in such a way as to avoid any soiling of the
meat.Splintersofboneandclotsofbloodmustberemoved.Meatobtained
fromcuttingandnotintendedforhumanconsumptionmustbecollectedin
thecontainersorroomsreferredtoinpoint4(d)ofChapterIasitiscut.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—27
▼M19
CHAPTERXI
HEALTHMONITORINGOFCUTMEATANDSTOREDMEAT
63. Approved cutting plants, approved rewrapping centres and approved cold
stores must be supervised by a member of the inspection team referred to
inthethirdsubparagraphofArticle8(2)ofthisDirective.
64. Thesupervisionprovidedforinpoint63mustincludethefollowingtasks:
— supervisionoftheentryandexitoffreshmeat,
— healthinspectionoffreshmeatheldintheestablishment,— supervisionofthecleanlinessofthepremises,facilitiesandinstruments
providedforinChapterV,andofstaffhygiene,includingtheirclothing,
— anyothersupervisionwhichtheofficialveterinarianconsidersnecessary
forensuringcompliancewiththisDirective.
CHAPTERXII
HEALTHMARKING
65. Health marking must be carried out under the supervision of the official
veterinarian.Forthispurpose,thelattershallsupervise:
(a) thehealthmarkingofmeat;
(b) the labels and wrapping material when marked as provided for in this
Chapter.
66. Thehealthmarkmustinclude:
(a) formeatwrappedinindividualunitsorforsmallpackages,
— on the upper part, the initials of the consigning country in capitals
(i.e.oneofthefollowing):
►
A3AT,◄B,DK,D,EL,E,F, ►A3FI,◄IRL,I,L,NL,P,
►A3SE,◄UK,
— in the centre, the veterinary approval number of the establishment
or,whereappropriate,thecuttingpremisesorrewrappingcentre,
— on the lower part, one of the following sets of initials: CEE, EØF,
EWG,EOK,EEC,EEG ►A3orETY◄.
Thelettersandfiguresmustbe0,2centimetreshigh;
(b) forlargepackages,anovalmarkatleast6,5cmwideby4,5cmhigh,
includingtheinformationlistedunder(a).
The letters must be at least 0,8 cm high and the figures at least 1 cm
high.Thehealth markmay,inaddition, include anindication enabling
theveterinarianwhocarriedoutthehealthinspectionofthemeattobe
identified.
Thematerialusedformarkingmustmeetallhygienerequirementsand
theinformation referredtoin(a)shallappearonitinperfectly legible
form.
67. (a) Thehealthmarkingreferredtoinpoint66(a)mustbemade:
— on or visibly beneath wrappers or other packaging of individually
packedcarcases,
— on non-individually wrapped carcases by apposition of a seal or
label,whichmaybeusedonlyonce,
— on or visibly beneath wrappers or other packaging of parts of
carcasesoroffalwrappedinsmallquantities.
(b) The health marking referred to in point 66 (b) must be made on large
packages containing carcases, parts of carcases or offal marked in
accordancewith(a).
(c) Whereahealthmarkingappearsonthewrapperorpackaging:
— it must be applied in such a way that it is destroyed when the
wrapperorpackagingisopened,or
— the wrapper or packaging must be sealed in such a way that it
cannotbere-usedafteropening.
68. Thehealthmarkingofcarcases,partsofcarcasesoroffalasprovidedforin
point67(a)shallnotbenecessaryinthefollowingcases:
1. Consignmentsofcarcases,includingthosewhichhavehadpartsremoved
pursuant to point 53 (b) of Chapter IX, shall be dispatched froman1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—28
▼M19
approvedslaughterhousetoapprovedcuttingpremisesforcuttingtherein
subjecttothefollowingconditions:
(a) thelargepackagingcontainingthefreshpoultrymeatshouldbear,on
the external surface, the health mark in accordance with the third
indentofpoint67(a)andwithpoint67(c);
(b) the dispatch office shall maintain a record of the amount, type and
destination of consignments dispatched in accordance with this
Directive;
(c) therecipientcuttingpremisesshallmaintainarecordoftheamount,
type and origin of consignments received in accordance with this
Directive;
(d) thehealthmarkonthelargepackagingshallbedestroyedwhenthe
largepackaging isopenedincutting premisesunderthesupervision
oftheofficialveterinarian;
(e) thedestinationandintendeduseoftheconsignmentshallbeclearly
indicated on the external surface of the large packaging in accor-
dancewiththispointandwithAnnexVII.
2. Consignmentsofcarcases,includingthosewhichhavehadpartsremoved
pursuant to point 53 (b) of Chapter IX, parts of carcases and the
following offal: hearts, livers and gizzards, shall be dispatched froman
approved slaughterhouse, cutting premises or rewrapping centre to a
meat and meat product establishment for treatment subject to the
followingconditions:
(a) the large packaging containing the fresh poultrymeat shall bear, on
the external surface, the health mark in accordance with the third
indentofpoint67(a)andwithpoint67(c);
(b) the dispatch office shall maintain a record of the amount, type and
destination of consignments dispatched in accordance with this
Directive;
(c) the recipient meat and meat product establishment shall maintain a
record of the amount, type and origin of consigments received in
accordancewiththisDirective;
(d) whenthefreshpoultrymeat isintended foruseinmeat productsfor
intra-Communitytrade,thehealthmarkofthelargepackagingshall
bedestroyedwhenthelargepackagingisopenedinanestablishment
underthesupervisionofthecompetentauthority;
(e) thedestinationandintendeduseoftheconsignmentshallbeclearly
indicated on the external surface of the large packaging in accor-
dancewiththispointandwithAnnexVII.
3. Consignmentsofcarcases,includingthosewhichhavehadpartsremoved
pursuant to point 53 (b) of Chapter IX, shall be dispatched froman
approved slaughterhouse, rewrapping centre or cutting premises to
restaurants, canteens and institutions for direct supply to the final user
afterheattreatment,subjecttothefollowingconditions:
(a) the packaging containing the fresh poultrymeat shall bear, on the
externalsurface,thehealthmarkinaccordancewiththethirdindent
ofpoint67(a)andwithpoint67(c);
(b) the dispatch office shall maintain a record of the amount, type and
destination of the consignments dispatched in accordance with this
Directive;
(c) the recipient outlet shall maintain a record of the amount, type and
originofconsignmentsreceivedinaccordancewiththisDirective;
(d) outlets shall be subject to control by a competent authority, which
mustbegivenaccesstotherecordskept;
(e) thedestinationandintendeduseoftheconsignmentshallbeclearly
indicated on the external surface of the large packaging in accor-
dancewiththispointandwithAnnexVII.
CHAPTERXIII
STORAGE
69. — After the chilling provided for in point 41, fresh poultrymeat must be
keptatatemperaturewhichmaynotatanytimeexceed+4ºC.
— Frozenpoultrymeatmustbekeptatatemperaturewhichmaynotatany
timeexceed−12ºC.
— Packaged fresh poultrymeat must not be stored in the same room as
unpackagedfreshmeat.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—29
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CHAPTERXIV
WRAPPINGANDPACKAGINGOFFRESHMEAT
70. (a) Packaging(forexamplepackingcases,paperboardboxes)mustfulfilall
rulesofhygiene,andinparticular:
— mustnotaltertheorganolepticcharacteristicsofthemeat,
— mustnotbecapable oftransmitting tothemeatsubstancesharmful
tohumanhealth,
— must be strong enough to ensure effective protection of the meat
duringtransportationandhandling;
(b) packagingmustnotbere-usedformeatunlessitismadeofcorrosion-
resistant materials which are easy to clean and has been previously
cleanedanddisinfected.
71. Wherecutfreshmeatoroffaliswrapped,thisoperationmustbecarriedout
immediatelyaftercuttingandinaccordancewithhygienerequirements.
Wrapping must be transparent and colourless or, in the case of coloured
transparent wrapping, designed in such a way as to leave the wrapped
meat or offal partially visible. Itmustalso fulfil the conditions ofthe firstandsecondindentsofpoint 70(a);it maynot beusedagain forwrapping
meat.
Partsofpoultryoroffalseparatedfromthecarcasemustalwaysbewrapped
inafirmlysealedprotectivecoveringsatisfyingtheabovecriteria.
72. Wrappedmeatmustbepackaged.73. However,whenwrappingfulfilsalltheprotectiveconditionsofpackagingit
neednotbetransparentandcolourlessandplacinginasecondcontaineris
notnecessaryprovidedthattheotherconditionsofpoint70arefulfilled.
74. Cutting, boning, wrapping and packaging operations may take place in the
same room if the packaging is re-usable as described in point 70 (b) or
subjecttothefollowingconditions:
(a) theroommustbesufficientlylargeandsoarrangedthatthehygieneof
theoperationsisassured;
(b) the packaging and wrapping must be enclosed in a sealed protective
covering immediately after manufacture; this covering must be
protectedfromdamageduringtransporttotheestablishmentandstored
underhygienicconditionsinaseparateroomintheestablishment;
(c) theroomsforstoringpackagingmaterial mustbedustandvermin-free
and have no air connection with rooms containing substances which
might contaminate fresh meat. Packaging must not be stored on the
floor;
(d) packaging must be assembled under hygienic conditions before being
broughtintotheroom;
(e) packagingmustbehygienicallybroughtintotheroomandusedwithout
delay.Itmustnotbehandledbystaffhandlingfreshmeat;
(f) immediately after packaging the meat must be placed in the storage
roomprovided.
75. ThepackagingreferredtointhisChaptermaycontainonlycutfreshpoul-
trymeat.
CHAPTERXV
TRANSPORT
76. Fresh meat must be transported in means of transport provided with a
hermetic closing system or, in the case of fresh meat imported in accor-
dance with Directive 90/675/EEC or fresh meat transiting through the
territory of a third country, in sealed means of transport, designed and
equippedinsuchawaythatthetemperaturesspecifiedinChapterXIIIare
maintainedthroughouttransportation.
77. Means of transport intended for transporting such meat must meet the
followingrequirements:
(a) theirinsidesurfacesmustbesmoothandeasytocleananddisinfect;
(b) they must be provided with efficient devices for protecting the meat
againstinsectsanddustandbewatertight.
78. Means of transport intended for transporting meat may in no case be used
fortransportingliveanimalsoranyproductslikelytoaffectorcontaminate
meat.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—30
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79. No other product likely to affect the hygiene of the poultrymeat or to
contaminate it may be transported at the same time as the meat in the
samemeansoftransport.
Packaged meat must be transported in separate means of transport from
unpackaged meat unless, within the same means of transport, an adequate
physicalseparationisprovidedsoastoprotectunpackagedmeat.
80. Freshpoultrymeatmaynotbetransportedinavehicleorcontainerwhichis
notcleanandhasnotbeendisinfected.
81. Theoperator ofthe plant,the ownerorhisrepresentative mustensurethat
transportvehiclesandloadingconditionsaresuchastoenablethehygiene
requirements of this Chapter to be met. A member of the inspection team
provided for in the third subparagraph of Article 8 (2) of this Directive
mustcheckthatthisprovisioniscompliedwith.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—31
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ANNEX II
CHAPTERI
GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF LOW-CAPACITY
ESTABLISHMENTS
Low-capacityestablishmentsmusthaveatleast:
1. inroomswherefreshmeatisproducedandworkedon:
(a) waterproof flooring which is easy to clean and disinfect, rotproof and
laid insuchawayastofacilitate the draining ofwater; the water must
be channelled towards drains fitted with gratings and traps to prevent
odours;
(b) smooth, durable, impermeable walls, with a light-coloured, washable
coatinguptoaheightofatleasttwometres.
However,theuseofwoodenwallsintheroomsreferredtoinpoint16of
Chapter IV of Annex I does not constitute grounds for withdrawing
approvalprovidedtheywerebuiltbefore1January1994;
(c) doorsineasilycleanable,rotproofandodourlessmaterial.
Where meat isstoredintheestablishment concerned, thatestablishment
must have storage premises which satisfy the aforementioned require-
ments;
(d) insulationmaterialswhicharerotproofandodourless;
(e) adequateventilationandifnecessarygoodextractionofsteam;
(f) adequatenaturalorartificiallightingwhichdoesnotdistortcolours;
2. (a) asnearaspossibletotheworkstations,asufficientnumberoffacilities
forcleaninganddisinfectinghandsandforcleaningtoolswithhotwater.
Forwashinghands,thesefacilitiesmusthavehotandcoldrunningwater
or water premixed to a suitable temperature, cleaning and disinfecting
productsandhygienicmeansofdryinghands;
(b) facilities on the spot or in an adjacent roomfor disinfecting tools, with
hotwatersuppliedatnotlessthan82ºC;
3. appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as insects and
rodents;
4. (a) instruments and working equipment such as cutting tables, tables with
detachable cutting surfaces, containers, conveyor belts and saws, made
ofcorrosion-resistantmaterial, notliabletotaintmeatandeasytoclean
anddisinfect.Theuseofwoodisforbidden;
(b) corrosion-resistant fittings and equipment meeting hygiene requirements
for:
— meathandling,
— storing meat containers, in such a way that neither the meat northe
containerscomeintodirectcontactwiththefloororwalls;
(c) special watertight non-corrodible containers, with lids and fasteners to
prevent unauthorized persons fromrem oving things fromthem , for
keeping meat not intended for human consumption; such meat must be
removedordestroyedattheendofeachworkingday;
5. refrigeration equipment to keep the internal temperature of the meat at the
levels required by this Directive. This equipment must include a drainagesystemlinkedtothewaste-waterpipeswhichpresentsnoriskofcontamina-
tionofthemeat;
6. anadequatepressurizedsupplyofpotablewaterwithinthemeaningofDirec-
tive 80/778/EEC. However, a non-potable water supply is authorized in
exceptional cases for steamproduction, fire fighting and the cooling of
refrigeration equipment, provided that the pipes installed for this purpose
preclude the use of this water for other purposes and present no risk of
contaminationoffreshmeat.Non-potablewaterpipesmustbeclearlydistin-
guishedfromthoseusedforpotablewater;
7. anadequatesupplyofhotpotablewaterwithinthemeaningofDirective80/
778/EEC;
8. asystemforthehygienicdisposalofwastewater;
9. atleastonewashbasinandflushlavatories.Thelattermustnotopendirectly
ontotheworkrooms.Thewashbasinmusthavehotandcoldrunningwater
orwaterpremixed toasuitabletemperature, hygienic materials forcleaning1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—32
▼M19
and disinfecting the hands and hygienic means of drying hands. The wash
basinmustbenearthelavatories.
CHAPTERII
SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR THE APPROVAL OF LOW-CAPACITY
SLAUGHTERHOUSES
10. In addition to the general requirements, low-capacity slaughterhouses must
haveatleast:
(a) a slaughter roomlarge enough for stunning and bleeding on the one
hand, and plucking and any scalding on the other, to be carried out in
separateplaces;
(b) in the slaughter room, walls washable up to a height of at least two
metresoruptotheceiling;
(c) an evisceration and preparation roomwhich is large enough for evis-
ceration to be carried out in a place sufficiently far fromother work
stations,orseparatedfromthembyapartition,soastopreventcontam-
ination;
(d) a refrigerating roomof sufficient capacity in relation to the size and
typeofanimalsslaughtered,withinanycaseaseparatelockablesection
of a minimum size reserved for observing the carcases undergoing
analysis.
Derogations from this requirements may be granted by the competent
authority on a case-by-case basis where meat is removed immediately
fromsuch slaughterhouses for delivery to cutting plants or butcher
shops in the immediate vicinity of the slaughterhouse, provided that
transportationtakesnotmorethanonehour.
11. Animals brought into the slaughter room must be immediately slaughtered
afterstunning,saveinthecaseofslaughteraccordingtoreligiousrite.
12. Sick or suspect animals must not be slaughtered in the establishment
concernedexceptwhereaderogationisgrantedbythecompetentauthority.
Where a derogation is granted, slaughter must be performed under the
supervisionofthecompetent authority andstepstaken toprevent contami-
nation;thepremisesmustbespeciallycleanedanddisinfectedunderofficial
supervisionbeforebeingusedagain.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—33
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ANNEX III
PROFESSIONALQUALIFICATIONSOFAUXILIARIES
1. Onlycandidateswhoprovethattheyhave:
(a) followed a theoretical course, including laboratory demonstrations,
authorized by the competent authorities of the Member States on the
subjectsreferredtoinpoint3(a);
(b) received practical training under the supervision of an official veteri-
narian
shallbeeligibleforthetestreferredtointhesecondsubparagraphofArticle
8 (2) of this Directive. The practical training shall take place in slaughter-
houses,cuttingplants,coldstoresandinspectionpostsforfreshmeator,for
thepre-slaughterinspection,inaholding.
2. However,auxiliariesfulfillingtherequirementsofAnnexIIItoDirective64/
433/EEC may followatraining coursewherethe theoretical partisreduced
tofourweeks.
3. ThetestreferredtointhesecondsubparagraphofArticle8(2)ofthisDirec-
tiveshallconsistofatheoreticalpartandapracticalpartandshallcoverthe
followingsubjects:
(a) fortheinspectionofholdings:
(i) theoreticalpart:
— familiarity with the poultry industry — organization, economic
significance,productionmethods,internationaltrade,etc.,
— anatomyandpathologyofpoultry,— basicknowledgeofdiseases—viruses,bacteria,parasites,etc.,— monitoring for disease and use of medicinal products/vaccines
andresiduetesting,
— hygieneandhealthinspection,— welfareonthefarm,duringtransportandattheslaughterhouse,— environmentalcontrols—inbuildings,onfarmsandingeneral,— nationalandinternationalrules,— consumerattitudesandqualitycontrol;
(ii) praticalpart:
— visitstofarmsofdifferenttypesanddifferentmethodsofrearing,
— visitstoproductionestablishments,— loadingandunloadingofmeansoftransport,— visitstolaboratories,
— veterinarychecks,
— documentation,— practicalexperience;
(b) forinspectionatslaughterhouses:
(i) theoreticalpart:
— basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology of slaughtered
animals,
— basicknowledgeofpathologyofslaughteredanimals,
— basicknowledgeofpathologicalanatomyofslaughteredanimals,
— basic knowledge ofhygiene and in particular industrial hygiene,
slaughter,cuttingandstoragehygieneandhygieneofwork,
— knowledge of methods and procedure for the slaughter, inspec-
tion, preparation, wrapping, packaging and transport of fresh
meat,
— knowledgeofthelaws,regulationsandadministrativeprovisions
relatingtothecarryingoutoftheirwork,
— samplingprocedures;
(ii) practicalpart:
— inspectionandassessmentofslaughteredanimals,
— determination of animal species through examination of typical
partsoftheanimal,
— determination of a number of parts of slaughtered animals in
whichchangeshaveoccurred,andcommentsthereon,
—post morteminspectioninaslaughterhouse,
— hygienecontrol,— sampling.1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—34
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ANNEX IV
MODEL
1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—35
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ANNEX V
MODEL
1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—36
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ANNEX VI
MODEL
►(1)(2)A31971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—37
▼M19
1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—38
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ANNEX VII
1971L0118—EN—01.07.1997—004.001—39