2. 4. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 84/89 
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying down the health rules for the production and placing 
on the market of meat products 
COM(89) 669 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 12 February 1990) 
(90/C 84/07) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee, 
Whereas meat products are included in the list of products in 
Annex II to the Treaty; whereas the production of and the 
placing on the market of meat products constitute an 
important source of income for a part of the farming 
population; 
Whereas, in order to ensure the rational development of this 
sector and to increase productivity, health rules governing 
the production and placing on the market of meat products 
should be laid down at Community level; 
Whereas the Community must adopt the measures intended 
to progressively establish the internal market over a period 
expiring on 31 December 1992; 
Whereas the laying down of health rules contributes to the 
protection of public health and completion of the internal 
market; 
Whereas, to achieve this purpose, it is necessary to extend the 
principles laid down in Council Directive 77/99/EEC of 21 
December 1976 on health problems affecting 
intra-Community trade in meat products (1), as last amended 
by Directive 89/227/EEC (2); whereas this extension 
requires certain technical amendments to the said 
Directive; 
Whereas it is possible that, due to certain particular 
circumstances, some establishments operating before prior 
to 1 January 1992 will not be able to comply with all of the 
rules laid down in this Regulation; whereas the question of 
whether limited or temporary derogations may be granted to 
such establishments within the general framework laid down 
in Council Decision . . ./EEC of ... (on the granting of 
derogations from specific Community health rules on the 
production and marketing of products of animal origin) (3) 
should be resolved; 
(') OJ No L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 85. 
(2) OJNoL93,6. 4. 1989, p. 25. 
(3) OJNoL... Whereas it should be stressed that excluding certain activities 
from the scope of this Regulation or the granting of 
derogations from the rules laid down in this Regulation is 
without prejudice to the submission of all operations of 
production and placing on the market of products of animal 
origin to the general health rules laid down by Council 
Regulation (EEC) No . . . of. . . (laying down general health 
rules applicable to the production and placing on the market 
of products of animal origin and specific health rules 
applicable to certain products of animal origin) (4); 
Whereas the Commission should be entrusted with the task 
of adopting certain measures for implementing this 
Regulation; whereas, to that end, procedures should be laid 
down establishing close and effective cooperation between 
the Commission and the Member States within the Standing 
Veterinary Committee, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
1. This Regulation lays down the health rules for the 
production in the Community of meat products and their 
placing on the market for human consumption. 
2. This Regulation shall not apply to the preparation and 
storage of meat products in retail shops or in premises 
adjacent to points of sale, where such preparation and 
storage are performed solely for the purpose of supplying the 
final consumer directly. Where necessary, the Commission, 
in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 19, 
shall adopt the rules necessary to ensure uniform application 
of the activities referred to in this paragraph. 
Article 2 
For the purposes of this Regulation: 
1. meat products means products prepared from or with 
meat which has undergone treatment so that the cut 
surface shows that the product no longer has the 
characteristics of meat; 
2. treatment means the treatment of meat, whether or not 
combined with other foodstuffs, by heating, salting, 
curing or drying, or a combination of these 
processes; 
3. heating means use of dry or damp heat; 
4. salting means use of salt; 
(<) OJ No L . . . 
No C 84/90 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 4. 90 
5. curing means distribution of curing salts throughout the 
product; 
6. drying means natural or artificial reduction of water 
content; 
7. maturing means complete treatment of salted meat, 
applied under climatic conditions which, in the course 
of a slow and gradual reduction of humidity, are 
capable of generating natural fermentation or 
enzymatic processes, involving changes over a period of 
time which give the product typical organoleptic 
characteristics and ensure its preservation and 
wholesomeness at normal ambient temperature; 
8. prepared meals means wrapped meat products which 
are food preparations, whether cooked or pre-cooked, 
not requiring preservatives for preservation; 
9. wrapping means the protection of meat products by the 
use of an initial wrapping or initial container in direct 
contact with the product concerned, as well as the 
initial wrapping or initial container itself; 
10. packaging means the placing of a wrapped or 
unwrapped meat product or products in a second 
container, as well as the container itself; 
11. hermetically sealed container means airtight container 
intended to protect the contents from micro-organisms 
during and after heating; Article 3 
Meat products must meet the following conditions: 
1. they must have been prepared and stored in an 
establishment approved and inspected in accordance 
with Article 5 and meeting the conditions laid down in 
this Regulation, in particular in Annex A, Chaper I and 
Annex B, Chapter I; 
2. they must have been prepared in hygiene conditions 
meeting the requirements in Annex A, Chapter II and, 
where appropriate, Annex B, Chapters II and III; 
3. they must have been prepared from meat, minced meat, 
meat preparations or meat products the placing on the 
market of which has been authorized; 
4. they must have been submitted to checks to be carried out 
by such establishments, with periodic inspection by the 
competent authority, in order to ensure that the meat 
products comply with the requirements laid down in this 
Regulation; 
5. they must have undergone an inspection carried out by 
the competent authority, in accordance with Annex A, 
Chapter III; 
6. where wrapped or packaged, they must have been 
wrapped and packaged in accordance with Annex A, 
Chapter IV; 
7. they must bear a health marking in accordance with 
Annex A, Chapter V; 
8. they must be stored and transported under satisfactory 
health conditions in accordance with Annex A, 
Chapter VI. 
12. establishment means an approved processing plant or 
an approved store; 
13. competent authority means the health authority 
designated by the Member State. 
14. in addition, the definitions laid down in 
— Council Regulation (EEC) No ... of ... (^ (on 
health conditions for the production and the placing 
on the market of fresh meat) 
— Council Regulation (EEC) No ... of ... (2) (on 
health conditions for the production and the placing 
on the market of fresh poultrymeat), 
— Council Regulation (EEC) No ... of . . . (3) 
(concerning game meat and rabbit meat), 
— Council Regulation (EEC) No ... of ... (4) (on 
health conditions for the production and the placing 
on the market of minced meat and meat 
preparations) 
shall apply where necessary. 
(!) OJ No L . 
(2) OJ No L . 
(3) OJ No L . 
(4) OJ No L . Article 4 
Meat products must meet the following additional 
conditions: 
1. they must have been prepared by heating, the use of salt 
or drying, which processes may be combined with 
smoking or maturing, possibly under specific 
microclimatic conditions, and associated, in particular, 
with certain curing agents. They may also be associated 
with other foodstuffs and condiments; 
2. in the case of meat products which cannot be conserved 
at ambient temperatures, the producer must ensure, for 
inspection purposes, that the packaging bears a clear and 
legible indication of the temperature at which the 
products must be transported and stored, and the 
minimum keeping date, insofar as this information is not 
required by Community legislation concerning labelling 
of foodstuffs. 
Article S 
1. Each Member State shall draw up a list of 
establishments approved by it. Each establishment shall have 
an approval number. It shall send this list to the other 
Member States and to the Commission. 
A Member State shall not approve an establishment unless it 
complies with this Regulation. A Member State shall 
2. 4. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 84/91 
withdraw approval if the conditions for approval cease to be 
met. 
If a check has been made in accordance with Article 6, the 
Member State concerned shall take account of the 
conclusions thereof. The other Member States and the 
Commission shall be informed in the event of approval being 
withdrawn. 
2. The inspection and supervision of approved 
establishments shall be carried out by the competent 
authority. 
The competent authority must at all times have free access to 
all parts of establishments in order to ensure that this 
Regulation is being complied with. 
Where such inspection and supervision shows that all the 
requirements of this Regulation are not being complied with, 
the competent authority shall take the necessary measures to 
rectify the situation. 
Article 6 
1. Experts from the Commission may, in so far as is 
necessary to ensure uniform application of this Regulation, 
make on-the-spot checks. They may, in particular, verify 
whether establishments are actually complying with this 
Regulation. The Commission shall inform the Member 
States of the results of the investigation. 
A Member State in whose territory a check is being carried 
out shall give all necessary assistance to the experts in 
carrying out their duties. 
2. The general privisions for implementing this Article 
shall be determined in accordance with the procedure laid 
down in Article 12. If necessary, and in accordance with the 
same procedure, a code shall be established containing the 
rules to be followed for the purpose of the checks provided 
for in paragraph 1. 
Article 7 
1. In accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 11, derogations from the conditions for approval of 
establishments referred to in Annex A, Chapter I and 
Annex B, Chapter I may be granted for establishments with 
limited production. 
2. In examining the derogations referred to in 
paragraph 1, the Commission shall take into consideration 
the information and criteria laid down in Articles 2 and 3 of 
Council Decision . . ./EEC (on the granting of temporary 
and limited derogations from specific Community health 
rules on the production and marketing of products of animal 
origin). 
3. When granting the derogations referred to in 
paragraph 1, the Commission shall set the general and 
particular terms applicable to the implementation of each 
derogation. 
Article 8 
The rules laid down in Council Regulation (EEC) No 
.../... (concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion of the internal market) (1) 
shall apply, in particular with respect to the organization and 
the action to be taken following the checks carried out by the 
Member State of destination and the safeguard measures to 
be applied. 
Article 9 
The Commission may, in accordance with the procedure laid 
down in Article 12, draw up recommendations containing 
guidelines on good manufacturing practices applicable at the 
different stages of production and placing on the market. 
Article 10 
The Annexes shall be amended, in particular with a view to 
adapting them to take account of scientific and technological 
progress, in accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 11. 
Article 11 
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing 
Veterinary Committee set up by Council Decision 
68/361/EEC (2), hereinafter referred to as 'the 
Committee'. 
2. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be 
followed, the Chairman shall refer the matter without delay 
on his own initiative or at the request of a Member State to 
the Committee. 
3. The representative of the Commission shall submit to 
the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The 
Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within two 
days. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid 
down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions 
which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the 
Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member 
States within the Committee shall be weighted in the manner 
set out in that Article 148. The Chairman shall not vote. 
The Commission shall adopt the proposed measures if they 
are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee. 
If the proposed measures are not in accordance with the 
opinion of the Committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the 
Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a 
proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council 
shall act by a qualified majority. 
If, on the expiry of a period of three months from the date of 
referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the 
proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission. 
(») OJNoL 
(2) OJ No L 225, 18. 10. 1968, p. 23. 
No C 84/92 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 4. 90 
Article 12 
Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be 
followed, the following provisions shall apply. 
The representative of the Commission shall submit to the 
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The 
Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a 
time-limit which the Chairman may lay down according to 
the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote. 
The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition, 
each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its 
position recorded in the minutes. 
The Commission shall take the utmost account of the 
opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform the 
Committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken 
into account. Article 13 
1. Directive 77/99/EEC is hereby repealed with effect 
from 1 January 1992. 
2. However, the implementing provisions adopted under 
Directive 77/99/EEC shall remain valid for the purposes of 
this Regulation. 
Article 14 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the thirtieth day 
following its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Communities. 
It shall apply with effect from 1 January 1993. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly 
applicable in all Member States. 
ANNEX A 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF ESTABLISHMENTS 
Without prejudice to the special conditions laid down in Annex B, establishments shall have at least: 
1. in rooms where meat products are handled and produced 
(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 
prevent odours; 
(b) smooth, durable, impermeable walls, with a light-coloured, washable coating up to a height of at least 
two metres; 
(c) doors in material that does not deteriorate and, if of wood, with a smooth and impermeable covering on 
both sides; 
(d) insulation materials which are rotproof and odourless; 
(e) adequate ventilation and if necessary good extraction of steam and water vapour; 
(f) adequate lighting; 
(g) a clean and easily cleaned ceiling or, failing that, a roof covering with an interior surface which fulfils 
these conditions. 
In rooms where meat products as well as meat, minced meat or meat preparations used for their preparation 
are stored, the same conditions shall apply. However: 
— in chilling and refrigeration rooms, a floor which is easy to clean and disinfect and laid in such a way as to 
facilitate the draining of water, and smooth walls which are durable, impermeable and easy to clean and 
disinfect, 
— in freezing and deep-freezing rooms, waterproof and rotproof flooring which is easy to clean and 
disinfect, and smooth walls which are impermeable and easy to clean. 
2. as near as possible to the work stations: 
(a) a sufficient number of facilities for cleaning and disinfecting hands and for cleaning tools with hot water. 
Taps must not be hand or arm operable. For washing hands, these facilities must have hot and cold 
2. 4. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 84/93 
running water or water premixed to a suitable temperature, cleaning and disinfecting products and hand 
towels which can be used once only; 
(b) facilities for disinfecting tools, with water supplied at not less than 82° C; facilities for cleaning and 
disinfecting tools are not required when such cleaning is effected by a machine situated in a room 
separate from the work stations; , 
3. appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as insects and rodents; 
4. (a) instruments and working equipment such as cutting tables, detachable cutting surfaces, containers, 
conveyer belts and saws, made of corrosion-resistant material, not liable to taint meat, minced meat, 
meat products and meat preparations and easy to clean and disinfect. The use of wood is 
forbidden; 
(b) corrosion-resistant fittings and equipment meeting hygiene requirements for: 
— handling meat, minced meat, meat products and meat preparations, 
— setting down meat, meat product or meat preparation containers in such a way that the meat, meat 
products, meat preparations and containers do not come into contact with the floor or walls; 
(c) facilities for the hygienic handling and protection of meat, minced meat, meat products or meat 
preparations during loading and unloading; 
(d) special watertight, corrosion-resistant containers, with lids and fasteners to prevent unauthorized 
persons from removing things from them, in which to put cut meat, minced meat, meat products or meat 
preparations not intended for human consumption, or a lockable room for such meat, minced meat, 
meat products or meat preparations if the quantities are large enough to necessitate this or if they are not 
removed or destroyed at the end of each working day. 
Where such meat, minced meat, meat products or meat preparations are removed through conduits, 
these should be so constructed and installed as to avoid any risk of contamination of fresh meat, minced 
meat, meat products or meat preparations; 
5. a refrigeration plant to keep the internal temperature of the meat, minced meat, meat products or meat 
preparations at the levels required by the Regulations referred to in Article 2 (14) and this Regulation. 
This plant shall include a system for draining off condensed water without any possibility of contamination of 
the meat, minced meat, meat products or meat preparations; 
6. plant for the exclusive supply under pressure of a sufficient quantity of potable water within the meaning of 
Directive 80/778/EEC; however, as an exception, authorization can be given for the plant supplying 
non-potable water to be used for steam production, fire-fighting and the cooling of refrigeration equipment, 
providing that the pipes installed for this purpose preclude the use of this water for other purposes and present 
no risk of contamination of meat, minced meat, meat products or meat preparations. Non-potable water 
pipes shall be clearly distinguished from those used for potable water; 
7. plant providing an adequate supply of hot potable water within the meaning of Directive 80/778/EEC; 
8. a waste water disposal system which meets hygiene requirements; 
9. an adequately equipped lockable room for the exclusive use of the competent authority or, in the case of 
storage premises located apart from the establishment approved for the production of meat products, a 
properly equipped area for its use; 
10. facilities enabling the inspection operations provided for in this Regulation to be carried out efficiently at any 
time; 
11. an appropriate number of changing rooms with smooth, waterproof washable walls and floors, wash basins 
and flush lavatories which fulfil all conditions of hygiene. Lavatories must not open directly on the work 
rooms. The wash basins must have hot and cold running water or water premixed to a suitable temperature, 
materials for cleaning and disinfecting the hands and hygienic means of drying hands. The wash basin taps 
must not be hand or arm operable. There must be a sufficient number of such wash basins near the 
lavatories; 
12. a place and adequate facilities for cleaning and disinfecting means of transport. This place and these facilities 
are not, however, compulsory if provisions exist requiring that means of transport be cleaned and disinfected 
at officially authorized premises. 
No C 84/94 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 4. 90 
CHAPTER II 
HYGIENE OF STAFF, CLEANLINESS OF PREMISES, EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTS IN 
ESTABLISHMENTS 
1. Absolute cleanliness shall be required of staff, premises and equipment: 
(a) staff shall in particular wear clean working clothes and headgear and, where necessary, a neck shield. 
Staff engaged in working on or handling meat, minced meat, meat products or meat preparations shall 
wash and disinfect their hands several times during the working day and each time work is resumed. 
Persons who have been in contact with infected meat shall immediately wash their hands and arms 
carefully with hot water and then disinfect them. Smoking is forbidden in work rooms and store 
rooms; 
(b) no animal may enter the establishments. Rodents, insects and other vermin in the establishments shall be 
systematically destroyed; 
(c) equipment and implements unsed for working on meat, minced meat, meat products and meat 
preparations shall be kept clean and in a good state of repair. They shall be carefully cleaned and 
disinfected several times during the working day, at the end of the day's work and before being re-used 
when they have been soiled. 
Continuous production machines shall at least be cleaned when work is finished or in the event of doubt 
about their cleanliness. 
2. Work rooms and working instruments and equipment shall not be used for purposes other than work on 
meat, minced meat, meat products and meat preparations. 
However, they may be used for the preparation of other foodstuffs either simultaneously or at different times, 
provided that all appropriate measures are taken to prevent contamination of the products covered by this 
Regulation or adverse changes in them. 
3. Meat, minced meat, meat products, meat preparations, their ingredients and containers shall not: 
— come into direct contact with the ground, 
— be left or handled in conditions which might contaminate or damage them. 
Care shall be taken to ensure that there is no contact between raw materials and finished products. 
4. Potable water shall be used for all purposes. 
5. The spreading of sawdust or any other similar substance on the floor of the work rooms and storage rooms is 
prohibited. 
6. Detergents, disinfectants and similar substances shall be used in such a way that equipment, working 
instruments, meat, minced meat, meat products and meat preparations are not adversely affected. Their use 
shall be followed by thorough rinsing of such equipment and working instruments with potable water. 
Products for maintenance and cleaning shall be kept in a separate place. 
7. Persons likely to contaminate meat, minced meat, meat products and meat preparations shall be prohibited 
from working on them and handling them. 
8. Any person employed to work with or handle meat, minced meat, meat preparations or meat products shall 
produce a medical certificate attesting that there is no impediment to such employment. The medical 
certificate shall be renewed every year, unless some other staff medical check-up scheme offering equivalent 
guarantees is recognized in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 11, 
9. By way of derogation from Chapter 14 (a), the use of wood is permitted in rooms in which meat products are 
smoked, cured, matured, pickled, stored or dispatched, when essential for technological reasons, provided 
there is no risk of the products being contaminated. Wooden pallets may be brought into the said rooms solely 
for transporting packaged meat products and for no other purpose. 
10. The temperature in rooms or parts of rooms where work on meat, minced meat, meat products and meat 
preparations is carried out shall ensure hygienic production; if necessary, such rooms or parts of rooms shall 
be provided with air-conditioning facilities. 
2. 4. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 84/95 
When in use, rooms for cutting, skinning and curing shall be kept at a temperature not exceeding 
12 °C. 
This temperature may be departed from, with the agreement of the competent authority, if it considers it 
possible to do so for technical preparation reasons, particularly in the case of slicing rooms in order to take 
account of the temperature of meat products. 
CHAPTER III 
SUPERVISION OF PRODUCTION 
1. Establishments shall be subject to supervision by the competent authority. 
2. Supervision by the competent authority shall include the following: 
— verification of the cleanliness of the rooms, plant and instruments and of staff hygiene, in accordance with 
Chapter II, 
— health inspection of meat, minced meat, meat preparations and meat products intended for the 
manufacture of meat products, 
— inspection of the effectiveness of the treatment of meat products, 
— inspection of hermetically sealed containers on the basis of guidelines to be fixed in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 12, 
— taking of any samples required for laboratory tests, 
— any other supervision measures considered necessary by the competent authority to ensure compliance 
with this Regulation. 
3. The results of the various checks to be carried out by the producer must be kept for two years so that they can be 
shown on receipt of any request from the competent authority. 
4. The competent authority must in particular ensure that meat products are made from meat of which the 
placing on the market has been authorized. 
CHAPTER IV 
WRAPPING AND PACKAGING OF MEAT PRODUCTS 
1. Wrapping and packaging shall take place under satisfactory hygiene conditions in rooms provided for that 
purpose. 
2. Without prejudice to Council Directive 89/109/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws 
of the Member States relating to materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs ('), 
wrapping and packaging shall comply with all the rules of hygiene and be strong enough to protect the meat 
products effectively. 
3. Wrappings may not be reused for meat products, with the exception of certain special types of containers such 
as earthenware and glass containers which may be re-used after effective cleaning and disinfecting. 
4. Manufacture of meat products and wrapping and packaging operations may take place in the same room 
subject to the following conditions: 
(a) the room shall be sufficiently large and so equipped that the hygiene of the operations is assured; 
(b) the packaging and wrapping shall be enclosed in a sealed protective cover immediately after manufacture; 
this cover shall be protected from damage during transport to the establishment and stored under hygienic 
conditions in a separate room intended for that purpose; 
(c) the rooms for storing the packaging material shall be free from dust and vermin and have no atmospheric 
connection with rooms containing substances which might contaminate meat, minced meat, meat 
preparations or meat products. Packaging shall not be placed directly on the floor; 
(') OJ~NoL40~ll. 2. 1989. p. 38. 
No C 84/96 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 4. 90 
(d) packaging shall be assembled under hygienic conditions before being brought into the room. A derogation 
from this requirement may be granted in the case of the automatic assembly of packaging, provided there 
is no risk of contamination of meat products; 
(e) packaging shall be brought to the room under hygienic conditions and used without delay. It may not be 
handled by staff handling unwrapped meat, minced meat, meat preparations or meat products; 
(f) immediately after packaging, the meat products shall be placed in the storage rooms provided for the 
purpose; 
5. For inspection purposes the following information must be visibly and legibly displayed on the wrapping or on 
the label of meat products: 
— where it is not clear from the sales description or from the list of ingredients in accordance with Directive 
79/112/EEC, the species from which the meat was obtained. 
— for packaging not intended for the final consumer, the date of preparation. 
CHAPTER V 
MARKING AND LABELLING 
1. Meat products shall carry a health mark. Marking must be carried out during or immediately after 
manufacture, in an easily visible place. The mark shall be legible, indelible and its characters easily 
distinguishable. The mark may be applied to the product or to the wrapping, if the meat product is individually 
wrapped, or to a label affixed to this wrapping in accordance with point 4(b). However, where a meat product 
is individually wrapped and packaged, it will suffice for the health mark to be applied to the packaging. 
2. Where meat products marked in accordance with point 1 are subsequently placed in a packaging, the mark 
shall also be applied to the packaging; 
3. By way of derogation from points 1 and 2, the health marking of meat products in palletized consignments 
intended for further processing or wrapping in an approved establishment is not necessary, provided 
that. 
— the said consignments containing the meat products bear the health mark in accordance with point 4 (a) on 
the external surface, 
— the dispatch establishment maintains a separate record of the quantities, type and destination of meat 
products dispatched in accordance with this point, 
— the recipient establishment maintains a separate record of the quantities", type and origin of meat products 
received in accordance with this point, 
— the destination and intended use of meat products are clearly indicated on the external surface of the large 
packaging except when this is transparent. 
However, where a consignment of wrapped products is contained within a transparent outer packaging, it 
shall not be necessary to health mark the outer packaging as long as the health mark on the wrapped products is 
clearly visible through the outer packaging. 
4. (a) The health mark shall give the following particulars within an oval surround: 
(i) either: 
— above: the initial letter or letters of the consigning country in capitals, i.e. 
B/D/DK/EL/ESP/F/IRL/I/L/NL/P/UK, followed by the approval number of the 
establishment, 
— below: one of the following sets of initials: CEE — EEC — EEG — EOK — EWG — E0F; 
2. 4. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 84/97 
(ii) or: 
— above, the name of the consigning country in capitals, 
— in the centre, the veterinary approval number of the establishment, 
— below, one of the following sets of initials: CEE, EEC, EEG, EOK, EWG, E0F; 
(b) the health mark may be applied to the product, wrapping or packaging by an ink stamp or by branding, or 
it may be printed on or applied to a label. If it is applied to the packaging, the mark must be destroyed 
when the package is opened. Non-destruction of this mark may be tolerated only when the packaging is 
destroyed by being opened. In the case of hermetically sealed containers, the mark must be indelibly 
marked either on the lid or on the can; 
(c) the health mark may also consist of an irremovable plate of resistant material complying with all the 
hygiene requirements and bearing the information specified in (a). 
CHAPTER VI 
STORAGE AND TRANSPORT 
1. Meat products shall be stored in the rooms provided for in Annex B, Chapter I (1) (a), or in a cold store 
approved in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No . . . laying down health rules for the production and 
marketing of fresh meat and repealing Directive 64/433/EEC. 
However, meat products which can be kept at ambient temperature may be stored in stores approved by the 
competent authority; these stores must be of a solid construction, easy to clean and disinfect. 
2. Meat products for which certain storage temperatures are indicated in accordance with Article 4 (3) shall be 
maintained at those temperatures. 
3. Meat products shall be transported in such a way that they are protected from anything which may 
contaminate them or be detrimental to them. For this purpose account shall be taken of the length of the 
journey, the means of transport employed and the weather conditions. 
4. Meat products, if the product so requires, shall be transported in vehicles equipped to ensure that they can be 
transported at the required temperatures and in particular that the temperatures indicated in accordance with 
Article 4(2) are not exceeded. 
ANNEXB 
CHAPTER I 
SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF ESTABLISHMENTS MANUFACTURING MEAT 
PRODUCTS 
1. Beyond the general requirements laid down in Annex A, Chapter I, establishments manufacturing and 
wrapping meat products shall have at least: 
(a) suitable rooms large enough for the separate storage: 
(i) of fresh meat, minced meat and meat preparations, under refrigeration, and 
(ii) of meat products at ambient temperature or, where appropriate, under refrigeration; 
(b) one or more suitable rooms sufficiently large for manufacture and wrapping; 
No C 84/98 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 4. 90 
(c) a lockable room for the storage of certain ingredients such as additives; 
(d) a room for packaging, unless the conditions laid down for packaging in Annex A, Chapter IV (4) are 
fulfilled, and for dispatch; 
(e) a room for the storage of wrapping and packaging materials; 
(f) a room for cleaning movable equipment such as hooks and containers, and a room or a cupboard for the 
storage of cleaning and maintenance tools and products. 
2. Depending on the type of product involved, the establishment shall have: 
(a) a room or — if there is no danger of contamination — an area where packaging is removed; 
(b) a room or — if there is no danger of contamination — an area for thawing of meat, minced meat or meat 
preparations; 
(c) a cutting room; 
(d) a room for filling containers prior to heat treatment; 
(e) a room: 
— for cooking (equipment for heat treatment shall be fitted with a recording thermometer or 
telethermometer), 
— for retorting (the retorts shall be fitted with a recording thermometer or telethermometer, and a 
direct-reading control thermometer; retorts shall also be equipped with a manometer); 
(f) a room for rendering down fats; 
(g) a room or special equipment for smoking; 
(h) a room for drying and maturing; 
(i) a room for desalting, soaking or otherwise treating natural guts; 
(j) a room for the prior cleaning of foodstuffs which are necessary for the production of meat products; 
(k) a curing room, if necessary with air-conditioning facilities enabling the temperature stipulated in 
Annex A, Chapter II (10) to be maintained; 
(1) a room, if necessary, for the prior cleaning of meat products intended to be sliced or cut and 
wrapped; 
(m) a room, if necessary with air-conditioning facilities, for slicing or cutting and for wrapping meat products 
intended for sale in a pre-packed form; 
(n) a device for conveying empty cans hygienically to the work room; 
(o) an apparatus enabling containers to be thoroughly cleaned immediately before filling; 
(p) an apparatus for washing containers in potable water which is hot enough to remove grease after they have 
been hermetically sealed and before retorting; 
(q) a suitable room or area for cooling and dyring containers after heat treatment; 
(r) facilities for the incubation of samples taken from meat products packed in hermetically sealed 
containers; 
(s) adequate facilities for checking whether containers are hermetically sealed and undamaged. 
However, provided that the equipment used can have no deleterious effect on the meat, minced meat, meat 
preparations or meat products, the same room may be used for the operations to be carried out in the separate 
rooms referred to in (e) and (f). 
The operations carried out in the rooms referred to in (c), (d), (e), (g) and (m) may be carried out in the room 
referred to in point (1) (b) provided that the installations constitute a single cycle of a continuous production 
line without interruption of work and guarantee that the other requirements of this Regulation are complied 
with and that there is no risk of contamination of the meat, minced meat, meat preparations or meat 
products. 
2. 4. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 84/99 
CHAPTER II 
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING HERMETICALLY SEALED CONTAINERS 
In addition to the general provisions, establishments which manufacture meat products in hermetically sealed 
containers shall fulfil the following requirements: 
1. the competent authority shall ensure, for meat products in hermetically sealed containers, that: 
(a) the operator or proprietor of the establishment or his representative checks, by sampling, that: 
— a process is applied to meat products intended for storing at ambient temperature, resulting in an Fc 
value equal to or exceeding 3,00 or, in Member States in which this value is not customarily employed, 
a check on the treatment is carried out by means of a seven-day incubation test at 37 °C or a ten-day 
test at 35 °C, 
— a proper heat treatment procedure is applied, determined on the basis of representative criteria such as 
heating time, temperature, movement during heating, filling, etc., 
— empty containers meet production standards, 
— checks on the daily output are carried out at intervals determined in advance, to ensure the efficacy of 
the sealing, 
— the necessary checks are carried out using in particular control markers to ensure that the containers 
have in fact undergone adequate heat treatment, 
— the necessary checks are carried out to ensure that the cooling water contains a residual level of 
chlorine after use. Member States may, however, grant a derogation from this requirement if the water 
fulfils the requirements of Directive 80/778/EEC, 
— incubation tests are carried out on meat products in a hermetically sealed container which have 
undergone heat treatment in accordance with the first indent; 
(b) products in hermetically sealed containers are removed from the heating equipment at a sufficiently high 
"temperature to ensure rapid evaporation of humidity and are not touched by hand until completely 
dry; 
(c) cans in which gas appears to be present undergo a further examination; 
(d) the thermometers of heating equipment are checked against calibrated thermometers. 
2. Containers shall be: 
— rejected if damaged or badly made, 
— thoroughly cleaned immediately before filling, by means of the cleaning apparatus referred to in Chapter I 
(2) (o); the use of static water is not authorized, 
— if necessary, drained for a sufficiently long time after cleaning and before filling, 
— if necessary, washed in potable water, sufficiently hot to remove grease if appropriate, after they have been 
hermetically sealed and before retorting, by means of the apparatus referred to in Chapter I (2) (p), 
— cooled, after heating, in water meeting the requirements in the sixth indent of point 1 (a), 
— handled in such a way before and after heat treatment that any type of damage or contamination is 
avoided. 
3. The competent authorities may authorize the addition of certain substances to the water used in retorts in order 
to prevent corrosion of cans and to soften and disinfect the water. A list of these substances will be drawn up in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12. 
4. Member States may allow the use of recirculated water for cooling heat-processed containers. Such water must 
be filtered and have either been treated with chlorine or undergone some other treatment approved in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 11. The purpose of such treatment is to make the 
recirculated water comply with the standards laid down in Annex I (E) to Directive 80/778/EEC so that it 
cannot contaminate the products and does not constitute a hazard to human health. 
The recirculated water shall circulate in closed circuit so that it cannot be used for other purposes. 
5. Where there is no risk of contamination, the water used for cooling containers and water from retorts may be 
used at the end of a working period for cleaning floors. 
^oC^lOO C^tt^cial journal ot the European Commun^nes ^^.^0 
Ct^A^T^^ttt 
Beyond the general requirements of Annex A, Chapters and depending on the type of production 
concerned 
f ^ If the productionof prepared meals does not take place inthe room laiddown for that purpose in 
Chapter! ^f^c^, the establishment shallpossess a separate room for reproduction of prepared 
meals, 
d^ the production of prepared meals shall take place under conditions of temperature controls 
2 ^ the operator or proprietor of the establishment or his representative shall conductaregular check on the 
general hygieneofcondinonsofproductioninhisestablishment,in particular bymicrobiological controls 
in accordance with the fourth subparagraph 
Thesecontrolsshallcoverutensils,fittings andmachmeryatallstagesofproduction and,accordingto the 
type of production concerned, products 
r^e shall be maposition,upon requestto inform the competent authority ortheCommission^svetermary 
experts ofthe nature,frequency and results ofthe controls conducted to thisend,together with the name 
of the investigating laboratory if need be 
The nature of these controls, and their frequency, as well as the sampling methods and the methods for 
bacteriological examination will be stipulated marecommendation to be established by the Commission 
maccordance with the procedure laid down in Article t2, 
d^ the competent authority shall regularly analyse the results of the controls provided for m^ ttmay,on 
the basis of this analysis, conduct further microbiological examinations at all stages of production or on 
the products 
The results of these analyses shall be written upmareport,the conclusions and recommendations of 
which shall benotified to theoperator,whoshallseetotherectificationofshortcommgs noted withaview 
to improving hygienes 
^ in addition, prepared meals which have been cooked shall 
— be wrapped immediately before or after cooking, 
— after cooking and wrapping operations, be cooled rapidly in an insulated chamber which is satisfactory 
from the hygiene point of view 
— becooledtoaninternaltemperatureof^f^^Cwithinapenodofnotmorethantwohoursaftertheendof 
cooking, 
— where appropriate, be frozen or quick frozen immediately after they have been cooled 
Proposal for a Council Decision on the conditions for granting temporary and limited derogations 
from specific Community health rules on the production and marketing of products of animal 
origin 
COM(&9J 670/zW 
(Submitted by the Commission on 12 February 1990) 
(90/C 84/08) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee, 
Whereas products of animal origin are included in the list of 
products in Annex II to the Treaty; whereas the marketing of