Amendment to the proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) laying down the health rules for the production and placing on the market of minced meat, meat preparations and comminuted meat for industrial use
Date: 1991-10-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: foodstuffs legislation, health legislation, marketing standard, meat, meat product

COMMISSION OF  THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

C0M(91) 374 final 

Brussels,  15 October  1991 

AaendMent to the proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 

aying down the health rules for the production and placing 

on the market of minced meat, meat preparations and 

comminuted meat for  industrial use. 

(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 149(3) 

of the EEC Treaty) 

i, 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

On  15 February  1990  the Commission  submitted  to  the Council  a Proposal  for a 

Council  Regulation  laying  down  the  health  rules  for  the production  and  placing 

on  the market  of  minced  meat, meat  preparations  and  comminuted  meat  for 

Industrial  u s e . (1) 

As  a result  of  the opinion  delivered  by  the  European  Parliament  at  its meeting 

of  12.06.1991, the Commission  had  decided,  in accordance  with  Article  149(3) 

of  the Treaty,  to amend  its original  proposal. 

(1)  O.J. No. C84, 2.04.1990, p.120 

Amendment  to the proposal  for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EEC) 

laying  down  the health  rules  for  the production  and  placing  on 

the market  of  minced  meat, meat  preparations  and  comminuted  meat 

for  industrial  use 

On  16 February  1990 the Commission  submitted  the above  proposal  to  the 

Council,  following  the opinion  of  the European  Parliament  delivered  at  its 

sitting  of  12 June  1991, the original  proposal  is amended  as follows: 

1. The  following whereases  are  added: 

"Whereas  the Commission  has agreed  to submit  a proposal  to  the Council  for 

a  general  framework  directive on  food  hygiene  and  food  safety  as soon  as 

possible  and  preferably  before  the end of  1991; 

Whereas, when  considering  the completion  of  the  internal  market,  the 

Community  will  take  as a base  a high  level  of  consumer  protection,  whereas 

there  is a need  for  a campaign  to educate  the consumer  about  the  special 

hygiene  requirements of  products of  animal  origin;" 

2. Article  1, paragraph  2  is replaced  by  the  following: 

"2.  This  Regulation  shall  not  apply  to m m c ed  meat  and  meat  preparations 

prepared  in retail  shops or  in premises  adjacent  to sale  points  for 

sale directly  to the consumer  where  transport  and  packaging  are not 

involved." 

3.  Article  2,  paragraph  5  is replaced  by  the  following: 

"5.  "Products  for  direct  consumption"  means  minced  meat  or  meat 

preparations  intended  to  be  consumed  directly  without  undergoing  any 

further  treatment,  including  by  the  consumer,  prior  to  consumption." 

4.  Article  4  id  deleted. 

5.  Article  6,  paragraph  1  is replaced  by  the  following: 

"1)  Veterinary  experts  from  the  Commission  shall,  in so  far  as  is 

necessary  to  ensure  uniform  application  of  this  Regulation,  make  on 

the  spot  checks,  they  shall  verify  whether  establishments  are  actually 

complying  with  this  Regulation.  The  Commission  shall  inform  the  Member 

States  of  the  results  of  the  investigations. 

A Member  State  in whose  territory  a  check  is being  carried  out  shall 

give  all  the  necessary  assistance  to  the  experts  in carrying  out  their 

dut ies. 

The  results  of  these  checks  shall  be  communicated  to  the  undertakings 

concerned." 

6.  At  Annex  I, chapter  III,  the  following  point  6(a)  is  inserted  after 

point  6. 

"6a.  1.  In addition  to  the  general  conditions  laid  down  in Article  3, 

minced  meat  and,  insofar  as  they  contain  such  meat,  meat  preparations  must 

(a)  (i) be  obtained  from  chilled  fresh  meat  or  from  frozen  or  quick  frozen 

boneless  meat ; 

(ii)  in  the  case  of  meat  and  meat  preparations  intended  for  direct 

consumption,  be  obtained  from  chilled  fresh  meat,  within  a  maximum 

of  six  days  after  the  slaughter  of  the  animal  of  origin,  except  in 

the  case  of  beef  where  nine  days  will  obtain,  compliance  with  this 

requirement  being  guaranteed  by  a method  of  identification  to  be 

specified  by  the  competent  authority; 

(b)  undergo  cold  treatment  referred  to  in subparagraph  (c) within  a 

maximum  of  one  hour  after  cutting  into  portions  and  wrapping  except 

where  processes  requiring  the  lowering  of  internal  temperature  of  the 

meat  during  preparation  are  used; 

(c)  be  placed  on  the  marked, 

(i)  either  chilled  and  wrapped  for  the  final  consumer  and  cooled  at  an 

internal  temperature  below  +  4"C  in a  period  of  not  more  than  one 

hour  and  below  +  2"C  after  two  hours, 

(ii) or  quick  frozen  and  wrapped  for  the  final  consumer,  in  this  case 

they  must  conform  with  the  Council  Directive  89/108/EEC. 

(d)  in  the  case  of  meat  not  for  direct  consumption,  be  labelled  at  point 

of  sale:  "This  product  should  be  thoroughly  cooked  before 

consumpt ion". 

2.  The  additives  used  must  be  in conformity  with  Community  rules." 

7.  At  Annex  I, chapter  III,  point  8  the  words  "boned  shin  meat"  are  replaced 

by  "carpal  and  tarsal  region". 

8.  At  Annex  I, chapter  V,  point  11  is  replaced  by  the  following: 

"11.  Establishments  which  produce  the  minced  meat  or  meat  preparations 

or  comminuted  meat  for  industrial  use  shall  be  subject  to 

inspection  by  the  official  service." 

9.  At  Annex  I, chapter  VI,  point  17  is replaced  by  the  following: 

"17.  The  results  of  the  microbiological  tests  shall  be  at  the  disposal 

of  the  competent  authojity. 

The  establishment  shall  inform  the  competent  authority  when  the 

standards  laid  down  in Annex  II  are  reached.  The  competent 

authority  shall  take  the  appropriate  measures." 

10. 

Annex  I, Chapter  VII,  point  19  the  following  indend  is  added: 

the  percentage  of  MechanicalIv  Recovered  Meat  contained  in  the 

product. " 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(91) 374 final 

DOCUMENTS 

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03 

Catalogue number : CB-CO-91-430-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-76221-7 

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