CELEX: 51989PC0673
Language: en
Date: 1990-02-01
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) LAYING DOWN HEALTH RULES FOR THE PRODUCTION AND PLACING ON THE MARKET OF FRESH MEAT

No C 84/8                                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                     2. 4. 90
                          Article 47                                 time-limit which the Chairman may lay down according to
                                                                     the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote.
 1.    The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing
Veterinary Committee, set up by Council Decision                      The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition,
68/361/EEC (*), hereinafter          referred    to as the           each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its
'Committee'.                                                         position recorded in the minutes.
                                                                     The Commission shall take the utmost account of the
2.     Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be
                                                                     opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform the
used, the following rules shall apply.
                                                                     Committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken
The representative of the Commission shall submit to the             into account.
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The
Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a                                       Article 48
(!) OJ No L 255, 18. 10. 1968, p. 23.                                This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
              Proposal for a Council Regulation (EEC) laying down health rules for the production and placing on
                                                     the market of fresh meat
                                                        COM(89) 673 final
                                       (Submitted by the Commission on 5 February 1990)
                                                           (90/C 84/02)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                             Whereas the official veterinarians in a slaughterhouse should
                                                                     be in charge of controlling the welfare of slaughter
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                animals;
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43
thereof,                                                             Whereas, to achieve this purpose, it is necessary to extend in
                                                                     principle the rules laid down in Council Directive
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                   64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting
                                                                     intra-Community trade in fresh meat 0 ) , as last amended by
                                                                     Directive 88/657/EEC ( 2 ), to all production and placing on
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,             the market of fresh meat in the Community;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social              Whereas it is possible that, due to certain particular
Committee,                                                           circumstances, some establishments operating prior to 1
                                                                    January 1992 will not be able to comply with all the rules laid
Whereas fresh meat is included in the list of products in            down in this Regulation; whereas the question of whether
Annex II to the Treaty; whereas production of and trade in           limited and temporary derogations may be granted to such
fresh meat constitutes an important source of income for part        establishments within the general framework laid down in
of the farming population;                                           Council Decision . . . / . . ./EEC (on the granting of
                                                                     temporary and limited derogations from specific Community
                                                                     health rules on the production and marketing of products of
Whereas in order to ensure the rational development of this          animal origin) (3) should be resolved;
sector and to increase productivity, public health rules
affecting production and placing on the market must be laid
down at Community level;                                            Whereas it should be stressed that the granting of derogations
                                                                     from the health rules laid down in this Regulation is without
                                                                    prejudice to the submission of all operations of production
Whereas the Community must adopt the measures intended
                                                                     and placing on the market of fresh meat to the general health
to progressively establish the internal market over a period
                                                                     rules laid down by Council Regulation (EEC) No . . . / . . .
expiring on 31 December 1992;
                                                                     H OJ No 121, 29. 7. 1964, p.2012/64.
Whereas the laying down of such rules leads to protection of         (2) OJ No L 382, 31. 12. 1988, p. 3.
public health and completion of the internal market;                 (3) OJ No L . . .
 ---pagebreak--- 2 ^ 0                                          Official journal of the European Communities                                         l^oC^^
paying down general health rules applicable to the                         ^.  ^ o ^ ^ means fresh meat otherthan that ofthecarcase as
production and placing on the market of products of animal                     defined in ^ , e ^ e n if it remains naturally connected to
origin ai^d specific health rules applicable to certain products               the carcases
of animal origin^E^
                                                                           ^.  ^ c ^ r ^ means offal from the thoracic, abdominal and
whereas the Commission should be entrusted with the tasl^                      pelvic canities,            including      the    trachea     and
of adopting certain measures for implementing this                             oesophagus^
regulations whereas, to that end, procedures should be laid
down establishing close and effective cooperation between                  ^.   ^ o ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ r ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ m e a n s the veterinarian designated
the Commission and the member states within the standing                       by the competent central authority of the member
Veterinary Committee,                                                          ^tate^
                                                                           ^. ^ ^ ^ o ^ r r ^ ^ ^ o r g means the freight-carrying parts of
                                                                               motor vehicles, rail vehicles and aircraft and the holds
n^Ano^T^nrn^^oanL^Tto^                                                         of ships or containers for transport by land, sea or
                                                                               air^
                                                                           ^    ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ m e a n s an approved slaugtherhouse, an
                                                                               approved cutting plant or an approved cold stored
1       This regulation lays down health rules for the
production and placing on the market of fresh meat intended               10.   ^ ^ ^ ^ m e a n s the protection offresh meat by the
for human consumption from domestic animals of the                             use of an initial wrapping o^ initial container in direct
following species^ bovine ammals^mcludmg buffalo^,swine,                       contact withthe fresh meat concerned as well as the
sheep and goats, and domestic sohpeds.                                         initial wrapper or initial container itself^
2.     Thisl^egulation shallnot apply to t h e c u t t m g a n d          11.   ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ m e a n s the placing ofwrapped fresh meat in
storage offresh meat performed in detail shops or in premises                  a second container as well as the latter container
adjacent to sale points, where the cutting and storage are                     itself
performed solely for the purpose of supplying the final
                                                                          12.   ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ g m e a n s               slaughtering without
consumer directly
                                                                               ante-mortem health inspection
^3.    If necessary, the Commission shall adopt, in
accordance to the procedure referred to in A r t i c l e d ,
appropriate rules for a uniform application of
paragraphs
^.     This regulation shall apply without prejudice to                   1.    l^resh meat must meet the following conditions^
specific Community rules on minced meat.
                                                                          A. Carcases, half-carcases or half-carcases cut into no more
                                                                              than three wholesale cuts, and quarters must^
                               Ar^^2                                          ^     ha^e been obtained maslaughterhouse approved
                                                                                    and supervised in accordance with ArticlelO^
r^or the purposes of this regulations                                         ^     come from a slaughter animal inspected
  1. ^ ^ g means all parts of domestic bovine animals                               ante-mortem by an official veterinarian in
      ^includmgbuffalo^ swine, sheep, goats and solipeds                            accordance with C h a p t e r V o f A n n e ^ l a n d passed
      which are suitable for human consumptions                                     fit,asaresult of such inspection,for slaughter for
                                                                                    human consumption,
  2.  ^ r ^ ^ ^ r ^ means meat, including meat which is
      vacuum-wrapped or wrapped in a controlled                               ^     ha^e been treated under satisfactory hygiene
      atmosphere, which has not undergone any treatment                             conditions in accordance with Chapter VI of
      other than cold treatment to ensure preservations                             Anne^L
                                                                              ^     ha^e been inspected post-mortem by an official
  ^3. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ r ^ o ^ B ^ r ^ ^ ^ g m e a n s meat obtained by
                                                                                    veterinarian in accordance with ChapterVl of
      mechanical means from flesh-bearing bones apai^t from
                                                                                    Anne^land not ha^e shown any change except for
      the bonesofthe head,thee^tremitiesofthe limbs below
                                                                                    traumatic lesions which occurred shortly before
      the carpal and tarsal joints and, in the case of swine, the
                                                                                    slaughter orlocah^ed malformations orchanges,
      coccydeal^ertebrae, and intended for establishments
                                                                                    prodded that it is established, if necessary by
      approved in accordance with regulation ^ ^ C ^ ^ o
                                                                                    appropriate laboratory tests, that these do not
      . . g . . . g ^ m e a t products^,
                                                                                    render the carcase and offal unfit for human
  ^.  ^ ^ ^ ^ means the whole body ofaslaughtered animal                            consumption or dangerous to human healths
      after bleeding, evisceration aud removal of the hmbs at                 ^      bearahealthmarl^inaccordancewithChapterXof
      the carpus and tarsus, removal of the head, tail and the                      Anne^l^
      udder, and in addition, in the case of bourne animals,
      sheep, goats and solipeds, after flaying^                               ^     be stored in accordance with Chapter ^Hl of
                                                                                    Anneal after post-mortem inspection under
                                                                                    satisfactory hygiene conditions in establishments
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 84/10                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                           2. 4. 90
           approved in accordance with Article 10 and                 2.     Derogations may be granted, in accordance with the
           supervised in accordance with Chapter IX of                procedure laid down in Article 14, for fresh meat intended
           Annex I;                                                   for particular uses.
     (g) be transported under satisfactory hygiene                    3.     The official veterinarian may be helped by assistants
           conditions in accordance with Chapter XIII of              placed under his authority and responsibility but only in
           Annex I.                                                   respect of the carrying out of the following operations:
B. Cuts or pieces smaller than those referred to in Section A,        (a) official        veterinarian         performing    post-mortem
     or boned meat, must:                                                  inspection;
     (a) have been boned or cut in a cutting plant approved           (b) official veterinarian performing the health control of cut
           and supervised in accordance with Article 10;                    and stored meat;
     (b) have been boned or cut and obtained in accordance            (c) official veterinarian performing supervision in
           with Chapter VIII of Annex I and come from:                     compliance with requirements of Chapter XIII of
           — fresh meat coming from animals slaughtered in                 Annex I;
                the Community and complying with the                  (d) official veterinarian performing the inspection and
                requirements set out in section A, or                       supervision of approved establishments referred to in
           — fresh meat imported from third countries in                    Article 10 (2);
                accordance with Community             provisions
                relating to the importation of fresh meat from        4.     Only the persons who satisfy the requirements of
                third countries;                                      Annex II may be appointed as assistants following a test
                                                                      organized by the competent central authority of the Member
     (c) have been stored under conditions which comply               State or by the authority appointed by that central
           with Chapter XII of Annex I in establishments              authority.
           approved in accordance with Article 10 and
           supervised in accordance with Chapter IX of                5.     In order to provide the assistance referred to in
           Annex I;                                                   paragraph 3, the assistants form part of an inspection team
     (d) have been supervised by an official veterinarian in          under control of the official veterinarian. The competent
                                                                      authority of the Member State concerned shall establish, for
           accordance with Chapter IX of Annex I;
                                                                      each establishment, the composition of the inspection team,
     (e) meet the packaging requirements laid down in                 in order to assure that the official veterinarian can supervise
           Chapter XI of Annex I;                                     the operation of inspection.
     (f)   meet the requirements of Section A (c), (e) and
                                                                      6.     Detailed rules governing the assistance referred to in
           (g).                                                       paragraph 3 shall, in so far as necessary, be determined in
C. Offal must have come from an approved slaughterhouse               accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15.
      or an approved cutting plant. Entire offal must comply
      with the requirements of Section A or B. Sliced offal
                                                                                                        Article 4
      must comply with the requirements of Section B.
                                                                      In addition to the requirements laid down in Article 3, fresh
D. Fresh meat which has been stored in accordance with
                                                                      meat must meet the following conditions:
      this Regulation in a cold store approved by a Member
      State and which has not thereafter undergone any                 1. (a) fresh pigmeat and horsemeat — other than fresh
      handling, except in connection with storage, must meet                    pigmeat which has undergone cold treatment, in
      the requirements of Sections A (c), (e), (f), (g), B and C                accordance with Annexes to Council Directive
      or be fresh meat imported from third countries, in                        7 7 / 9 6 / E E C ( ' ) — must have undergone an
      accordance with Community regulations.                                    examination for trichinosis in accordance with
                                                                                point 41 (C) of Chapter VII of Annex 1 to this
E. Fresh meat produced in accordance with the present                           Regulation;
      regulation which has been stored in a cold store of a third
      country approved in accordance with Council Directive                (b) however, in accordance with the procedure referred
      72/462/EEC (') under customs control and which has                        to in Article 14, derogations from subparagraph (a)
      not thereafter undergone any handling, except in                          may be granted for parts of the Community if the
      connection with storage, must:                                            following conditions are fulfilled:
                                                                                — epidemiological studies prove that trichinosis is
      (a) meet the requirements of sections A, B, C;
                                                                                      not present,
      (b) meet the specific guarantees concerning checking                      — an effective method of screening and control in
            and certification of compliance with storage and                          live and slaughtered animals is enforced.
            transport requirements; the rules for the issuing of
            the certificate shall be adopted in accordance with        2. Without            prejudice         to    Council     Directive
            the procedure set out in Article 14;                           86/469/EEC (2), animals or their meat, must undergo
                                                                           an examination for residues where the official
      (c) be accompanied by a certificate which corresponds
           to a model to be drawn up under the procedure set           (') OJNo L26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 67.
           out in Article 15.                                          (2) OJ No L 275, 26. 9. 1986, p. 36.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                   Official Journal of the European Communities                                    N o C 84/11
    veterinarian suspects their presence on the basis of the                                         Article 6
    findings of the health inspection.
                                                                      Fresh meat from the following
    This examination shall be carried out to check for both
    residues of substances having a pharmacological action            (a) animals with moderate or small infestation                  by
     and of the conversion products thereof and other                         Cysticercus bovis or Cysticercus cellulosae;
    substances transmitted to meat which are likely to be             (b) animals which have been slaughtered under emergency
    dangerous to human health.                                                procedure and fulfil the conditions referred to at last
                                                                              indent point 42B (b) of Annex I;
    If the meat examined shows traces of residues in
     quantities which exceed the permitted tolerances, it must        (c) other categories of animals to be established according
    be declared unfit for human consumption.                                 to the procedure referred to in Article 14,
    These examinations for residues must be carried out in            after removal of affected parts may be declared fit for human
    accordance with proven methods which are scientifically           consumption after treatment under official supervision in
    recognized, in particular those laid down in Community            order to make it safe for human consumption.
    rules or other international standards.
    It must be possible to assess the examination for residues
    using reference methods laid down in accordance with                                             Article 7
    the procedure set out in Article 14.
                                                                      The following matter shall be decided in accordance with the
    In accordance with the procedure referred to in                   procedure referred to in Article 14:
    Article 15, at least one reference laboratory must be             (a) the details of the treatments referred to in Article 6;
    designated in each Member State to carry out the
    examination for residues.                                         (b) the conditions under which animals reacting to
                                                                              tuberculin test may be admitted for human
3. Acting on a proposal from the Commission the Council                       consumption.
    shall adopt the tolerances for the substances transmitted
    to meat which are likely to be dangerous to human
    health, other than those established in Council Directive                                        Article 8
    86/363/EECC)                and      Council       Directive
     . . . / . . ./EEC (2) (layingdown a Community procedure          1.        The following categories of fresh meat must undergo
    for the establishment of tolerances for residues of               one of the treatments laid down in Regulation (EEC) No
    veterinary medicinal products).                                   . . . / . . . (meat products):
                                                                      (a) mechanically recovered meat;
                               Article 5                              (b) meat stamped with the special mark laid down in
                                                                              Commission Decision 84/371/EEC (5).
Without prejudice to Council Directives 81/602/EEC (3)                (c) blood obtained under hygienic conditions.
and 88/146/EEC ( 4 ), fresh meat cannot be placed on the
market if                                                             2.        (a) The special mark under Decision 84/371/EEC
                                                                                     shall be stamped, in particular, on carcases of
(1) showing traces of residues in quantities which exceed                            uncastrated male pigs with a weight of more than
      the permitted tolerances;                                                      90 kilograms;
(2) treated with ionizing or ultraviolet radiations;                            (b) carcases of uncastrated male pigs with a weight
                                                                                     between 90 and 60 kilograms which have been
(3) marked with colourants other than those approved for                             tested in accordance with an objective method for
      the purpose of marking in accordance with the                                  detecting sexual odours and when the test is
      procedure set out in Article 14;                                               positive.
(4) originating from parts of the carcase or offal with               3.        The measures for implementing this Article shall be
      traumatic lesions which occurred shortly before                 adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in
      slaughter, malformations, contaminations or changes             Article 15.
      as referred to in Article 3 (1) (A) (d);
(5) originating from animals to which tenderizers have been
      administered;                                                                                  Article 9
(6) originating from animals found to have one of the faults          1.        Member States shall entrust to a central service or body
      listed in point 42 (A) of Annex I.                              the task of collection and using the results of the ante-mortem
                                                                      and post-mortem inspections carried out by the official
0) OJ No L 221, 7. 8. 1986, p. 43.                                    veterinarian, in cases of diagnosis of diseases transmissible to
(2) OJ No L . . .                                                     humans.
(3) O J N o L 2 2 2 , 1. 8. 1981, p. 32.
(4) OJ No L 70, 16. 3. 1988, p. 16.                                   (5) OJ No L 196, 26. 7. 1984, p. 46.
 ---pagebreak---  N o C 84/12                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                       2. 4. 90
 Where such a disease is diagnosed, the results of the specific      make on-the-spot checks; they may verify whether
 case shall be communicated as soon as possible to the               establishments are actually complying with this Regulation.
 competent veterinary authorities responsible for supervision         The Commission shall inform the Member States of the
 of the herd from which the animals originated.                      results of the investigation.
 2.    Member States shall submit to the Commission                  A Member State in whose territory a check is being carried
 information on certain diseases and particularly cases where        out shall give all the necessary assistance to the experts in
 diseases transmissible to humans have been diagnosed.               carrying out their duties.
 3.    The Commission shall, in accordance with the                  The general provisions for implementing this Article shall be
 procedure laid down in Article 15, adopt detailed rules for         determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in
 implementing this Article and in particular with regard to:         Article 15. In accordance with the same procedure, a code
                                                                     shall be established containing the rules to be followed for the
 — the regularity with which information            has to be        purpose of the checks provided for in this Article.
     submitted to the Commission,
 — the type of information,
                                                                                               Article 12
 — the diseases to which the collection of information should
     apply,                                                          The rules laid down in Council Regulation (EEC) No . . . (1)
                                                                     (concerning veterinary checks on intra-Community trade in
 — procedures for collecting and using information.                  view of completing the internal market) shall apply in
                                                                     particular with respect to the organization of and the action
                                                                     to be taken following the checks carried out by the country of
                           Article 10                                destination and the safeguard measures to be applied in
                                                                     relation to health problems affecting production and
 1.    Each Member State shall draw up a list of                     distribution of fresh meat in the territory of the
establishments approved by it. Each establishment shall have         Community.
a veterinary number. The Member States shall send this list
to the other Member States and to the Commission.
                                                                                               Article 13
A Member State shall not approve an establishment unless
compliance with this Regulation is assured. Member States            The Annexes shall be amended, in particular to adapt them
shall withdraw approval if the conditions for approval cease         to advances in science and technology, by the Commission in
to be fulfilled.                                                     accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14.
If a check has been made in accordance with Article 11, the
Member State concerned shall take account of the                                               Article 14
conclusions thereof. The other Member States and the
Commission shall be informed of the withdrawal of                    1.     The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing
approval.                                                           Veterinary Committee, set up by the Council Decision
                                                                     68/361/EEC ( 2 ), hereinafter        referred     to as 'the
2.     Inspection and supervision of establishments shall be        Committee'.
carried out under the responsibility of the official
veterinarian who may be assisted in purely practical tasks by       2.      Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be
staff specially trained for the purpose. The official               followed, the provisions set out below shall apply.
veterinarian must at all times have free access to all parts of
the establishments in order to ensure that this Regulation is       3.      The representative of the Commission shall submit to
being complied with.                                                the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The
                                                                    Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time
The detailed rules governing this assistance shall be               limit which the Chairman may lay down according to the
determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in            urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the
Article 15.                                                         majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty in the case
                                                                    of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a
3.     The production of the health mark and sealing material       proposal from the Commission. The votes of the
referred to in Chapter X of Annex I must be authorized by           representatives of the Member States within the Committee
the authorities of the Member State which supervise their           shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The
use.                                                                Chairman shall not vote.
                                                                    4.      The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if
                                                                    they are in accordance with the opinion of the
                          Article 11                                Committee.
Veterinary experts from the Commission may, in so far as is         0) OJ No L . . .
necessary to ensure uniform application of this Regulation,         (2) OJ No L 255, 18. 10. 1968, p. 23.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                   Official Journal of the European Communities                                            N o C 84/13
5.     If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with                information and the criteria referred to in Articles 2 and 3 of
the opinion of the Committee, or if no opinion is delivered,               Council Decision . . . / . . ./EEC (on the granting of
the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a               derogations from specific Community health rules on the
proposal relating to the measure to be taken. The Council                  production and marketing of products of animal origin).
shall act by a qualified majority.
                                                                           3.     When granting the derogations referred to in
If, on the expiry of a period of three months from the date of             paragraph 1, the Commission shall establish, in accordance
referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the                    with the procedure referred to in Article 14, the general and
proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission.                      particular conditions applicable to the enforcement of each
                                                                           derogation.
                           Article IS
                                                                                                        Article 17
Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be used,               The Commission may, in accordance with the procedure
the following rules shall apply.
                                                                           referred to in Article 15, issue recommendations containing
                                                                           guidelines concerning good manufacturing practices
The representative of the Commission shall submit to the                   applicable to different stages of production and placing on
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The                         the market.
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.
                                                                                                        Article 18
The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition,
                                                                           1.     Directive 64/433/EEC is hereby repealed with effect
each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its
                                                                           from 1 January 1993.
position recorded in the minutes.
                                                                           2.     However, implementing measures adopted under
The Commission shall take the utmost account of the                        Directive 64/433/EEC are valid in respect of the present
opinion delivered by the Committee. It shall inform the                    Regulation.
Committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken
into account.
                                                                                                        Article 19
                           Article 16                                      This Regulation shall enter into force 30 days after its
                                                                           publication in the Official Journal of the European
1.     According to the procedure referred to in Article 14                Communities.
derogations from the rules referred to in points 1 to 16 of
Annex I may be granted in favour of establishments which                   It shall apply with effect from 1 January 1993.
have small production.
2.     When examining the derogations referred to in                       This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly
paragraph 1, the Commission shall take into account the                    applicable in all Member States.
                                                                 ANNEX I
                              GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR THE APPROVAL OF ESTABLISHMENTS
               Establishments must have at least:
                1. in rooms where fresh meat is produced, worked on or stored:
                    (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. However, these establishments must have:
                        — in the case of rooms referred to in paragraph 13 (d) and (f) of Chapter 1, paragraph 14 (a) of
                            Chapter II and paragraph 15 (a) of Chapter III, waterproof flooring which is easy to clean and
 ---pagebreak--- No C 84/14                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                            2. 4. 90
                        disinfect, rotproof and laid in such a way as to facilitate the draining of water or, in the case of
                        premises referred to in paragraph 15 (a), fitted with a device with which water may easily be
                        removed,
                   — in the case of rooms referred to in paragraph 16 (a) of Chapter III, waterproof and rotproof
                        flooring;
              (b) smooth, durable, impermeable walls, with a light-coloured, washable coating up to a height of at least
                   two metres, and of at least three metres in slaughter-rooms; in chilling or refrigeration rooms and in
                    stores the walls must be coated at least to storage height. Wall to floor junctions must be rounded or
                    similarly finished except in the rooms referred to in Chapter HI, paragraph 16 (a).
                    However, the use of wooden walls in the rooms referred to in paragraph 16 of Chapter III does not
                    constitute grounds for withdrawing approval provided they were built before 1 January 1983;
              (c) doors in hard-wearing, non-corrodible material 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;
              (f)   adequate natural or artifical lighting which does not distort colours;
              (g) a clean and easily cleaned ceiling; failing that, a roof covering with an interior surface which fulfils these
                   conditions;
           2. (a) as near as possible to the work stations, a sufficient number of facilities for cleaning and disinfecting
                   hands and for cleaning tools with hot water. Taps must not be hand operable. For washing hands, these
                   facilities must have hot and cold running water or water premixed to a suitable temperature, cleaning
                   and disinfecting products and hygienic means of drying hands;
              (b) facilities for disinfecting tools, with hot water supplied at not less than 82 °C;
           3. appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as insects, rodents, etc.;
           4. (a) instruments and working equipment such as cutting tables, tables with detachable cutting surfaces,
                   containers, conveyor belts and saws, made of corrosion-resistant material, not liable to taint meat and
                   easy to clean and disinfect. The use of wood is forbidden except in rooms where the only fresh meat
                   stored is hygienically packaged fresh meat;
              (b) corrosion-resistant fittings and equipment meeting hygiene requirements for:
                   — meat handling,
                   — storing meat containers, in such a way that neither the meat nor the containers come into direct
                        contact with the floor or walls;
              (c) facilities for the hygienic handling and protecting of meat during loading and unloading;
              (d) special watertight non-corrodible containers, with lids and fasteners to prevent unauthorized persons
                    from removing things from them, for keeping meat not intended for human consumption, or a lockable
                   room for such meat and offal if the quantities are large enough to necessitate this or if the meat and offal
                    is not removed or destroyed at the end of each working day; where such meat is removed through
                    conduits, these should be so constructed and installed so as to avoid any risk of contamination of the
                    fresh meat;
           5. refrigeration equipment to keep the internal temperature of the meat at the levels required by this Regulation.
              This equipment must include a system for draining off water of condensation without any possibility of
              contamination of the meat;
           6. a pressurized supply of potable water within the meaning of Directive 80/778/EEC only; however, a
              non-potable water supply is authorized in exceptional cases for steam production, 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 contamination of fresh meat. Non-potable water pipes must
              be clearly distinguished from those used for potable water;
           7. an adequate supply of hot potable water within the meaning of Directive 80/778/EEC;
           8. a waste disposal system which meets hygiene requirements;
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                             N o C 84/15
          9. an adequately equipped lockable room for the exclusive use of the veterinary service; or, in the case of stores
             referred to in paragraph 16 of Chapter III, suitable facilities;
         10. facilities enabling the veterinary inspections provided for in this Regulation to be carried out efficiently at any
             time;
         11. an adequate number of changing rooms with smooth, waterproof, washable walls and floors, wash basins,
             showers and flush lavatories. The latter must not open directly onto 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-operable 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 compulsory if provisions exist requiring that means of transport be cleaned and disinfected at
             officially authorized facilities.
                                                               CHAPTER I
                                        Special conditions for the approval of slaughterhouses
         13. Beyond the general requirements slaughterhouses must have at least:
             (a) adequate lairage or, climate permitting, waiting pens for the animals; walls and floors must be durable,
                   impermeable and easy to clean and disinfect; these facilities must be equipped for watering the animals,
                   and for feeding them if necessary, and have a suitable drainage system for draining off liquids towards
                   drams fitted with traps and gratings;
             (b) slaughter premises large enough for work to be carried out satisfactorily; in a slaughter premises where
                   both pigs and other animal species are slaughtered, a special place must be provided for slaughtering
                   pigs; however, such a special place is not essential if the slaughter of pigs and that of other animals take
                   place at different times; but in such cases scalding, depilation, scraping and singeing must be carried out
                   in special places which are clearly separated from the slaughter line either by an open space of at least five
                   metres or by a partition at least three metres high;
             (c) separate rooms sufficiently large and exclusively reserved for:
                  — emptying and cleaning stomachs and intestines;
                       separate rooms will not, however, be necessary if these operations are not performed in the
                       slaughterhouse or if those operations involving stomachs are carried out by means of closed-circuit
                       mechanical equipment having an appropriate system of ventilation and satisfying the following
                       requirements:
                         (i) the equipment must be installed and arranged in such a manner that operations for separating
                             intestines from the stomach and for the emptying and cleaning of stomachs are carried out
                             hygienically. It must be located in a special place which is clearly separated from any exposed
                             fresh meat by a partition stretching from the floor to a height of at least three metres and
                             surrounding the area where these operations are carried out;
                        (ii) the design and operation of the machine must effectively prevent any contamination of the fresh
                             meat;
                       (iii) an air extractor must be installed and must function in such a fashion as to eliminate odours and
                             any risk of aerosol contamination;
                       (iv) the machine must be equipped with a device permitting closed-circuit evacuation of the residual
                             water and the content of stomachs to the drainage system;
                        (v) the circuit followed by stomachs to and from the machine must be both clearly separated and at a
                             distance from the circuit followed by other fresh meat. Immediately after they have been emptied
                             and cleaned, the stomachs must be removed in a hygienic manner;
                       (vi) stomach must not be handled by staff handling other fresh meat. Staff handling stomachs must
                             not have access to other fresh meat,
                  — dressing guts and tripe if this is carried out in the slaughterhouse. However those operations can be
                       performed in the same room referred to in the first indent provided those operations are performed in
                       a way avoiding cross-contamination,
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 84/16                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                             2. 4. 90
                     — preparing and cleaning offal other than that mentioned in the preceding indents, including a separate
                         place for storing heads at a sufficient distance from other offal, if these operations are carried out in
                         the slaughterhouse and do not take place on the slaughterline,
                     — the storage of hides, horns, hooves and pig's bristles in the event of these not being removed from the
                         slaughterhouse as soon as possible;
                (d) a separate place for packaging offal if this is done in the slaughterhouse;
                (e) lockable premises or, climate permitting, pens for sick or suspect animals; lockable premises reserved for
                     the slaughter of such animals, the storage of detained meat and the storage of seized meat. Premises
                     reserved for the slaughter of these animals are not essential in an establishment not authorized by the
                     competent authority for slaughter of these animals or where such slaughter is performed at the end of the
                     daily slaughter, and that steps are taken to prevent contamination of normal meat. In this case the
                     premises must be specially cleaned and disinfected under official supervision before being used again for
                     slaughtering of normal animals;
                (f)  sufficiently large chilling or refrigerating rooms equipped with corrosion-resistant fittings designed to
                     prevent the fresh meat coming into contact with the floor or the walls when it is being moved or
                     held;
                (g) means of controlling access to and exit from the slaughterhouse;
                (h) a clear separation between the soiled and clean parts of the building so as to protect the latter from
                     contamination;
                (i)  equipment such that, after stunning, dressing can be carried out as far as possible on the suspended
                     animal; under no circumstances may the suspended animal come into contact with the floor during
                     dressing;
                (j)  an overhead system of rails for the further handling of meat;
                (k) if dung is stored in the slaughterhouse precincts, a special section for such dung;
                (1)  a room suitably equipped for carrying out an examination for trichinella where such test is carried out in
                     the establishment.
                                                                CHAPTER II
                                          Special conditions for the approval of cutting plants
            14. Beyond the general requirements, cutting plants must have at least:
                (a) chilling or refrigerating rooms large enough for meat preservation, and, where packaged meat is stored
                     in the establishment, a separate such room for packaged meat;
                (b) a room for cutting and boning and wrapping equipped with a recording thermometer or recording
                     telethermometer;
                (c) a room for packaging if those operations are performed in the establishment and unless the conditions
                     provided for in paragraph 62 of Chapter XI are fulfilled where such operations are carried out in the
                     cutting plant;
                (d) a room for the storage of packaging and wrapping materials where such operations are carried out in the
                     cutting plant.
                                                                CHAPTER HI
                                                Special conditions for the approval of stores
            15. In addition to the general requirements, stores in which fresh meat is stored in accordance with paragraph 64
                 of Chapter XII must have at least:
                 (a) sufficiently large chilling and refrigeration rooms, which are easy to clean and in which fresh meat can be
                     stored at the temperatures provided for under paragraph 64;
                (b) a recording thermometer or recording telethermometer in each storage area.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                           No C 84/17
         16. In addition to the general requirements, stores in which fresh meat is stored in accordance with paragraph 64
              of Chapter XII must have at least:
              (a) sufficiently large rooms, which are easy to clean and in which fresh meat can be stored at the
                   temperatures provided for in paragraph 64;
              (b) a recording thermometer or recording telethermometer in each storage area.
                                                             CHAPTER IV
                                 Hygiene of the staff, premises and equipment in the establishments
         17. Absolute cleanliness shall be required of staff, premises and equipment:
              (a) staff must in particular wear clean working clothes and headgear and, where necessary, a neck shield.
                   Staff engaged in slaughtering animals or working on or handling meat must wash and disinfect their
                   hands several times during the working day and each time work is resumed. Persons who have been in
                   contact with sick animals or infected meat must immediately afterwards carefully wash their hands and
                   arms with hot water and then disinfect them. Smoking is forbidden in work rooms and store
                   rooms;
              (b) no animal may enter the establishments except, in the case of slaughterhouses, animals for slaughter, and
                   with reference to the precincts of these slaughterhouses, animals necessary for their operation. Rodents,
                   insects and other vermin must be systematically destroyed;
              (c) equipment and instruments used for working on meat 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.
         18. Premises, instruments and working equipment must not be used for purposes other than working on fresh
              meat or game meat in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No . . . / . . . (affecting game meat and rabbit
              meat)( 1 ). This requirement shall not apply to transport equipment used in the rooms referred to in
              paragraph 16 (a) of Chapter III when the meat is packaged. Meat cutting instruments must be used solely for
              cutting meat.
              (a) The operator or proprietor of the establishment or his representative must conduct a regular check on the
                   general hygiene of conditions of production in his establishment, including by microbiological controls
                   in accordance with the fourth subparagraph.
                   These controls should cover utensils, fittings and machinery at all stages of production and, if necessary,
                   products.
                   He must be in a position, upon request from the official service, to inform the official veterinarian or the
                   Commission's veterinary experts of the nature, frequency and results of the controls conducted to this
                   end, together with the name of the investigating laboratory if need be.
                   The nature of these controls, their frequency, as well as the sampling methods and the methods for
                   bacteriological examination will be determined in accordance with the procedure referred to in
                   Article 14.
              (b) The official veterinarian will regularly analyze the results of the controls provided for in (a). He may, on
                    the basis of this analysis, conduct further microbiological examinations at all stages of production or on
                    the products.
                    The results of these analyses will be written up in a report, the conclusions and recommendations of
                    which will be notified to the operator, who will rectify the shortcomings noted with a view to improving
                    hygiene.
         19. Meat and meat containers must not come into direct contact with the floor.
         20. Potable water must be used for all purposes; however, non-potable water may be used in exceptional cases for
              steam production provided that the pipes installed for this purpose preclude the use of this water for other
              purposes and present no danger of contamination of fresh meat. In addition, non-potable water may be used
              in exceptional cases for cooling refrigeration equipment. Non-potable water pipes must be clearly
              distinguished from pipes used for potable water.
         21. The spreading of sawdust or any other similar substance on the floor of the workrooms and fresh meat
              storage rooms is prohibited.
         22. Detergents, disinfectants and similar substances must be used in such a way that instruments, working
              equipment and fresh meat are not adversely affected. Their use must be followed by thorough rinsing of such
              instruments and working equipment with potable water.
         (') OJNoL . . .
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 84/18                                    Official Journal of the European Communities                                         2. 4. 90
            23. Persons likely to contaminate meat are prohibited from working on it and handling it.
            24. Any person employed to work with or handle fresh meat shall be required to show, by a medical certificate,
                  that there is no impediment to such employment. The medical certificate shall.be renewed every year unless
                  another staff medical check-up scheme offering equivalent guarantees is recognized in accordance with the
                  procedure laid down in Article 14.
                                                                   CHAPTER V
                                                         'Ante-mortem' health inspection
            25. Animals must undergo ante-mortem inspection on the day of their arrival at the slaughterhouse or before the
                  beginning of daily slaughtering. The inspection must be repeated immediately before slaughter if the animal
                  has been in the lairage overnight.
                  The operator of the slaughterhouse or his agent must facilitate operations for performing ante-mortem health
                  inspections and in particular any handling which is considered necessary.
                  Each animal presented for slaughter shall bear an identifying mark, in accordance with Commission Decision
                  89/153/EEC ( 1 ), allowing the competent authority to determine its origin.
            26. (a) The official veterinarian must make the ante-mortem inspection in accordance with professional rules
                        and under suitable lighting;
                  (b) The official veterinarian shall, in respect of animals delivered to the slaughterhouse, check on
                         compliance with Community rules on animal welfare.
            27. The inspection must determine:
                  (a) whether the animals are suffering from dangerous disease which is communicable to humans and
                         animals in particular the diseases referred to in point 42 (A) (a) or whether they show symptoms or are in
                         a general condition such as to indicate that such a disease may occur;
                  (b) whether they show symptoms of disease or of a disorder of their general condition which is likely to make
                         their meat unfit for human consumption; attention must also be paid to any signs that the animals have
                         had substances with pharmacological effects administered to them or have consumed any other
                         substances which may make their meat harmful to human health;
                  (c) whether they are tired, agitated or injured.
            28. (a) Tired or agitated animals must be rested for a period of at least 24 hours unless the official veterinarian
                         decides otherwise.
                  (b) Animals in which has been diagnosed one of the diseases referred to in paragraph 27 (a) and (b) must not
                         be slaughtered for human consumption. Where their immediate killing is necessary on grounds of animal
                         welfare, they must be killed separately of all other animals intended to be slaughtered for human
                         consumption and their meat must be disposed of in a hygienic way.
                  (c) Animals suspected of suffering from one of the diseases referred to in paragraph 27 (a) and (b) must be
                        withdrawn from slaughter and undergo detailed examination in order to make a diagnosis.
                        Where the post-mortem inspection is necessary in order to make a diagnosis, the official veterinarian
                        request that those animals are slaughtered separately or at the end of the slaughter day.
                        Where their immediate slaughtering is necessary on grounds of animal welfare they must be slaughtered
                        separately.
                        Those animals undergo detailed-post mortem inspection and if necessary the adequate laboratory
                        tests.
                  (d) Animals may undergo an emergency slaughter, without ante-mortem health inspection if they have
                        recently suffered accident or injury.
                        All parts from these animals must be kept separate from fresh meat until post-mortem health inspection
                        has taken place.
                  (e) Animals with positive reaction to a tuberculin test or a brucellosis test are slaughtered separately.
                        Animals with a positive reaction to a tuberculin test undergo a detailed inspection of all the lymph
                        nodes.
            (>) O J N o L 5 9 , 2. 3. 1989, p. 33.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                  Official Journal of the European Communities                                             N o C 84/19
                                                                CHAPTER VI
                                                        Slaughter and cutting hygiene
          29. Slaughter animals brought into slaughter premises must be slaughtered immediately and bleeding, flaying or
                removing the bristles, dressing and evisceration must be carried out in a way which avoids any contamination
                of the meat.
          30.   Bleeding must be complete, blood intended for human consumption must be collected in absolutely clean
                containers. It must not be stirred by hand, only with instruments which meet hygiene requirements.
          31.   Immediate and complete flaying is compulsory, except for pigs, without prejudice to the derogation provided
                for in point 40 D (a), second sentence. When not flayed, pigs must have their bristles removed immediately,
                debristling agents may be used for this operation, provided that the pigs are thoroughly rinsed afterwards
                with potable water.
                However, skinning of heads of calves and ovines is not necessary provided that those heads are handled in
                such a way as to avoid any contamination of fresh meat.
          32. Evisceration must be carried out immediately and completed not later than 45 minutes after stunning or, in
                the case of ritual slaughter, half an hour after bleeding. The lungs, heart, liver,, kidney, spleen and
               mediastinum may either be detached or left attached to the carcase by their natural connection. If detached,
                they must be numbered or identified in some way to enable them to be recognized as belonging to a given
               carcase; this also applies to the head, tongue, digestive tract and any other part of the animal required for
               inspection or possibily required for the execution of checks laid down in Directive 86/469/EEC (')• The
               above-mentioned parts must remain near the carcase until the inspection is complete. However, provided it
               shows no pathological symptom or lesion, the penis may be discarded immediately. For all species the kidneys
               must be removed from their fatty covering; in the case of bovino animals and swine and solipeds the peri-renal
               capsule must also be removed.
         33.   Implements must not be left in the meat; cleansing of meat by wiping with a cloth or other materials, and
               inflation, are prohibited. However, inflation of an organ may be authorized for ritual purposes.
          34. Carcases may be submitted for inspection split lengthwise into half carcases down the spinal column. If the
               inspection so necessitates, the official veterinarian may require any head or any carcase to be split
               lengthwise.
         3 5. Carcases must not be cut up, nor any part of a slaughtered animal be removed or treated before the inspection
               has been completed.
         36. Detained or seized meat, stomachs, intestines and inedible by-products must be placed as soon as possible in
               special facilities.
         37. If the blood or the offal of several animals is collected in the same container before the completion of the
               post-mortem inspection, the entire contents must be declared unfit for human consumption if the carcase of
               one of the animals concerned has been declared unfit for human consumption.
                                                               CHAPTER VII
                                                      'Post-mortem' health inspection
         38. All parts of the animal, including the blood, must be inspected immediately after slaughter to ensure that the
               meat is fit for human consumption.
         39. The post-mortem inspection must include:
               (a) visual inspection of the slaughtered animal and the organs belonging to it;
               (b) palpation of the organs referred to in point 40 and, if the official veterinarian deems it to be necessary, of
                     the uterus;
               (c) incision of certain organs and lymph nodes and, depending on the conclusions reached by the official
                     veterinarian, the uterus. If visual inspection or palpation of certain organs indicate the animal has lesions
                     which can contaminate the carcases, equipment, staff or work premises, these organs must not be incised
                     in the slaughter room or in any part of the establishment where fresh meat might be contaminated;
         (') OJ No L 275, 26. 9. 1986, p. 36.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 84/20                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                              2. 4. 90
               (d) investigation of anomalies in consistency, colour, smell and, where appropriate, taste;
               (e) where necessary, laboratory tests in particular for the substances referred to'in Article 4 (2).
           40. The official veterinarian must proceed in particular in the following way:
               A. Bovine animals over six weeks old:
                   (a) visual inspection of the head and the throat; the submaxillary, retro-pharyngeal and parotid lymph
                        nodes (Lnn, retropharyngiales, mandibulares, and parotidei) must be incised and examined. The
                        external masseters, in which two incisions must be made parallel to the mandible, and the internal
                        masseters (internal pterygoid muscles), which must be incised along one plane, must be
                        examined;
                        The tongue, having been freed to permit a detailed visual inspection of the mouth and the fauces,
                        must be visually inspected and palpated. The tonsils must be removed;
                   (b) inspection of the trachea; visual examination and palpation of the lungs and the oesophagus; the
                        bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes (Lnn. bifurcationes, eparteriales and mediastinales) must be
                        incised and examined. The trachea and the main branches of the bronchi must be opened lengthwise
                        and the lungs must be incised in their posterior third, perpendicular to their main axes; these incisions
                        are not necessary where the lungs are excluded from human consumption;
                   (c) visual inspection of the pericardium and the heart, the latter being incised lengthwise so as to open
                        the ventricles and to cut through the interventricular septum;
                   (d) visual inspection of the diaphragm;
                   (e) visual inspection and palpation of the liver and the hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes (Lnn.
                        portales); incision of the gastric surface of the liver and at the base of the caudate lobe to examine the
                        bile ducts; inspection and palpation of the pancreatic lymph nodes;
                   (f)  visual inspection of the gastro-intestinal tract, the mesentery, the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes
                        (Lnn. gastrici, mesenterici, craniales and caudales) palpation of the gastric and mesenteric lymph
                        nodes, and, if necessary, incision of those lymph nodes;
                   (g) visual inspection and, if necessary, palpation of the spleen;
                   (h) visual inspection of the kidneys and incision, if necessary, of the kidneys and the renal lymph nodes
                        (Lnn. renales);
                   (i)  visual inspection of the pleura and the peritoneum;
                   (j)  visual inspection of the genital organs;
                   (k) visual inspection and, if necessary, palpation and incision of the udder and its lymph nodes (Lnn.
                        supramammarii). In cows, each half of the udder must be opened by a long, deep incision as far as the
                        lactiferous sinuses (sinus galactopores) and the lymph nodes of the udder must be inclused, except
                        when the udder is excluded from human consumption.
               B. Bovine animals under six weeks old:
                   (a) visual inspection of the head and the throat. The retro pharyngeal lymph nodes (Lnn.
                        retropharyngiales) must be incised and examined. The mouth and the fauces must be inspected and
                        the tongue must be palpated. The tonsils must be removed;
                   (b) visual inspection of the lungs, the trachea and the oesophagus; palpation of the lungs; the bronchial
                         and mediastinal lymph nodes (Lnn. bifurcationes, eparteriales and mediastinales) must be incised
                         and examined.
                   The trachea and the main branches of the bronchi must be opened lengthwise and the lungs must be
                   incised in their posterior third, perpendicular to their main axes; these incisions are not necessary where
                   the lungs are excluded from human consumption;
                   (c) visual inspection of the pericardium and the heart, the latter being incised lengthwise so as to open
                         the ventricles and to cut through the interventricular septum;
                   (d) visual inspection of the diaphragm;
                   (e) visual inspection of the liver and the hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes (Lnn. portales); palpation
                         and, if necessary, incision of the liver and its lymph nodes;
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                         Official Journal of the European Communities                                           No C 84/21
            (f) visual inspection of the gastro-intestinal tract, the mesentery, the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes
                (Lnn. gastrici, mesenterici, craniales and caudales) palpation of the gastric and mesenteric lymph
                nodes, and, if necessary, incision of those lymph nodes;
            (g) visual inspection and, if necessary, palpation of the spleen;
            (h) visual inspection of the kidneys; incision, if necessary, of the kidneys and the renal lymph nodes
                (Lnn. renales);
            (i) visual inspection of the pleura and the peritoneum;
            (j) visual inspection and palpation of the umbilical region and the joints; in case of doubt, the umbilical
                region must be incised and the joints opened. The synovial fluid must be examined.
         C. Swine
            (a) visual inspection of the head and the throat. The submaxillary (Lnn. mandibulares) lymph nodes
                must be examined and incised. The mouth, the fauces and the tongue must be visually inspected. The
                tonsils must be removed;
            (b) visual inspection of the lungs, trachea and oesophagus; palpation of the lungs and of the bronchial
                and mediastinal lymph nodes (Lnn. bifurcationes, eparteriales and mediastinales). The trachea and
                the main branches of the bronchi must be opened lengthwise and the lungs must be incised in their
                posterior third, perpendicular to their main axes; these incisions are not necessary where the lungs
                are excluded from human consumption;
            (c) visual inspection of the pericardium and the heart, the latter being incised lengthwise so as to open
                the ventricles and to cut through the interventricular septum;
            (d) visual inspection of the diaphragm;
            (e) visual inspection of the liver and the hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes (Lnn. portales); palpation
                of the liver and its lymph nodes;
            (f) visual inspection of the gastro-intestinal tract, the mesentery, the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes
                (Lnn. gastrici, mesenterici, craniales and caudales); palpation of the gastric and mesenteric lymph
                nodes, and, if necessary, incision of those lymph nodes;
            (g) visual inspection and palpation of the spleen;
            (h) visual inspection of the kidneys; incision, if necessary, of the kidneys and the renal lymph nodes
                (Lnn. renales);
            (i) visual inspection of the pleura and the peritoneum;
            (j) visual inspection of the genital organs;
            (k) visual inspection of the udder and its lymph nodes (Lnn. supramammarii), incision of the
                supramammary lymph nodes in sows;
            (1) visual inspection and palpation of the umbilical region and joints of young animals; in the case of
                doubt, the umbilical region must be incised and the joints opened.
         D. Sheep and goats;
            (a) visual inspection of the head and, in case of doubt, examination of the throat, the mouth, the tongue
                and the retro-pharyngeal and parotid lymph nodes. Without prejudice to animal health conditions,
                these examinations are not necessary if the competent authority is able to guarantee that the head —
                including the tongue and the brains — is excluded from human consumption;
            (b) visual inspection of the lungs, trachea and oesophagus; palpation of the lungs and of the bronchial
                and mediastinal lymph nodes (Lnn. bifurcationes, eparteriales and mediastinales); in case of doubt,
                these organs and lymph nodes must be incised and examined;
            (c) visual inspection of the pericardium and the heart; in case of doubt the heart must be incised and
                examined;
            (d) visual inspection of the diaphragm;
            (e) visual inspection of the liver and the hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes (Lnn. portales); palpation
                of the liver and its lymph nodes; incision of the gastric surface of the liver to examine the bile
                ducts;
            (f) visual inspection of the gastro-intestinal tract, the mesentery, the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes
                (Lnn. gastrici, mesenterici, craniales and caudales);
            (g) visual inspection and palpation of the spleen;
 ---pagebreak--- No C 84/22                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                             2. 4. 90
                   (h) visual inspection of the kidneys; incision, if necessary, of the kidneys and the renal lymph nodes
                        (Lnn. renales);
                   (i)  visual inspection of the pleura and the peritoneum;
                   (j)  visual inspection of the genital organs;
                   (k) visual inspection of the udder and its lymph nodes;
                   (1)  visual inspection and palpation of the umbilical region and joints of young animals; in the case of
                        doubt, the umbilical region must be incised and the joints opened.
               E. Domestic solipeds;
                   (a) visual inspection of the head and after freeing the tongue, the throat; the submaxillary
                        retro-pharyngeal and parotid lymph nodes (Lnn. retro-pharyngiales, mandibulares and parotidei)
                        must be palpated and, if necessary, incised. The tongue, having been freed to permit a detailed
                        inspection of the mouth and the fauces, must be visually examined and palpated. The tonsils must be
                        inspected;
                   (b) visual inspection of the lungs, trachea and oesophagus; palpation of the lungs and of the bronchial
                        and mediastinal lymph nodes (Lnn. bifurcationes, eparteriales and mediastinales) must be palpated
                        and, if necessary, incised. The trachea and the main branches of the bronchi must be opened
                        lengthwise and the lungs incised in their posterior third, perpendicular to their main axes; however,
                        these incisions are not necessary where the lungs are excluded from human consumption;
                   (c) visual inspection of the pericardium and the heart, the latter being incised lengthwise so as to open the
                        ventricles and to cut through the interventricular septum;
                   (d) visual inspection of the diaphragm;
                   (e) visual inspection of the liver and the hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes (Lnn. portales); palpation
                        of the liver and its lymph nodes; if necessary, incision of the liver and the hepatic and pancreatic
                        lymph nodes;
                   (f)  visual inspection of the gastro-intestinal tract, the mesentery, the gastric and mesenteric lymph nodes
                        (Lnn. gastrici, mesenterici, craniales and caudales); incision, if necessary, of the gastric and
                        mesenteric lymph nodes;
                   (g) visual inspection and palpation of the spleen;
                   (h) visual inspection of the kidneys, palpation of the kidneys and incision, if necessary, of the kidneys
                        and the renal lymph nodes (Lnn. renales);
                   (i)  visual inspection of the pleura and the peritoneum;
                   (j)  visual inspection of the genital organs of stallions and mares;
                   (k) visual inspection of the udder and its lymph nodes (Lnn. supramammarii) and, if necessary, incision
                        of the supramammary lymph nodes;
                   (1) visual inspection and palpation of the umbilical region and joints of young animals; in the case of
                        doubt, the umbilical region must be incised and the joints opened.
                   (m) all grey or white horses must be inspected for melanonis and melanomata as regards the muscles and
                        lymph nodes (Lnn. lymphonodi subrhomboidei) of the shoulders beneath the scapular cartilage by
                        loosening the attachment of one shoulder. The kidneys must be exposed and examined by incision
                        through the entire kidney.
               F. In case of doubt, the official veterinarian may perform the further cuts and inspections of the relevant
                   parts of the animals necessary in order to reach a final decision.
               G. Where incision of the above lymph nodes is obligatory, they must be systematically subjected to multiple
                   incisions and a visual inspection.
           41. In addition, the official veterinarian must systematically carry out:
               A. An investigation for cystercosis in swine: this investigation must include examination of the directly
                   visible muscular surfaces, in particular the thigh muscles, the pillars of the diaphragm, the intercostal
                   muscles, the heart, the tongue and the larynx and, if necessary, the abdominal wall and the psoas muscles
                   freed from fatty tissue.
               B. An investigation for glanders in solipeds by means of careful examination of mucous membranes from the
                   trachea, larynx, nasal cavities, sinuses and their ramifications, after splitting the head in the median plane
                   and excision of the nasal septum.
                   However, this examination may be replaced by alternative examinations or guarantees laid down in
                   accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 14.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                           No C 84/23
             C. Fresh meat from swine and horses which contains skeletal muscles (striated muscles) must undergo an
                investigation for trichinosis under the supervision and the responsibility of the official veterinarian.
                This investigation must be carried out in accordance with proven methods which are scientifically
                recognized, in particular methods which are defined in Community Directives or in other international
                standards.
                The results must be assessed using a reference method fixed in accordance with the procedure laid down in
                Article 14 and after the Scientific Veterinary Committee has delivered its opinion; the reliability of the
                method must be at least as great as that of the trichinoscopy provided for in paragraph 1 of Annex 1 to
                Directive 77/96/EEC.
                The Commission must publish the reference method in the Official Journal of the                  European
                Communities.
             D. The results of the ante-mortem and post-mortem health inspections shall be recorded by the official
                veterinarian and, where diseases transmissible to humans as referred to in Article 9 are diagnosed,
                communicated to the competent veterinary authorities responsible for supervision of the herd from which
                the animals originated, as well as to the person responsible for the herd in question.
         42. A. The official veterinarian, according to professional rules, should declare unfit for human consumption
                fresh meat originating from animals:
                (a) affected by diseases in acute form transmissible to man and animals and in particular:
                      (i) — anthrax
                          — blackleg
                           — glander
                          — salmonellosis
                          — tuberculosis
                          — tetanus
                          — rabies
                           — listeriosis
                     (ii) conditions with generalized systemic infection of the slaughtered animal;
                (b) affected by malignant or multiple tumors or multiple abscesses;
                (c) affected by extensive or parasitic infestation in the subcutaneous or muscular tissues; in particular if
                     they have been found positive to the investigation for trichinosis referred to in paragraph 41
                     (D);
                (d) found positive for presence of residues of forbidden substances or in excess of admitted levels;
                (e)  poisoned;
                (f)  with extensive injuries or extensive bleeding or serous imbitition;
                (g) with distinct anomalies as regards colour, smell and taste;
                (h) with anomalies as regards consistency, particularly oedema or severe emaciation;
                (i)  slaughtered too young.
             B. (a) Animals referred to in paragraph 28 (c), (d) and (e) undergo:
                     — detailed inspection, in particular by means of examination of the main lymph nodes of carcase
                          and offal,
                     — appropriate bacteriological examination and research of residues of substances with
                          pharmacological action likely to be given in the pathological condition observed;
                 (b) when the results of the particular examinations referred to in point (a) are favourable:
                     — the animals referred to in point 28 (c) are declared fit for human consumption,
                     — the animals referred to in point 28 (d) are declared conditionally fit for human consumption after
                          removal of affected parts.
             C. Implementation measures of Chapter VII will be decided in accordance with the procedure referred to in
                Article 14.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 84/24                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                               2. 4. 90
                                                             CHAPTER VIII
                                             Requirements for meat intended for cutting
           43. Cutting pieces smaller than those referred to in Article 3 (1) (A), de-boning or the slicing of offal is authorized
               in approved cutting plants only.
           44. The operator of the plant or his agent must facilitate operations for supervising the plant, in particular any
               handling which is considered necessary, and must place the necessary facilities at the disposal of the
               supervisory service; in particular, he must be able on request to make known to the official veterinarian
               responsible for supervision from where the meat brought into his cutting plant has come.
           45. (a) Fresh meat must be brought into the rooms provided for in paragraph 14 (b) of Chapter II progressively
                    as needed. As soon as it is cut and where appropriate packaged, the meat must be transferred to the
                    relevant room referred to in paragraph 14 (a) of Chapter II.
               (b) During cutting, boning, wrapping and packaging the internal temperature of the meat must be kept at a
                    constant + 7 °C or less. During cutting, the temperature of the cutting room must not exceed + 12 °C.
                    During slicing, wrapping and packaging, the internal temperature of livers must be kept at a constant
                     + 3 °C or less.
               (c) By way of derogation from paragraphs (a) and (b), meat may be cut while warm. In that event, the meat
                    must be transferred directly from the slaughter premises to the cutting room. In addition, the slaughter
                    premises and the cutting room must be located in the same group of buildings and sufficiently near to
                    each other for the meat to be transferred in a single operation, and cutting must be carried out
                    immediately after transfer. As soon as it is cut, and where appropriate packaged, it must be transferred to
                    an appropriate chilling room.
               (d) Derogations from point (c) can be granted according to the procedure referred to in Article 14.
               (e) Cutting must be carried out in such a way as to avoid any soiling of the meat. Splinters of bone and clots
                    of blood must be removed. Meat obtained from cutting and not intended for human consumption must
                    be collected in the facilities referred to in paragraph 4 (d) as it is cut.
                                                              CHAPTER IX
                                              Health control of cut meat and stored meat
           46. Approved cutting plants and approved cold stores must be supervised by an official veterinarian.
           47. Supervision by the official veterinarian must include the following tasks:
               — supervision of the entry and exit of fresh meat,
                — health inspection of fresh meat held in the establishments,
                — health inspection of fresh meat prior to cutting and when it leaves the establishments referred to in
                   paragraph 46,
                — supervision of the cleanliness of the premises, facilities and instruments provided for in Chapter IV, and
                   of staff hygiene, including their clothing,
                — all sampling necessary for laboratory tests, for example those to detect the presence of harmful germs,
                   additives or other unauthorized chemical substances; the results of such tests must be recorded in a
                   register,
                — any other supervision which the veterinarian considers necessary for ensuring compliance with this
                   Regulation.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                         No C 84/25
                                                            CHAPTER X
                                                           Health marking
         48. Health marking must be carried out under the responsibility of the official veterinarian. For this purpose, he
              shall keep and maintain:
              (a) the instruments intended for meat health marking which he may hand over to assistants only at the time
                    of marking and for the length of time required for this purpose;
              (b) the labels and wrapping material when marked as provided for in this chapter. The labels and wrapping
                    material shall be given to the assistants at the time when they are to be used and in the required
                    number.
         49. The health mark must be:
              (a) either an oval mark at least 6,5 cm wide by 4,5 cm high bearing the following information in perfectly
                    legible characters:
                    — on the upper part, the initials of the consigning country in capitals (i.e. one of the following):
                        B/DK/D/EL/ESP/F/IRL/I/L/NL/P/UK,
                        followed by the veterinary approval number of the establishment,
                   — on the lower part, one of the following sets of initials: CEE, EEG, EWG, EOF, EEC or EOK;
              (b) or an oval mark at least 6,5 cm wide by 4,5 cm high, bearing the following information in perfectly
                    legible characters:
                    — on the upper part, the name of the consigning country in capitals,
                    — in the centre, the veterinary approval number of the establishment,
                    — on the lower part, one of the following sets of initials: CEE, EEG, EWG, EOF, EEC or EOK.
             The letters must be at least 0,8 cm high and the figures at least 1 cm high.
             The health mark may, in addition, include an indication of the official veterinarian who carried out the health
             inspection of the meat.
         50. Carcases must be stamped in ink or hot-branded in accordance with paragraph 49:
             — those weighing more than 82 kilograms must be marked on each half-carcase, in the following places at
                  least: external surface of the thighs, loins, back, breast and shoulder,
             — other carcases must be marked in at least four places, on the shoulders and on the external surface of the
                  thighs.
         51. The livers of bovine animals, swine and solipeds must be hot-branded in accordance with paragraph 49.
             All other offal must be stamped in ink or hot-branded in accordance with paragraph 49 unless wrapped or
             packaged and marked in accordance with paragraphs 54 and 55.
         52. Cuts obtained in the cutting plants from officially marked carcases must be stamped in ink or hot-branded in
             accordance with paragraph 49, unless they are wrapped or packaged.
         53. Packaging must always be marked in accordance with paragraph 54.
         54. Packaged cut meat and packaged offal referred to in paragraphs 51 second subparagraph and 52, including
             sliced livers, must bear a health mark in accordance with paragraph 49; the mark must include the veterinary
             approval number of the cutting plant instead of that of the slaughterhouse. The mark must be applied to a
             label fixed to the packaging, or printed on the packaging, in such a way that it is destroyed when the
             packaging is opened; the label must also show a serial number. However, when cut meat or offal is wrapped
             in accordance with paragraph 61 of Chapter XI, the label referred to above may be fixed to the wrapping. In
             the case of offal packaged in a slaughterhouse, the number included in the mark must be that of the
             slaughterhouse concerned.
         55. In addition to the requirements of paragraph 54, where fresh meat is wrapped in commercial portions
             intended for direct sale to the consumer, a reproduction of the health mark required under paragraph 49 (a)
             must also be printed on the wrapping or on a label affixed to the wrapping. The mark must include the
             veterinary approval number of the cutting plant instead of that of the slaughterhouse. The dimension
             requirements of paragraph 49 need not apply to the mark required under this paragraph. However, in the
             case of offal wrapped in a slaughterhouse, the number included in the mark must be that of the slaughterhouse
             concerned.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 84/26                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                              2. 4. 90
           56. Meat from solipeds and its packaging must bear a special mark, to be determined in accordance with the
                procedure laid down in Article 15.
           57. The colorants which may be used for marking fresh meat shall be decided in accordance with the procedure
                laid down in Article 14. Until such time as that decision is taken, only methyl violet may be used for this
                purpose.
                                                              CHAPTER XI
                                                Wrapping and packaging of fresh meat
           58. (a) Without prejudice to Council Directive 89/109/EEC of 21. 12. 1988 on the approximation of the laws
                     of the Member States relating to materials and articles intended to come in contact with foodstuffs ('),
                     wrapping and packaging (for example packing cases, paperboard boxes) must fulfil all rules of hygiene,
                     and must be strong enough to ensure effective protection of the meat during transportation and
                     handling.
                (b) Wrapping and packaging must not be re-used for meat unless made of corrosion-resistant materials,
                     which are easy to clean and have been previously cleaned and disinfected.
           59. Where fresh cut meat or offal is wrapped, this operation must be carried out inmediately after cutting and in
                accordance with hygiene requirements.
                With the exception of cuts of solid outer pig fat and belly, cut meat and offal must in all cases be provided with
                a protective wrapping unless it is suspended throughout its transport.
                Such wrapping must be transparent and colourless and must also fulfil the conditions of the first and second
                indents of paragraph 58 (a); it may not be used again for wrapping meat. A package of sliced livers may
                contain only livers of the same species.
           60. Wrapped meat must be packaged.
           61.  However, when wrapping fulfils all the protective conditions of packaging it need not be transparent and
                colourless and placing in a second container is not necessary provided the other conditions of paragraph 58
                are fulfilled.
           62. Cutting, boning, wrapping and packaging operations may take place in the same room subject to the
                following conditions:
                (a) the room must be sufficiently large and so arranged that the hygiene of the operation is assured;
                (b) the packaging and wrapping must be enclosed in a sealed protective cover immediately after
                     manufacture; this cover must be protected from damage during transport to the establishment and stored
                     under hygienic conditions in a separate room in the establishment;
                (c) the rooms for storing packaging material must be dust and vermin-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 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 fresh meat;
                 (e) packaging must be hygienically brought into the room and used without delay. It must not be handled by
                     staff handling fresh meat;
                 (f) immediately after packaging the meat must be placed in the storage rooms provided.
           63.  The packaging referred to in this chapter may contain only cut meat from the same animal species.
           (1) OJ No L 40, 11. 2. 1989, p. 38.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. 4. 90                                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                           No C 84/27
                                                             CHAPTER XII
                                                                  Storage
         64. Fresh meat must be chilled immediately after the post-mortem inspection and kept at a constant internal
              temperature of not more than +7 °C for carcases and cuts and + 3 °C for offal.
         65. Fresh meat for freezing must come directly from an approved slaughterhouse or an approved cutting
              plant.
              Freezing of fresh meat may be performed only in rooms of the same establishment where the meat has been
              obtained or cut or in an approved cold store, by means of appropriate equipment.
              When intended for freezing, cuts referred to in Article 3(1) (A), the cuts referred to in point 52 and offal must
              be frozen without delay unless maturation is required for health reasons. In the latter case they must be frozen
              immediately after maturation.
              Carcases, half-carcases and quarters intended for freezing must be frozen without undue delay after a period
              of stabilization.
              Cut meat intended for freezing must be frozen without undue delay after cutting.
              Frozen meat must reach an internal temperature of - 12 °C or lower and may not be stored at higher
              temperatures thereafter.
             Fresh meat which has undergone a freezing process must bear an indication of the month and year in which it
             was frozen.
         66. No other product which may affect the hygiene oi the meat or contaminate it may be stored in the rooms
             referred to in paragraphs 15 and 16 of Chapter III unless the meat is packaged and stored separately.
         67. The storage temperature of the storage rooms referred to in paragraphs 15 and 16 of Chapter III must be
             recorded.
                                                            CHAPTER XIII
                                                               Transport
         68. Fresh meat must be transported in sealed means of transport, designed and equipped in such a way that the
             temperatures specified in Chapter XII are maintained throughout transportation.
         69. Means of transport intended for transporting such meat must meet the following requirements:
             (a) their inside surfaces or any other part which may come into contact with the meat must be of
                   corrosion-resistant material which cannot affect the organoleptic characteristics of the meat or render
                   the meat harmful to human health; these surfaces must be smooth and easy to clean and disinfect;
             (b) they must be provided with efficient devices for protecting the meat against insects and dust and be
                   watertight;
             (c) for transporting carcases, half-carcases or quarters and unpackaged cut meat, they must be equipped
                   with corrosion-resistant fittings for suspending the meat fixed at a height such that the meat cannot touch
                   the floor; this provision shall not apply to frozen meat in hygienic packaging. In the case of transport by
                   air, however, fittings for suspending the meat are not required provided that suitable corrosion-resistant
                   facilities are provided for hygienically loading, holding and unloading the meat.
         70. Means of transport intended for transporting meat may in no case be used for transporting live animals or any
             product likely to affect or contaminate meat.
         71. No other product likely to affect the hygiene of the meat or to contaminate it may be transported at the same
             time as the meat in the same means of transport unless appropriate precautions are taken. In addition,
             stomachs may not be transported therein unless scalded or cleaned, nor heads and feet unless they are skinned
             or scalded and depilated.
 ---pagebreak--- No C 84/28                                  Official Journal of the European Communities                                             2. 4. 90
           72. Fresh meat may not be transported in a vehicle or container which is not clean and has not been
                 disinfected.
           73. Carcases, half-carcases and quarters, excluding frozen meat packaged in accordance with hygiene
                 requirements, must be suspended throughout transport except in the case of air transport in accordance with
                 paragraph 69 (c).
                 Other cuts and offal must be suspended or placed on supports if not packaged or contained in
                 corrosion-resistant containers. Such supports, packaging or containers must meet hygiene requirements and,
                 in particular as regards packaging, the provisions of this Regulation. The viscera must always be transported
                 in strong, waterproof and greaseproof packaging which may only be re-used after cleaning and
                 disinfection.
           74. The official veterinarian must ensure before dispatch that transport vehicles or containers and loading
                 conditions meet the hygiene requirements of this Chapter.
                                                                    ANNEX II
                                         PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF AUXILIARIES
           1. Only candidates who prove that they have followed a theoretical course, including laboratory demonstrations,
               authorized by the competent authorities of the Member States on the subjects referred to at point 3(a) for at
               least 400 hours and have had practical training under the supervision of an official veterinarian for a period of
                at least 200 hours shall be eligible for the test referred to in Article 3 paragraph 4. The practical training takes
               place in slaughterhouses, cutting plants, stores and inspection posts for fresh meat.
           2. However auxiliaries fulfilling the requirements of Annex II to Regulation (EEC) No . . . / . . . (Poultry
               meat) (s) can follow a training course where the theoretical part is reduced to 200 hours.
           3. The test referred to in Article 3 paragraph 4 shall consist of a theoretical part and a practical part and shall
               cover the following subjects:
               (a) theoretical part:
                      — basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology of slaughtered animals,
                     — basic knowledge of pathology of slaughtered animals,
                     — basic knowledge of anatomical pathology of slaughtered animals,
                      — basic knowledge of hygiene and in particular industrial hygiene, slaughter, cutting and storage hygiene
                          and hygiene of work,
                     — knowledge of methods and procedure for the slaughter, inspection, preparation, packaging and
                          transport of fresh meat,
                      — knowledge of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the carrying out of their
                          work,
                      — sampling procedures.
                (b) practical part:
                      — inspection and assessment of slaughtered animals,
                      — determination of animal species through examination of typical parts of the animal,
                      — determination of a number of parts of slaughtered animals in which changes have occurred and
                          comments thereon,
                      — experience of post-mortem inspection in a slaughterhouse,
                      — experience in the field of hygiene control,
                      — experience in sampling practices.
           (•) OJ No L . . .