Volume 5: Animal Health, 1989-96
Annex A to Chapter 4: Unfit meat and human food
Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) (Amendment) Regulations 1984

99 A number of amendments to the 1982 MSSR were introduced by means of the Meat (Sterilisation and Staining)(Amendment) Regulations 1984. ¹ What follows is a brief description of those amendments insofar as they are relevant to the discussion of the 1982 MSSR above.

100 The definition of 'specified offal' was amended to mean the hearts, kidneys, livers and lungs derived from an animal which, in the case of a carcass in a slaughterhouse, had been rejected by an authorised person as unfit for human consumption by reason of any disease or pathological condition other than either:

1. ascariasis, fascioliasis, telangiectasis; or
2. changes caused by the operations of stunning, slaughter or dressing of the animal. ²

101 A Regulation was introduced disapplying the 1982 MSSR in respect of meat removed or intended to be removed from any place or premises by, or under the authority of, a veterinary surgeon for examination by him or on his behalf. ³

102 A further prohibition was introduced against any person bringing, or causing or permitting to be brought, into England and Wales from Scotland or Northern Ireland any meat unfit for human consumption. ⁴ The exemptions from this prohibition were identical to those which existed in relation to the removal of unfit meat from a slaughterhouse (as outlined at paragraph 48 above), save for the fact that importation of meat from Scotland and Northern Ireland required the meat to be accompanied to the destination by a consignment note or permit ⁵ rather than a movement permit.

103 The driver of the vehicle in which the meat was delivered to any premises accompanied by a consignment note or a permit was required to give that note or copy of that permit to the occupier of those premises. The occupier was required to retain that document for two years and within seven days to send a copy to the local authority in whose area his premises were located. The document was required to be available for inspection by an authorised officer at any reasonable time. Upon receipt of the copy, the local authority was required forthwith to notify in writing of the arrival of the consignment either:

1. in the case of an importation from Scotland, the local authority from whose district the meat was imported; or
2. in the case of an importation from Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture Northern Ireland.

This prohibition resulted in certain amendments elsewhere, namely:

1. the range of persons authorised to declare 'specified offal' as unfit ⁶; and
2. amendments to the prohibition on possession for sale, the exemptions from that prohibition and the defences to it (Regulation 20 of the 1982 MSSR).

104 Amendments were made to the list of five destinations in Regulation 17 of the 1982 MSSR to which unfit meat could be delivered under the authority of a movement permit (see paragraph 43 above). ⁷ The first destination was amended to include a 'pharmaceutical extract supplier' which was defined as a person whose business consisted, wholly or mainly, of the collection, storage, and preparation of glands, liquid extracts and other materials derived from the carcasses of animals, prior to their removal to a manufacturing chemist for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products.

105 The third destination was amended to prohibit the removal to a zoo, menagerie, fur farm, maggot farm, or greyhound kennels of carcass meat or offal rejected by an authorised person as unfit for human consumption by reason of tuberculosis. The fifth destination was amended so as to make removal or storage prior to further removal permissible only where the subsequent removal was to a processor; further removal to a 'manufacuring chemist' was to be no longer permitted.

106 Finally, subsequent removal under Regulation 17(3) of the 1982 MSSR from any of the listed destinations was now to be permitted in circumstances where the meat was removed from a hospital, medical or veterinary school, laboratory or similar institution in accordance with an arrangement in writing with, and under the supervision of, an authorised officer of the local authority in whose district the premises were situated to another destination listed in Regulation 17(1)(a) to (d) or to a place where it was buried or destroyed.