Volume 6: Human Health, 1989-96
Annex 1 to Chapter 4: Unfit meat and human food
Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) Regulations 1982 (the 1982 MSSR)
Requirements and exemptions: permitted destinations
Requirements for sterilisation in slaughterhouses
Restrictions on removal from slaughterhouses
Requirements for sterilisation in knacker's yards
Restrictions on removal from knacker's yards
Requirements affecting removal of unfit meat from a place other than a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard
Requirements as to freezing of meat
Requirements as to possession for sale, and sale, of meat
Requirements as to storage of meat
Exemption in cases of lack of equipment or exhaustion of supplies

Requirements and exemptions: permitted destinations

4.802 The availability of some exceptions depended on whether it was intended to remove meat or offal to particular destinations. These destinations were listed in Regulation 17(1) as follows:

1. a hospital, medical or veterinary school, laboratory or similar institution for instructional or diagnostic purposes, a rennet manufacturer or a manufacturing chemist for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products;
2. the premises of a processor for sterilisation by him;
3. a zoological garden, menagerie, mink farm, maggot farm or greyhound kennels licensed by the National Greyhound Racing Club;
4. the premises of a waste food processor licensed under the provisions of the Diseases of Animals (Waste Food) Order 1973 to receive unprocessed waste food and in addition authorised in writing by the issuing authority ¹ to receive unsterilised meat to which these Regulations apply; or
5. the premises of a person for preparation prior to further removal to a processor or manufacturing chemist or for storage before further removal to another destination referred to in this paragraph. ²

Requirements for sterilisation in slaughterhouses

4.803 Subject to the exceptions in the next paragraph, carcass meat at a slaughterhouse found to be unfit for human consumption and specified offal at a slaughterhouse ³ was required either:

1. to be sterilised immediately; ⁴ or
2. to be placed immediately in a room or receptacle designed for the purpose of holding meat awaiting sterilisation and bearing a notice stating that its contents were to be sterilised on the premises, and then to be sterilised at the slaughterhouse. ⁵

4.804 There were two exemptions from this requirement in the case of carcass meat or specified offal which:

1. was stained by the occupier of the slaughterhouse immediately after it was brought into separate accommodation dedicated to the retention of unfit meat; ⁶ or
2. was intended to be removed from the slaughterhouse under the authority of a movement permit issued pursuant to the Regulations to a destination referred to in 17(1)(a). ⁷

The requirements governing movement permits are discussed at paragraphs 4.830-4.844 below. Reference should also be made to the discussion of the defence available to one charged with contravention of this provision (paragraph 4.809 below) and the further exemption discussed at paragraph 4.808 below.

4.805 Subject to the exceptions in the next paragraph, any offal other than specified offal at a slaughterhouse found to be unfit for human consumption was required either:

1. to be sterilised immediately; ⁸ or
2. to be placed immediately in a room or receptacle designed for the purpose of holding meat awaiting sterilisation and bearing a notice stating that its contents were to be sterilised on the premises, and then to be sterilised at the slaughterhouse. ⁹

4.806 For present purposes, there were two exemptions from this requirement:

1. in the case of offal other than specified offal found to be unfit (including any green offal not intended to be removed in accordance with the exception at (ii) below) which was intended to be removed from the slaughterhouse under the authority of a movement permit issued pursuant to the Regulations to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1); ¹⁰ and
2. any green offal unfit for human consumption, and any other offal not being specified offal which was in a container the contents of which consist mainly of green offal, which in either case was intended to be removed from the slaughterhouse to the premises of a processor for sterilisation. ¹¹

The requirements governing movement permits are discussed at paragraphs 4.830 -4.844 below. Reference should also be made to the discussion of the defence available to one charged with contravention of this provision (paragraph 4.809 below) and the further exemption discussed at paragraph 4.808 below.

Restrictions on removal from slaughterhouses

4.807 Subject to the exceptions in the next paragraph, the Regulations imposed a prohibition upon any person removing or causing or permitting to be removed from any slaughterhouse of which he was the occupier any meat unfit for human consumption ¹² unless that meat either:

1. had been sterilised; ¹³
2. being carcass meat or specified offal, had been stained, and was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(b) to (e); ¹⁴
3. being carcass meat or specified offal, was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a); ¹⁵ or
4. being offal other than specified offal, was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1). ¹⁶

4.808 A person was exempted from the requirement to obtain a movement permit in respect of the removal from a slaughterhouse occupied by him of either:

1. of any green offal intended to be delivered to the premises of a processor for sterilisation; ¹⁷ or
2. of any carcass meat or offal other than green offal if such meat was removed in a container the contents of which consisted mainly of green offal and which was intended to be delivered to the premises of a processor for sterilisation. ¹⁸

4.809 It was a defence for any person charged with a contravention of, or a failure to comply with, the Regulations set out at paragraphs 4.803-4.808 above, to prove that he did not know, and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained, that the meat was unfit for human consumption. ¹⁹

Requirements for sterilisation in knacker's yards

4.810 Subject to the exceptions in the next paragraph, carcass meat and specified offal derived from an animal slaughtered in, or brought into, a knacker's yard was required to be sterilised immediately after skinning, evisceration, or cutting up (whichever operation was the last carried out at the yard). ²⁰

4.811 There were three exemptions from this requirement in the case of carcass meat or specified offal which was either:

1. placed immediately after skinning, evisceration, or cutting up (whichever operation was the last carried out at the yard), in a room or receptacle designed for the purpose of holding meat awaiting sterilisation and bearing a notice stating that its contents were to be sterilised on the premises, and then to be sterilised at the yard; ²¹
2. stained at the knacker's yard immediately after skinning, evisceration, or cutting up, (whichever operation was the last carried out at the yard); ²² or
3. intended to be removed from the knacker's yard under the authority of a movement permit to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a). ²³

4.812 The requirements governing movement permits are discussed at paragraphs 4.830-4.844 below. Reference should also be made to the further exemption discussed at paragraph 4.816 below.

4.813 Subject to the exceptions in the next paragraph, any offal other than specified offal derived from an animal slaughtered in, or brought into, a knacker's yard was required immediately after evisceration either:

1. to be sterilised; or
2. to be placed immediately in a room or receptacle designed for the purpose of holding meat awaiting sterilisation and bearing a notice stating that its contents were to be sterilised on the premises, and then to be sterilised at the yard. ²⁴

4.814 For present purposes, there were two exemptions from this requirement:

1. in the case of offal other than specified offal (including any green offal not intended to be removed in accordance with the exception at (ii) below) which was intended to be removed from the knacker's yard under the authority of a movement permit issued pursuant to the Regulations to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1); ²⁵ and
2. any green offal, and any other offal not being specified offal which was in a container the contents of which consisted mainly of green offal, which in either case was intended to be removed from the knacker's yard to the premises of a processor for sterilisation. ²⁶

The requirements governing movement permits are discussed at paragraphs 4.830-4.844 below. Reference should also be made to the further exemption discussed at paragraph 4.816 below.

Restrictions on removal from knacker's yards

4.815 Subject to the exceptions in the next paragraph, the regulations imposed a prohibition upon any person removing or causing or permitting to be removed from any knacker's yard of which he was the occupier any meat ²⁷ unless that meat either:

1. had been sterilised; ²⁸
2. being carcass meat or specified offal, had been stained, was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(b) to (e); ²⁹
3. being carcass meat or specified offal, was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a); ³⁰ or
4. being offal other than specified offal, was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1). ³¹

4.816 A person was exempted from the requirement to obtain a movement permit in respect of the removal from a knacker's yard occupied by him either:

1. of any green offal intended to be delivered to the premises of a processor for sterilisation; or
2. of any carcass meat or offal other than green offal if such meat was removed in a container the contents of which consisted mainly of green offal and which was intended to be delivered to the premises of a processor for sterilisation. ³²

Requirements affecting removal of unfit meat from a place other than a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard

4.817 The Regulations imposed a prohibition upon any person removing or causing or permitting to be removed from any place of which he was the occupier, not being a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard, any meat unfit for human consumption cut from any variety of cattle, sheep, pig, equine animal or goat which had died or been slaughtered at that place or had been brought there having died or been slaughtered, ³³ unless that meat either:

1. had been sterilised; ³⁴
2. being carcass meat or specified offal, had been stained, and was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(b) to (e); ³⁵
3. being carcass meat or specified offal, was intended and authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a); ³⁶
4. being offal other than specified offal, was intended and was authorised by a movement permit to be delivered to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1); ³⁷ or
5. was intended to be delivered to a knacker's yard. ³⁸

Requirements as to freezing of meat

4.818 Subject to the exceptions in the paragraph below, the Regulations imposed a prohibition against any person freezing any carcass meat which was unfit for human consumption or specified offal in a slaughterhouse ³⁹ or any carcass meat or specified offal in a knacker's yard unless that meat had been sterilised or stained. ⁴⁰

4.819 There were two exemptions from this prohibition:

1. in the case of any meat which was intended to be removed under the authority of a movement permit from the slaughterhouse or knacker's yard to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a); ⁴¹ and
2. in the case of any meat from a carcass infested with cysticercus bovis which was frozen in accordance with relevant meat inspection provisions. ⁴²

Requirements as to possession for sale, and sale, of meat

4.820 Subject to the exceptions in the paragraph below, the Regulations prohibited any person from possessing for the purpose of sale or preparation for sale either:

1. any meat removed from a slaughterhouse which was unfit for human consumption;
2. any meat removed from a knacker's yard; or
3. any meat unfit for human consumption from an animal which had died or had been slaughtered at a place other than a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard, or had been brought to such a place after having died or been slaughtered;

unless that meat had been sterilised. ⁴³

4.821 There were exemptions from this prohibition in the case of any meat which was in the possession of a person either:

1. while in transit under the authority of a movement permit to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(a); ⁴⁴
2. referred to in Regulation 17(1)(e) at his premises; and, where required by the Regulations, had been stained; ⁴⁵
3. while in transit under the authority of a movement permit to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(b) to (e); and, where required by the Regulations, had been stained; ⁴⁶ or
4. at premises listed in Regulation 17(1)(a) to (d) for any purpose contemplated in the provisions or with a view to its removal from those premises in accordance with the provisions relating to closure, breakdown or trade dispute (see paragraph 4.827 below) or while in transit from such premises in accordance with those provisions. ⁴⁷

4.822 It was a defence for any person charged with a contravention of this provision to prove either:

1. that he did not know, and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained, that the meat was unfit for human consumption or removed from a knacker's yard; or
2. that any meat removed from a slaughterhouse became unfit only after its removal. ⁴⁸

4.823 The Regulations imposed a prohibition against any person selling or offering or exposing for sale, by retail, any meat which was unfit for human consumption or any knacker meat unless that meat had been sterilised. ⁴⁹ For the purposes of this prohibition, a sale by retail did not include a sale of meat direct from a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1). ⁵⁰

4.824 It was a defence for any person charged with a contravention of this provision to prove that he did not know, and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained, that the meat was meat to which this prohibition applied. ⁵¹

Requirements as to storage of meat

4.825 No person was permitted to store any unsterilised meat which was unfit, or not intended, for human consumption:

1. in the same room as any meat which was fit for human consumption, unless that meat was stored according to an arrangement which ensured that it was adequately separated from the meat which was fit for human consumption and that arrangement had been approved by the appropriate local authority; and
2. unless any container, wrapper, or other packaging used to hold the meat bore a notice of adequate size which was conspicuously visible and contained a distinct, legible and unambiguous statement to the effect that the meat held therein was not for human consumption, together with the name of the packer and the address at which the meat was packed. ⁵²

4.826 It was a defence for any person charged with a contravention of the provisions described at sub-paragraphs (i) to (ii) above to prove that he did not know, and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained, that the meat was unfit, or not intended for, human consumption. ⁵³

Exemption in cases of lack of equipment or exhaustion of supplies

4.827 Meat unfit for human consumption and knacker meat could be removed unsterilised and unstained from a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard which was not equipped for the sterilisation of meat provided:

1. all the destinations referred to in Regulation 17(1) and to which it was reasonably practicable to deliver that meat were, by reason of permanent or temporary closure of the premises or breakdown of machinery or a trade dispute, unable to receive the meat;
2. the meat was transported in a vehicle or impervious container which was locked or sealed at all times and which bore a notice of adequate size which was conspicuously visible and contained a distinct, legible and unambiguous statement that the meat contained therein was not for human consumption; and
3. the meat was removed in accordance with an arrangement in writing with, and under the supervision of, an authorised officer of the local authority in whose district the slaughterhouse or knacker's yard was situated, to a place where it was buried or destroyed. ⁵⁴

4.828 Further, carcass meat unfit for human consumption or specified offal and knacker meat consisting of carcass meat or specified offal could be removed unsterilised and unstained from a slaughterhouse or knacker's yard which had exhausted and could not practicably replenish, its supplies of staining fluid, to a destination referred to in Regulation 17(1)(b) to (d). This could be done if that meat was delivered in accordance with an arrangement in writing with, and supervised by, an authorised officer of the local authority. ⁵⁵

4.829 The removal of any meat in accordance with these provisions exempted the occupier of the slaughterhouse or knacker's yard from any requirement imposed by the Regulations to sterilise or stain the meat. ⁵⁶