Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations make provision for the sterilisation and staining of animal by-products (defined in regulation 3) and for the control of the movement of such by-products. They revoke the Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989.
The Regulations do not apply to entire dead animals (regulation 4), specified green offal of wild game, by-products removed by a veterinary surgeon or an authorised officer for examination, specified waste from animal by-products, animal by-products imported for scientific purposes, specified animal by-products which are transhipped or specified risk material (regulation 5(1)).
The Regulations—
(a)require the immediate staining or sterilisation at a slaughter-house or game processing facility (regulation 6), or at any animal by-products premises (regulation 7), of animal by-products excluding poultry by-products and certain other specified by-products (regulation 5(2));
(b)prohibit the freezing of any animal by-product in any slaughter-house, game processing facility or animal by-products premises unless it has been sterilised or stained (regulation 8);
(c)prohibit the storing of unsterilised animal by-products in the same room as products which are intended for human consumption and the storing of unsterilised animal by-products which are not properly packed and labelled in premises used for the storage of products fit for human consumption (regulation 9);
(d)prohibit the movement from any slaughter-house, game processing facility or animal by-products premises of unstained or unsterilised animal by-products except in specified circumstances (regulation 10);
(e)make provision for the application of various provisions of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (regulation 11);
(f)specify the bodies by whom the Regulations are to be enforced (regulation 12);
(g)require district councils to supply information to the Department of Agriculture as and when required (regulation 13); and
(h)create offences and prescribe penalties (regulation 14).