EU Food & Hygiene Regulations
Thursday, June 23, 2011
New Regualtions set out by the Food Standards Agency:
Days between slaughter and mincing of chilled meat.
The Food Standards Agency (F.S.A.) have issued important guidance to be enforced in relation to approved meat plants in respect of the legislation requirements relating to the same time limits prescribed between the slaughter of animals and the mincing of chilled meat.
EU Hygiene Regulations set out that, when prepared from chilled meat, minced meat must be prepared according to the points set out below:
1) Within no more than three days of the slaughter of the animals (were poultry is involved).
2) Within no more than six days of the slaughter of the animals (were red meat is involved).
3) Within no more than 15 days from the slaughter of the animals (were vacuum - packed beef and veel are involved).
The above regulations (time limits) are not being adhered to by many meat plants, who are going about their business as usual by implementing the traditional practice of producing minced meat from chilled meat stored for longer periods than those prescribed by the Foods Standards Agency (the regulatory body).
However, the Food Standards Agency await response from the European Commission as they have sought amendments to the Food Hygiene Regulations, as they believe that the time limits do not offer any additional protection to public health.
While they await response from the European Commission they advise enforcement officers that action against a business, 'is unlikely to be appropriate solely on the basis that the time limits have been exceeded'.
They take the view that, an assessment of the full range of food safety controls implemented by the business who deal with meat products, should be made to ascetain whether the business is complying with all the other requirements of the Hygiene Regulations and to determine whether the food safety controls are appropriate and proportionate to the product manufactured and the risk to human health.
