FSA Consultation Letter, 9 May 2005
These guides have been produced by a working group chaired by Steve Woodgate, Technical Director of the European Fat Processors and Renderers Association (EFPRA) with the assistance of the Food Standards Agency, for the UK meat plant operators of the sectors concerned. Responses are requested by: 5 August 2005
Consultation details
This consultation letter comes as part of the wider consultation exercise on the draft guide for the Meat Industry to Food Safety and Other Regulations, which can be viewed (in 4 parts) at the links below.
The Guide is due to be issued in the autumn and it will be revised to reflect any major policy or legislation changes. While the Guide is not legally binding, food business operators are encouraged to follow it. The Guide is not an authoritative interpretation of the law because only the courts have this power.
Background
New Food Hygiene Regulations will be applicable in all Member States from 1 January 2006 and Government Departments are required to explain the new legal requirements to food business operators of the sector concerned. The legislation also foresees the development of guides to good practice for hygiene and application of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles. The FSA has therefore assisted representatives of the food business sectors in question to develop the draft guide (attached below) that could address both objectives.
The draft guide is divided into four parts and covers the legal requirements for the production of rendered animal fats and greaves, treated stomachs, bladder and intestines, gelatine and collagen as set out in Annexe III, Section XII, XIII, XIV, and XV respectively of the European Union Regulation 853/2004. The draft Guide will also in due course have an additional chapter on animal by-products. This is currently being drafted, based on existing guidance material, because the legislation on animal by-products is not changing.
Note: The following are currently available on the FSA web site at: http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/Consultations/ukwideconsults/guidestoanimalproducts