Tighter hygiene rules on the production and marketing of meat products came into force yesterday.
The new rules amend the Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994 on the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin and will help restore public confidence in food safety. It is vital that the highest possible standards are achieved and maintained in meat production.
The Regulations will further protect public health through the supervision, by enforcement authorities, of cleaning methods and in the 'tracing back' of meat products in the event of a problem or food hazard.
The Meat Products (Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 come into force (with three exceptions) on 31 March 1999.
The principal changes to the Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994 are that:
Some practical, common sense measures endorsing common practice or preferred practice will also be introduced by the new Regulations.
Industry and enforcement officers have welcomed the proposals. Implementing the Directive will mean that the UK will no longer be vulnerable to infraction proceedings from the European Commission and bring the UK into line with other Member States and with the requirements of the EC legislation on Meat Products.
Guidance on how food authorities and others enforcing the Meat Products Regulations (such as the Meat Hygiene Service) should interpret the requirements of the new Regulations will be issued to local authorities and others with a role in enforcing the Meat Products Regulations.
The Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994 implement EC Directive 77/99/EEC on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin. The Meat Products (Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 amend the Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994 and implement two EC Directives: Council Directive 95/68/EC (OJ No. L332, 31.12.95, p10) amending Directive 77/99/EEC on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin; and Council Directive 97/76/EC (OJ No. L10, 16.1.98, p25) amending Directive 77/99/EEC and Directive 72/462/EEC with regard to the rules applicable to minced meat, meat preparations and certain other products of animal origin.
Consultation with industry, enforcers and other interested parties on the draft regulations to implement Directive 95/68/EC was in August 1996 and again between 17 June 1998 and 31 July 1998 [See 17 June 1998]. There were 27 responses to the 1998 consultation. Consultation with industry, enforcers and other interested parties on the draft regulations to implement Directive 97/76/EC was between 13 October 1998 and 8 December 1998 [See 2 December 1998]. There were 7 responses. Both the above sets of draft regulations have been amalgamated to make the Meat Products (Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations 1999.
Northern Ireland will be implementing separate regulations to implement Council Directive 95/68/EC and Council Directive 97/76/EC shortly.