Citation
Jukes, D. (1999), "Poultry meat hygiene: consultation on proposed amendments", British Food Journal, Vol. 101 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj.1999.070101hab.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Poultry meat hygiene: consultation on proposed amendments
Poultry meat hygiene: consultation on proposed amendments
The Government has confirmed that traditional farmfresh turkeys produced on-farm by small producers are not under threat.
It has issued for consultation proposals to amend the GB Regulations governing the hygiene of poultry meat, farmed game bird meat and rabbit meat production in licensed premises. The proposed changes will bring GB regulations more fully into line with the requirements of the EU Directives on Poultry Meat Hygiene and Rabbit Meat and Farmed Game.
The main proposal is the removal of the current exemption for off-farm slaughterhouses killing less than 10,000 birds or rabbits per year from the requirements of the GB regulations. Such premises would be brought under licensing controls. This would provide a public health gain by driving up hygiene standards in those small off-farm premises.
Other proposals would:
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Allow, for the domestic market only, the practice of "hot-skinning" of quail which involves the simultaneous removal of skin and feathers. This is in recognition of the difficulties of skinning the carcasses of quail after plucking.
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Make minor changes to ensure greater compliance with the European Poultry Meat Hygiene Directive. These measures impact on areas of hygiene inspection of poultry carcasses and requirements for the refrigeration and transportation of fresh meat, and would provide benefits to public health.
These proposals would not affect the exemption from the GB regulations for on-farm production by small-scale farmers.
Rules governing the hygiene and inspection requirements of poultry, rabbit meat and farmed game licensed premises are laid down in the Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995. These regulations implement EU Directives 92/116/EEC on Poultry Meat and 91/495/EEC on Rabbit Meat and Farmed Game Meat.