Chapter1 Introduction Final Version 2 0
Chapter1 Introduction Final Version 2 0
Chapter 1 Introduction
1. Introduction to the Meat Industry Guide (MIG)
There is no legal requirement for FBOs to follow the advice contained in the MIG as FBOs may
demonstrate compliance with the legislation in other ways. Where an FBO is following the
guidance in a recognised industry guide, such as this one, the enforcement authority must take
this into account when assessing compliance with the legislation.
Each chapter follows a standard format and contains information presented according to the
following categories:
• Legal requirement – relevant extracts from Food Standard legislation with which FBOs must
comply. This information is displayed in green boxes.
• Compliance – actions which must be completed by FBOs in order to comply with the relevant
legislation. This information is identified by an orange heading.
• Good practice – recommended methods by which the compliance actions may be
undertaken. Good practice information is displayed under a yellow heading.
• Tips – useful information for FBOs about how to implement specific compliance actions. This
information is presented in TIP boxes, identified by a green arrow.
• Flexibilities – alternative means by which to comply with legal requirements, which take
account of different contexts and situations. Flexibilities are presented in blue boxes.
Changes and revisions to the MIG will be detailed within the revision history document held by the
FSA
Feedback
The FSA would like to thank everyone involved in producing the MIG.
If you have any suggested amendments or feedback, please get in touch with us by email:
[email protected] or write to us at:
The production, processing, distribution, retail, packaging and labelling of food stuffs are governed
by laws, regulations, codes of practice and guidance. Detailed information can be found at:
• www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/regulation/
• www.legislation.gov.uk/browse
An up to date list of legislation can be found in the MOC, volume two at:
https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/volume2_0.pdf
These regulations provide that a person who contravenes or fails to comply with specified
provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 or Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 is guilty of an
offence, but also provides a defence, where the accused can prove that they took all reasonable
precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.
The Hygiene Regulations provide FBOs with flexibilities for meeting the requirements of the
legislation through the use of words such as 'adequate', ‘sufficient’ and ‘equivalent’. Additional
information on flexibilities can be found at: www.food.gov.uk/business-
industry/guidancenotes/hygguid/euhygieneregulationsflexibilities/.
Enforcement policy
The FSA Operations Group Enforcement Policy is set out in the Manual for Official Controls
(MOC) available at: https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/chapter-7-
enforcement_0.pdf
The DAERA Veterinary Service Prosecution Policy is set out in the Prosecutions Policy booklet
and referred to in the Manual for Official Controls: https://www.daera-
ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dard/chapter-7-enforcement-version-7-05-2016.pdf.
These establishments are subject to official controls enforced by the FSA in Britain, by DAERA
Veterinary Service and Veterinary Public Health Unit on behalf of the FSA in Northern Ireland.
In Britain, where establishments are co-located with an approved slaughterhouse, cutting plant or
game handling establishment, then the associated meat activities listed below are also approved
by the FSA. In the case of such establishments operating in a stand-alone capacity, they are
approved by the Local Authority.
• minced meat establishments
• meat preparations establishments
• mechanically separated meat establishments
• processing plants (meat products, rendered animal fats and greaves, treated stomach,
bladders and intestines, gelatine and collagen)
• cold stores
• re-wrapping establishments
Establishments that cut raw meat exclusively for the manufacture of meat products, minced meat,
meat preparations or mechanically separated meat, require approval in respect of their
manufacturing activities. They also need to comply with the requirements of Annex III of
Regulation 853/2004, including those relating to cutting plants. However, because they do not
place the meat they cut on the market as fresh meat they will not require approval as a cutting
plant and, therefore, do not require veterinary control.
Guidance on approval
Guidance on how to apply to the FSA for approval is available on the FSA website at:
www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/sectorrules/meatplantsprems/.
The FSA Operational Policy, available on the FSA website at the link above, provides details of
the approval procedures, as well as useful links to the regulatory requirements with which FBOs
must comply.
Full details of the exemptions are provided in Annex B of the Operational Policy. For retail
establishments, the flow diagram in Annex C of the Operational Policy can be used to determine if
the FBO qualifies for exemption.
Biological hazards
These hazards are normally organisms such as bacteria or parasites that can pose risks
associated with food poisoning. They may be associated with the animals/birds themselves, or
be introduced to a clean carcase through cross contamination.
EFSA has considered the hazards in livestock during its review of meat inspection techniques and
has identified the following as biological hazards:
Horses Trichinella
Bacteria can cause foodborne infection; the table below details the source and indicators of the
common types of foodborne infection.
Normal Commonly
Normal Main clinical
Bacteria incubation associated
duration symptoms
period foods
Campylobacter 3 - 5 days 2 - 7 days Abdominal pain, Poultry, cooked
spp. diarrhoea (sometimes meats, milk
bloody), headache,
fever
Although thorough cooking kills most food poisoning bacteria, meat may be handled many times
before it is cooked and the bacteria on it may be spread to other foods that may not be cooked
before being eaten.
When conditions are ideal, certain types of bacteria can double their numbers every 20 to 30
minutes. E.coli O157 is reported to have a very low infective dose, and can cause serious illness
and death, meaning that it is important to have adequate controls in place. FBOs and consumers
need to take appropriate precautions that include maintaining temperature controls and keeping
raw meat completely separate from cooked meat and other ready-to eat-foods.
Chemical hazards
Possible sources of chemical contamination of animals include residues of veterinary medicines
or pesticides if conditions of use have not been followed. EFSA further considered this, and
concluded that dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) as appropriate
hazards, as well as Phenylbutazone in horses.
Allergens
Some people have an allergy to meat but the majority of allergic reactions to food in the UK are
caused by fourteen foods covered by the requirements for labelling namely: crustaceans, milk,
eggs, peanuts , nuts, fish, molluscs, soybeans, cereals containing gluten, lupin, celery, mustard,
sesame seeds and sulphur dioxide (where added and present at >10mg/kg).
1.4. Definitions
The following terms and phrases are used throughout the MIG:
Batch A group or set of identifiable products obtained from a given process under
practically identical circumstances and produced in a given place within
one defined production period.
Competent The central authority of a member competent for the organisation of official
authority controls or any other authority to which that competence has been
conferred; it shall also include, where appropriate, the corresponding
authority of a third country.
Control measure An action or activity that can prevent a hazard, eliminate a hazard, or
reduce the impact or the occurrence of the hazard to acceptable levels.
Critical control Steps that can be achieved to prevent, eliminate or reduce hazards to an
points acceptable level.
Critical limit The highest or lowest value that is acceptable for product safety; beyond
which control is lost (for example, temperature or time).
Domestic A category of domestic animals including: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, bison,
ungulates water buffalo and solipeds (horses, asses and mules).
Farmed game A category of farmed animals including: deer (cervidae), wild boar (suidae),
and flightless birds (ratites).
Final consumer The ultimate consumer of a foodstuff who will not use the food as part of
any food business operation or activity.
Food business Any undertaking whether for profit or not and whether public or private,
carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of production,
processing and distribution of food.
Food business The natural or legal persons responsible for ensuring that the requirements
operator of food law are met within the food business under their control.
Food handler Any person who directly handles packaged or unpackaged food, food
equipment and utensils or food contact surfaces.
Food hygiene The measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and to ensure
fitness for human consumption of a foodstuff taking into account its
intended use.
Fresh meat Meat that has not undergone any preserving process other than chilling,
freezing or quick-freezing, including meat that is vacuum-wrapped or
wrapped in a controlled atmosphere.
Game-handling Any establishment in which game and game meat obtained after hunting
establishment are prepared for placing on the market.
Hazard A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the
potential to cause an adverse health effect.
Instruction Information and/or direction provided to staff so that they know exactly what
they are required to do in relation to a specific task or tasks.
Meat Fresh meat, including meat that has been reduced to fragments, which has
preparations had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it or which has undergone
processes insufficient to modify the internal muscle fibre structure of the
meat and thus to eliminate the characteristics of fresh meat.
Meat products Processed products resulting from the processing of meat or from the
further processing of such processed products, so that the cut surface
shows that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh meat.
Mechanically The product obtained by removing meat from flesh bearing bones after
separated meat boning or from poultry carcases, using mechanical means resulting in the
loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure.
Minced meat Boned meat that has been minced into fragments and contains less than
1% salt.
Offal Fresh meat other than that of the carcase, including viscera and blood.
Official control Any form of control that the competent authority performs for the verification
of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare
rules.
Placing on the The holding of food or feed for the purpose of sale, including offering for
market sale or any other form of transfer, whether free of charge or not, and the
sale, distribution, and other forms of transfer themselves.
Processing Any action that substantially alters the initial product, including heating,
smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a
combination of those processes.
Poultry Farmed birds, including birds that are not considered as domestic but
which are farmed as domestic animals (for example, chickens, turkeys,
ducks, geese, guinea fowl, quail), with the exception of ratites (flightless
birds, for example, ostriches, rheas, emus).
Slaughterhouse An establishment used for slaughtering and dressing animals, the meat of
which is intended for human consumption.
Stages of Any stage, including import, from and including the primary production of a
production, food, up to and including its storage, transport, sale or supply to the final
processing and consumer and, where relevant, the importation, production, manufacture,
distribution storage, transport, distribution, sale and supply of feed.
Training The learning process, by which staff develop the knowledge, skills and
attitude necessary to perform their work effectively and to meet the
standards required.
Unprocessed Foodstuffs that have not undergone processing, and includes products that
products have been: divided, parted, severed, sliced, boned, minced, skinned,
ground, cut, cleaned, trimmed, husked, milled, chilled, frozen, deep-frozen
or thawed.
Validation The confirmation before implementation that all the elements of a specific
requirement plan or control measure are fit for purpose; that the plan or
measure, once implemented, should have the intended effect.
Wild game (large) A category of wild animals including: wild deer (cervidae) and feral wild
boar (suidae).
Wild game The group of wild animals that includes: game birds (such as pheasants,
(small) partridges, pigeons, grouse) and lagomorphs (rabbits, hares and rodents).
1.5. Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used throughout the MIG and Food Standard Regulations and
Legislation:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Dressing of carcases
Web: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-
environment-food-rural-affairs
Tel: 03459 335577