Non-Tariff Barriers

Non-Tariff Measure

NTM classification

P61: Inspection requirement 

Date when the measure came into force

06 April 1984 

Publication where the measure is specified

Statutory Instrument 111 of 1984 

Regulation where the measure is specified

Produce Export (Abattoir, Slaughter and Meat Hygiene) Regulations, 1984 (Statutory Instrument 111 of 1984) 

Country/Region applying the measure

Zimbabwe 

The rationale of the measure

Not specified in the regulations 

Coded list of objectives

X: For purposes n.e.s. 

Description of the measure

Ante-morten inspection
17. (1) No animal or poultry shall be slaughtered at anexport establishment unless and until it has undergone an ante-mortem inspection by a veterinary public health officer on the day
of arrival, except that, in the case of poultry; this inspection maybe performed at the farm of origin prior to dispatch for slaughter,and afterwards the poultry shall be dispatched immediately to beslaughtered upon arrival.
(2) The ante-mortem inspection shall be repeatedimmediately before slaughter, and at any time if required, by aveterinary public health officer.
(3) No animal may be kept in an abattoir lairage for more than seventy-two hours, except with the written permission of aveterinary public health officer.
(4) only apparently healthy and adequately rested animals and poultry shall be eligible for routine slaughter.
(5) Animals or poultry suspected to be suffering from a disease or condition transmissibleto man or animals, or showing signs that a possible outbreak of such a disease may occur or suspected to of being affected with any disease or condition that might result in condemnation of either the whole or part of the carcass, meat, offal or entrails as unsuitable for human consumption , shall be segregated from apparently healthy animals or poultry , to the satisfaction of the veterinary public health officer, to await his further examination and instructions .
(6) Any animal or poultry so grossly contaminated by mud, filth or faecal material, such as would constitute a hazard by unnecessary contamination of its carcass during dressing operations , shall not be allowed to be slaughtered until it has been cleaned to the satisfaction of a veterinary public health officer.
(7) animal slaughtered in an export establishment in such a condition as to be suffering unnecessary pain ordistress may be slaughtered on the instruction of veterinary public health officer, if they have been passed as fit for slaughter.

Post-mortem inspection
18. (1) Animals slaughtered in an export establishment shallbe dressed so that the carcass, head, meat, offal, and all other partsof the animal or poultry shall be identifiable from each other, until
meat inspection is complete.
(2) As soon as practicable after the slaughter of any animalor poultry, a meat inspector shall subject the carcass and all of itsparts to a post-mortem examination.
(3) No person shall remove any serous membrane from anycarcass, or remove, modify or obliterate any evidence of disease or defect in any carcass by washing, stripping, scraping or any othermanner, before post-mortem examination.
(4) No carcass, meat, offal or other edible parts shall beremoved from a slaughter floor until it has been inspected by a meatinspector and dealt with as required by him.
(5) When carrying out a post-mortem examination, the meat inspector may incise and remove any portion of the carcassmeat or offal, as he thinks necessary.
(6) The post-mortem examination of a carcass shall becarried out in accordance with the Slaughter and Meat InspectionRegulations, 1945, and any other requirements which the director
may impose.
(7) A carcass, meat, offal or parts of a carcass, which, inthe final opinion of a veterinary public health officer, are wholesome and fit for human consumption shall be passedunconditionally, and marked as inspected and passed.
(8) Any carcass, meat, offal or product which is detainedby a meat inspector shall be set aside and identified to thesatisfaction of a veterinary public health officer, pending the results
of further examinations or tests.
(9) The owner of a carcass, meat, offal or parts of a carcassshall furnish, without charge, such samples as may be required bya veterinary public health officer, for the purpose of testing or
further examination.
(10) Where a carcass, meat, offal or other part is found diseased, contaminated or unfit for human consumption by aveterinary public health officer, he shall order it to be identified and
disposed of to his satisfaction.
(11) Any carcass, meat, offal or other part passed as fit for human consumption must be protected from contamination of any sort, particularly rodents, insects, dust, refrigerants or odour-producing substances, until such time as it leaves the exportestablishment.
(12) Any blood intended for human consumption shall becollected in an export establishment-
(a) from an animal that has been passed at an ante-morteminspection as fit for slaughter; and
(b) in absolutely clean containers with hygienic instruments and is free from any contamination,
and, after collection, it shall be kept until the carcass from which it has been obtained has been passed as fit for human consumption.
Handling and disposal of condemned material
19. (1) When a carcass, meat. offal, entrails or any other product is condemned by a veterinary public health officer, it shall forthwith be placed in a clearly identified container or holding
area provided for the purpose.
(2) Where a carcass, meat, offal, entrails or any other partis condemned and required by a veterinary public health officer to be sterilized, it shall be the duty of the management of the
establishment to sterilize such parts in accordance with the requirements of the Second Schedule.
(3) Any carcass, meat, offal, entrails or other part that has been condemned shall not be removed from any export establishment, except under the direction of a veterinary public health officer.
(4) A meat inspector may give such direction as may appear to him necessary to ensure the adequate detention within the premises of an export establishment of any material that has been condemned.
(5) Any material produced by processing, in terms ofsection 24, shall be subject to such conditions and tests as thedirector may deem necessary.
(6) Subject to the written permission of a veterinary publichealth officer, specimens of material may be removed from anexport establishment for testing, teaching, research or other similar
purposes.
(7) If any carcass, meat, offal, entrails or parts thereof arecondemned, a certificate on Form P.E. 6 shall be issued to theowner of the material.
(8) Records shall be kept by a veterinary public healthofficer of all material that has been condemned, together withreasons therefor, and these records shall be kept for a period of
not less than thirty days, and shall be available for examination by the management of the export establishment or the owner of the material. 

Reference of the measure

Articles 17-19 

Measure also domestic

No 

Products affected by the measure.

Description

Carcasses, meat, offal or by-products of edible animals and poultry 

Countries/Regions affected by the measure.

Description

All countries