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Vanuatu Consolidated Legislation - 1988 |
Repealed
LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU
REVISED EDITION 1988
CHAPTER 99
ABATTOIRS
JR 18 of 1977
JR 31 of 1979
Act 4 of 1986
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
5. Application for certificate of approval
6. Certificate of approval to relate to single abattoir
11. Washing room
12. Rails for transporting animals
13. Equipment
15. Cold storage
16. Stand-by facilities
17. Steriliser
22. Cattle to be rested before slaughter
23. Pigs and cattle not to be slaughtered on same day
31. Destruction of unfit meat
32. Register of animals slaughtered
33. Inspection of abattoirs
34. Notice to remedy defects
SCHEDULE-Application for a certificate of approval of an abattoir
---------------------------------------
ABATTOIRS
To regulate the slaughter of animals for meat for sale in Luganville, Port Vila or overseas.
INTERPRETATION
"abattoir" means any place used for the slaughter of animals for human consumption;
"approved abattoir" means an abattoir in respect of which a certificate of approval has been issued by the Minister following an application made to him under section 5;
"meat" means the flesh of any animal of the bovine, ovine, equine, caprine or porcine species;
"meat inspector" means any person appointed to inspect meat or products of animal origin by the Minister under the provisions of section 2 of this Act;
"Minister" means the Minister responsible for agriculture and livestock;
"stock-breeder" means the owner of any animal who takes or causes it to be taken to an abattoir with the intention of having it slaughtered so that its flesh may be used for human consumption;
"veterinary officer" means a veterinarian employed in the service of the Government.
APPOINTMENT OF MEAT INSPECTORS
ABATTOIRS TO BE APPROVED
EXEMPTIONS
(a) (i) who is a small beef producer;
(ii) sells insufficient cattle to permit their economic transportation to approved abattoirs; and
(iii) does not have reasonable access to a stock yard having a ramp for loading live cattle onto a stock transporter; or
(b) who in the opinion of a veterinary officer is killing wild and unmanageable cattle.
(2) A person granted an exemption under subsection (1) -
(a) may sell carcass meat to a buyer granted a permit under subsection (3); and
(b) shall abide by any conditions relating to hygiene and other matters that the officer granting the exemption may include in the exemption.
(3) No person may purchase carcass meat from a person granted an exemption under subsection (1) unless he has been granted a permit in writing by a veterinary officer permitting him to purchase carcass meat from that exempted person or generally from persons granted an exemption under subsection (1).
(4) A person granted a permit under subsection (3) shall not export from Vanuatu carcass meat purchased by authority of the permit.
(5) Exemptions and permits granted in accordance with this section shall each be for a definite period of time.
(6) A veterinary officer may at any time revoke an exemption or permit granted under this section.
(7) A person who fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section or any condition in an exemption or permit granted in accordance with its provisions commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine of VT80,000 or imprisonment for 2 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
(2) The application for a certificate of approval of an abattoir shall be endorsed by the principal veterinary officer, who shall forward 2 copies to the Minister.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL TO RELATE TO SINGLE ABATTOIR
(2) Any change in the ownership or management of an approved abattoir shall be notified within 14 days to the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MEAT EXPORT PROCESSING ESTABLISHMENTS
REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT OF CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
(2) In the case of every approved abattoir -
(a) the premises shall be enclosed on all sides with a wall of permanent materials, the interior of which shall be smooth, imperishable, waterproof, unbreakable and non-corrodible;
(b) all corners of the interior of the premises shall be so constructed as to be concave or convex to facilitate cleaning;
(c) the roof shall be of permanent material and there shall be no space between roof and walls;
(d) the floors shall be of permanent, waterproof, non-slip materials and drained by means of gutters covered by removable gratings and provided with an adequate slope;
(e) all drainage from the premises shall be led underground for a distance of at least 100 metres and then disposed of in such a manner as not to cause nuisance by reason of the breeding of flies or other insects and so as to prevent access by any person or animal;
(f) all doors shall be of the automatically closing type and separated from the outside by means of a space enclosed on the other side by a screen designed to prevent entry of flies:
Provided that, as an alternative, the doorways may be provided with an automatic draught to prevent the entry of dust or flies;
(g) The premises shall be adequately lighted by windows or open spaces separated from the outside by fly-proof screens. If opening glass windows are provided, the space must be separated from the outside by fly-proof screens;
(h) artificial lighting of such type and intensity as not to modify or distort colours shall be provided in any areas which are inaccessible to daylight and shall be adequate for all work to be performed therein;
(i) adequate ventilation shall be provided and any spaces leading to the outside will be protected by fly-proof screens. If at ground level, these spaces shall also be rat-proof; and
(j) entry for animals shall be regulated in such a way that no animal can enter the dressing area until it has been killed, washed and bled.
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
WATER SUPPLY
(2) All water supplied to the abattoir shall meet the standard of potability required for human consumption in the urban areas of Port Vila and Luganville.
WASHING ROOM
RAILS FOR TRANSPORTING ANIMALS
EQUIPMENT
(a) easily washable metal or plastic wheeled containers for the removal of stomachs and intestines of slaughtered animals;
(b) hooks, trays and tables to permit the inspection of offal and heads; and
(c) equipment for holding, cutting, scrapping, hoisting of carcasses or their parts.
INTERNAL WATER SUPPLY
COLD STORAGE
STAND-BY FACILITIES
STERILISER
PROVISION OF ANIMAL ENCLOSURES
PROVISION OF TRANSPORT
PROVISION OF CLOTHING
PERSONAL HYGIENE
(2) No person shall smoke in an abattoir.
CATTLE TO BE RESTED BEFORE SLAUGHTER
PIGS AND CATTLE NOT TO BE SLAUGHTERED ON SAME DAY
NOTIFICATION OF SLAUGHTER
INSPECTION OF ANIMALS
(2) Any animal found upon inspection to be unhealthy shall be separated from others awaiting slaughter.
(3) Any animal suspected by a veterinary officer to be suffering from any contagious disease shall be removed from the premises of the abattoir and returned at the expense of the owner of the animal to its place of origin pending further examination by the veterinary officer. Slaughter and destruction of such an animal may take place at its place of origin depending upon the decision of the veterinary officer.
(4) The responsibility of removal of the animal from the abattoir shall rest with the owner of the animal who shall be allowed a period of up to 12 hours in which to effect such removal. In the event of failure to remove the animal within this period the veterinary officer may order the removal of the animal at the owner's expense for its immediate destruction.
METHOD OF SLAUGHTER
(2) The animal shall be slung up immediately after the major blood vessels in the neck have been severed.
(3) No person shall cause or permit any animal other than those to be slaughtered to enter an abattoir.
(4) All waste meats shall be placed in a receptacle especially provided for the purpose.
(5) No person shall inject any air under the hide of an animal to facilitate its removal.
(6) No person shall wipe any carcass with a cloth.
(7) No person shall empty the abdominal organs elsewhere than in the place especially provided for this purpose.
(8) No person shall bleed a carcass elsewhere than in the place especially provided for this purpose.
USE OF CONTAINER FOR VISCERA
USE OF COLD STORE
(2) Carcasses shall be suspended in the cold store in such a way that they cannot touch either the floor or walls of the room or each other and so that adequate space is left for an inspecting officer to pass between the rows of carcasses.
MEAT INSPECTION
GRADING OF MEAT
DESTRUCTION OF UNFIT MEAT
REGISTER OF ANIMALS SLAUGHTERED
(d) date of slaughter;
(e) sex and age of the animal;
(f) weight of the carcass; and
(g) grade of the carcass.
INSPECTION OF ABATTOIRS
NOTICE TO REMEDY DEFAULTS
(2) Such notification shall specify the period of time which the owner shall be given for the purpose of effecting the said alterations or improvements, provided that such period shall not exceed 3 months from the date of the notification being received by the owner or his agent.
(3) Should the specified period be exceeded, the principal veterinary officer may apply to the court for an order that the abattoir be closed until such time as the required alterations or improvements have been completed to the satisfaction of the principal veterinary officer:
Provided that such closure shall be without prejudice to the institution of proceedings against the owner of the abattoir under the provisions of section 35.
ANNULMENT OF CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
(a) following the issue of an order under section 34(3) the owner of the abattoir has failed within 3 months to comply with the notice served under section 34(1); or
(b) at the time that proceedings are instituted under section 36(2) the principal veterinary officer so requests,
the court may order the annulment of the certificate of approval of the abattoir issued under section 3:
Provided always that it shall be open to the holder of the certificate to show cause why such order should not be made.
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES
(2) Any person who fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act relating to the construction, equipping or operation of an abattoir or the slaughter of animals or who obstructs a veterinary officer or meat inspector or any police officer in the exercise of his duties under this Act shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding VT50,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 3 months or to both such fine and imprisonment.
(3) Any person who fails to comply with a provisional or a final closure order issued under the provisions of section 34(3) or 35 shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding VT100,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 6 months or to both such fine and imprisonment.
ENFORCEMENT OF ACT
37. The principal veterinary officer is charged with the application of this Act.
REGULATIONS
SCHEDULE
Application for a certificate of approval of an abattoir
Name of applicant ...............................................................................................................
Postal address .....................................................................................................................
Full postal address of abattoir premises ...............................................................................
Is building already completed? ............................................................................................
Has it previously been in operation? ....................................................................................
If not, submit plans .............................................................................................................
State Area in m2 of: killing space .....................................................................................
dressing space ..................................................................................
cold storage .....................................................................................
lairage ..............................................................................................
Number of pens in lairage ..................................................................................................
Total number of animals to be accommodated in lairage ....................................................
Type of equipment to be used for slaughter, cutting, transport and disposal of carcasses: (list on separate sheet if necessary) .......................................................................................
Sterilisation facilities ..........................................................................................................
Washing facilities ................................................................................................................
Electricity: State voltage, phases, total available load KW ..................................................
Water: Source of supply ......................................................................................................
Treatment ...............................................................................................................
Storage capacity ......................................................................................................
Pressure available ....................................................................................................
Stand-by systems available for -
Give details
Cold Storage Water Electricity
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Drainage: where and how disposed: ....................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
Disposal of waste: ...............................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
Number of workers employed: ............................................................................................
Date ...................................................... Signature ......................................................
This application has been submitted to me, and is in order.
Principal Veterinary Officer
Date
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URL: http://www.paclii.org/vu/legis/consol_act1988/aa117