CHAPTER III: DECISIONS CONCERNING LIVE ANIMALS

The official veterinarian is to verify compliance with the food business operator's duty under Regulation (EC) No .../2004 Note for Official Journal: Insert No of Regulation laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (see recital 1, 2nd Regulation). to ensure that animals accepted for slaughter for human consumption are properly identified. The official veterinarian is to ensure that animals whose identity is not reasonably ascertainable are killed separately and declared unfit for human consumption. Whenever the official veterinarian considers it necessary, official controls are to be carried out on the holding of provenance. When there are overriding animal welfare considerations, horses may undergo slaughter at the slaughterhouse even if the legally required information concerning their identity has not been supplied. However, this information must be supplied before the carcase may be declared fit for human consumption. These requirements also apply in the case of emergency slaughter of horses outside the slaughterhouse. The official veterinarian is to verify compliance with the food business operator's duty under Regulation (EC) No .../2004 to ensure that animals that have such hide, skin or fleece conditions that there is an unacceptable risk of contamination of the meat during slaughter are not slaughtered for human consumption unless they are cleaned beforehand. Animals with a disease or condition that may be transmitted to animals or humans through handling or eating meat and, in general, animals showing clinical signs of systemic disease or emaciation, are not to be slaughtered for human consumption. Such animals must be killed separately, under conditions such that other animals or carcases can not be contaminated, and declared unfit for human consumption. The slaughter of animals suspected of having a disease or condition that may adversely affect human or animal health is to be deferred. Such animals are to undergo detailed ante-mortem examination in order to make a diagnosis. In addition, the official veterinarian may decide that sampling and laboratory examinations are to take place to supplement post-mortem inspection. If necessary, the animals are to be slaughtered separately or at the end of normal slaughtering, taking all necessary precautions to avoid contamination of other meat. Animals that might contain residues of veterinary medicinal products in excess of the levels laid down in accordance with Community legislation, or residues of forbidden substances, are to be dealt with in accordance with Directive 96/23/EC. The official veterinarian is to impose the conditions under which animals are to be dealt with under a specific scheme for the eradication or control of a specific disease, such as brucellosis or tuberculosis, or zoonotic agents such as salmonella, under his/her direct supervision. The competent authority is to determine the conditions under which such animals may be slaughtered. These conditions must have the aim of minimising contamination of other animals and the meat of other animals. Animals that are presented to a slaughterhouse for slaughter must as a general rule be slaughtered there. However, in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious breakdown of the slaughter facilities, the official veterinarian may allow direct movements to another slaughterhouse.

← anx_I__cpt_1__cpt_2__cpt_2__point_5__text_1 · All articles · 1. →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-04 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.