VANS 4 BUTCHERS

Food premises are governed by numerous regulations to ensure that all food intended for human consumption is not rendered injurious to health. Any breaches of these laws would be considered as a criminal activity.

Information given here is that most relevent to independent retail butchers and small meat plants.

FOOD SAFETY ACT (1990):

This Act contains sixty sections and five schedules and seeks to achieve a balance between the need for prompt and effective control measures to deal with unsafe food but without hindering production of, or causing unnecessary costs, to the food industry.

It places responsibilities on traders not to render food injurious to health or to sell food not complying with food safety requirements. It also gives protection to consumers against traders who sell food not of the nature or substance or quality demanded. The balance of rights is achieved by giving traders a defence of all due diligence and all reasonable precautions together with the ability to allege that any offence was due to the act or omission of someone else.

FOOD STANDARDS ACT (1999):

The main purpose of this act was to establish the Food Standards Agency and to set out its main objective of protecting public health in relation to food together with the functions that it assumed in pursuit of that aim.

Regulations

There are a number of general regulations that affect food traders. This site lists the most common ones together with brief notes. Details of any particular law can be obtained either from NFMFT direct or from the members Essential Business Guide. News of proposed new regulations are often highlighted in “Hot off the Block” and our monthly journal, “Food Trader for Butchers.”

Regulation 852/2004- Hygiene of Foodstuffs:
Europe wide regulations that set out general hygiene rules for all food businesses. These registration, structural, cleaning, training, maintenance and HACCP requirements

Regulation 853/2004- Specific Hygiene Requirements for Food of Animal Origin:
Europe wide regulations setting out additional requirements for premises involved in slaughter and meat (and meat products) production. (NOTE: Retail butchers supplying direct to public from own premises are exempt when other supplies to other establishments are local or marginal. “Local” means within own county plus either the neighbouring county/counties or 30 miles from boundary of county. “Marginal” means up to a quarter of food turnover or 2 Tonnes a week).

Regulation 854/2004- Official Controls on Products of Animal Origin:
Europe wide rules that set out inspection and audit requirements for 853/2004 above.

Regulation 2073/2005- Microbiological Criteria:
Criteria for carcases and products emanating from plants to which 853/2004 applies.

Regulation 178/2002- EC General Food Law:
The overarching regulation for Europe that lays down the general principles and requirements of all European food law and established the European Food Safety Authority.

Food Hygiene (England/Wales) Regulations 2006:
These domestic regulations allow for the enforcement of European regulations and also incorporate temperature controls. These are virtually identical to the repealed 1995 regulations.

The Meat Products Regulations 2003:
There are no names prescribed by law for meat products. However there are “reserved descriptions (sausage, burger, pie etc.) Compositional standards, including meat content using the new definition, must be maintained when these names are used. The regulations set limits for the amount of fat and connective tissue that is allowed to count towards the total meat content. (Special guidance notes for butchers are available.)

Food Labelling Regulations 1996:
Extensive regulations, regularly amended, laying down comprehensive requirements for all food supplied. Loose weight sales remain exempt from a large part of the regulations.

In addition there are a number of regulations relating to Beef Labelling, BSE Controls, Organic Products, Wrapping Materials, Eggs, and GM etc.

WEIGHTS & MEASURES

Weighing Equipment used for the purchase and sale of meat & meat products must be of an approved pattern and be stamped for use for trade.

Whether sold pre packed or loose weight, the Cheese, Fish, Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Meat & Poultry Order 1984 requires that meat or poultry of any description is sold in accordance of this order.

METRICATION

It is illegal to use imperial measures alone for both pre-packs and for loose products sold from bulk. Metric measures must be used but an imperial equivalent may in addition be given as a supplementary indication.