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Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No. 40 of 2000)

Red Meat Regulations, 2004

Part II : Requirements for the Registration of Red Meat Abattoirs [Section 11(1)(A)]

A : Throughput and other requirements for grades

5. Requirements for low throughput red meat abattoirs

 

 

Considering the requirements set out in Part II B (1) and (2), for an abattoir to be graded as a low throughput red meat abattoir-

a) a maximum throughput of 20 units per day may not be exceeded, but if only one species is slaughtered per day, the maximum throughput is-
i) cattle, horses or sausage pigs larger than 90 kg - 20 units;
ii) sheep or goats - 40 units; or
iii) pigs - 30 units;

provided that the provincial executive officer may determine a lower maximum throughput for an abattoir on grounds of the capacity of the lairages, hourly throughput potential relative to available equipment and facilities including hanging space and chiller capacity;

b) the premises must be fenced and provided with a gate to control access of people and animals;
c) facilities to off-load animals humanely and from different vehicle levels must be provided;
d) a facility where livestock transport vehicles must be sanitized after off loading must be provided;
e) lairages and pens must be available to accommodate at least the throughput of one day;
f) separate areas must be provided where stunning, bleeding and dressing can be done with the understanding that the stunning area is also under roof and adjacent to the bleeding area;
g) a crush connecting the lairages to the restraining area must be provided;
h) a separate entrance must be provided to receive animals presented for emergency slaughter;
i) separate entrances and facilities for restraining and stunning must be provided for cattle, sheep or goats and pigs, respectively;
j) facilities for shackling stunned animals and bleeding in a hanging position must be provided;
k) a dressing rail must be provided;
l) the landing, shackling, bleeding and dressing areas must be separate areas except where eight or less units are slaughtered per day;
m) a side rail or hooks for carcasses and containers for offal, must be provided for condemned or detained carcasses and organs requiring secondary meat inspection;
n) a room must be provided where hides, skins, hair, heads, feet and inedible material are kept prior to removal, unless these parts are removed on a continuous basis;
o) a room where paunches and intestines are emptied, washed and kept must be provided;
p) the rooms mentioned in paragraphs (n) and (o) must -
i) be separate and adjacent to the dressing room and interconnected by means of a hatch, door or walkway; and
ii) have exterior doors for the removal of those materials;
q) separate chillers must be provided for the daily throughput-
i) of carcasses and red offal, unless the red offal is removed from the abattoir on a continuous basis but within four hours after an animal has been eviscerated, and if separate dispatch facilities have been provided for red offal; and
ii) of washed rough offal, unless washed rough offal is removed from the abattoir on a continuous basis but within four hours after an animal has been eviscerated;
r) where freezing facilities are not provided for treatment of conditionally passed measly carcasses at the abattoir, such facilities must be arranged elsewhere with the approval of the provincial executive officer;
s) a dispatch area equipped to quarter, sort and mark carcasses and red offal as well as a door for dispatching must be provided;
t) an entrance for personnel must be provided and must be designed as an ante-chamber for cleaning purposes and must be provided with hand wash-basins, soap dispensers, hand drying facilities, a boot wash, apron wash and hooks, and a refuse container, and separate facilities must be provided for both clean and dirty areas;
u) change room, shower, toilet as well as hand wash facilities must be provided on the premises for persons working at the abattoir;
v) dining facilities must be provided with tables and chairs or benches and must be situated so that personnel do not sit or lie on the ground or soil their protective clothing during rest periods;
w) a storage facility or room for items needed in the daily slaughter process must be provided;
x) if an office is required by the owner, a separate room must be provided;
y) rooms or facilities must be provided for-
i) storage of cleaning equipment and materials;
ii) cleaning and sterilization of movable equipment; and
z) a facility where meat transport vehicles must be sanitized must be provided.