Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Trader Notice: MH No. 34/2012
To: Operators of all approved meat establishments
Subject: Export of sheepmeat to South Africa
This is to inform you that agreement has been reached with the veterinary authorities in South Africa on the wording of a veterinary health certificate for the export of frozen mutton (deboned recognisable cuts) from Ireland to South Africa. The text of the agreed certificate is shown in Annex 1 below.
The South African authorities requested a list of the plants approved for the slaughter and cutting of sheepmeat destined for the South African market and a list was provided to them (see Annex 2). This was based on the list of plants approved by this Department for sheep slaughter and cutting of sheepmeat at the time that the information was sought.
Role of the Food Business Operator
If plant management wish to supply the South African market, they must advise the Veterinary Inspector in advance and draw up a Standard Operating Procedure, in consultation with the Veterinary Inspector.
The SOP must set out how the FBO produces sheep meat, which meets the criteria for certification and the measures the FBO will take to ensure the criteria are met. In particular the SOP must describe how:
- Only Sheep which are identified in accordance with EU regulations are selected
- Sheep from scrapie-restricted flocks are prevented from becoming part of consignments for South Africa.
A printout of the scrapie-restricted database will be circulated to all sheep slaughter plant VIs. Ongoing updates of this database will be made available as new flocks become scrapie-restricted or scrapie-derestricted as the case may be.
Auditable records must be provided to the official veterinarian on request and prior to any request for certification.
The FBO is to include own checks on the integrity of the systems for selection, segregation, labelling, boning and boxing of meat eligible for South Africa..
Certificates printed on the special security stationery may be requested by certifying officers through the usual channels.
______
Danielle Coll,
Meat Hygiene Section.
12thSeptember 2012
Annex 1
VETERINARY HEALTH CERTIFICATE FOR FROZEN MUTTON (DEBONED RECOGNISABLE CUTS) FROM THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND INTO SOUTH AFRICA
Certificate Nr.
South African Import Permit Number......
I - IDENTIFICATION OF MEAT
Species:
Nature of cuts:
Number of cuts or packages:
Type of packaging:
Net weight:
Date of slaughter:
Date of freezing;
II- ORIGIN OF MEAT
Name, address and veterinary control number of approved slaughterhouse:
Name, address and veterinary control number of approved cutting plant:
Name, address and veterinary control number of approved cold store:
The meat will be sent from (place of loading):
III- DESTINATION OF MEAT
Country and port of entry:
Means of transport:
Name of vessel / flight number:
Name and address of consignor:
Name and address of consignee:
IV - HEALTH CERTIFICATION
I, the undersigned official veterinarian, certify that:
- Disease freedom:
a)The Republic of Ireland has been officially declared free from foot and mouth disease without vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE),
b)The Republic of Ireland has also been officially declared free from vesicular stomatitis andPeste des Petitis Ruminants, Lumpy Skin Disease and Rift Valley Fever and Bluetongue
- As regards Scrapie:
a)Scrapie is an obligatory notifiable disease. A surveillance programme has been put in place. This programme is recognised by the South African Directorate: Animal Health.An ante-mortem inspection is carried out on every ovine animal presented at the slaughterhouse;
b)Every animal suspected of Scrapie is destroyed and the index flock is restricted pending the result from the official laboratory. The country practices a policy in relation to flocks declared to be affected by Scrapie in accordance with Regulation (EC) 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
c)During the deboning and the cutting of the meat described above, the visible nervous and lymphatic tissue has been removed.
d)The specified risk materials, as defined in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, have been systematically removed during the slaughtering process and disposed of as required by the legislation in force.
3.A traceability system is in place and effectively supervised;
4.The meat described above is derived from sheep:
a)which are identified according to the requirements of the European Union.
b)which have not been vaccinated during the 2 (two) months prior to slaughter with foot-and-mouth disease vaccine; which come from holdings where no veterinary restrictions are in force;
c)which were not slaughtered in a disease eradication campaign;
d) which were transported prior to slaughter and slaughtered in accordance with EU legislation
5.The animals from which the meat was derived:
a)have been subjected to ante-mortem and the meat to post-mortem veterinary inspection and, on this basis, found to be free from signs of disease.
b)The meat was obtained in accordance with the conditions governing the slaughter and handling of meat, contained in the EU Regulations 852/2004, 853/2004, 854/2004, 882/2004 and 183/2005 which are regarded to be equivalent to the Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No 40 of 2000) and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
6.The meat is safe and suitable for human consumption;
7.The meat is produced in EU-approved premises which are subjected to monitoring under the National Residue Control Programme (NRCP) to ensure that the meat does not contain levels exceeding the limits permitted by European Union regulations of any veterinary medicinal product, antiparasitic agent, heavy metal contaminant, beta-agonist or any substance having a thyrostatic, oestrogenic, androgenic or gestogenic action and other agents dangerous to human health.
8.The meat consists of only anatomically recognisable de-boned mutton cuts;
9.The abattoir(s) and cutting plant(s) of origin are approved by the National Executive Officer of South Africa.
10.The meat was frozen without undue delay post boning in accordance with Chapter VII, (4) of Regulation 853/2004
11.The meat was stored at a constant temperature in accordance with Chapter VII of Regulation 853/2004 and was at a temperature of -12oC or less at loading
12.The meat was handled hygienically at all times
13.The meat was transported in a vehicle / reefer container that conforms to accepted standards of cleanliness, construction, maintenance and operation,
14.All carcasses and parts bear the health mark(s); and all packaging and/or wrapping bear the identification mark(s) of the abattoir(s) and/or cutting plant(s) at which the animals were slaughtered and the meat handled.
15.Outer packaging bears the production code and brand names.
16, The meat was containerised and sealed at the abattoir/cutting plant/cold store under the supervision of an official (government) veterinarian.
Date containerised:
Container number: Sanitary seal number:
Official Stamp Signed …………………………….
Official Veterinarian
…………………………………………..
Name in block letters
Date ……………….. Address ……………………………………..
………………………………………………
………………………………………………
Annex 2
List of Irish Slaughter/Cutting Plants approved for export of Frozen Mutton to South Africa
Establishment Number / Name / Address / Approved for Sheep Slaughter / Approved for Sheepmeat Cutting268 / Kildare Chilling Company / Curragh Road,
Kildare / Yes / Yes
296 / Slaney Foods International / Ryland,
Bunclody,
Co Wexford / No / Yes
300 / ABP Cahir / Kilcommon,
Cahir,
Co Tipperary / No / Yes
313 / Kepak Athleague / Clooneykelly,
Athleague,
Co. Roscommon / Yes / Yes
317 / Kepak (Clonee) Ltd. / Clonee,
Co Meath / No / Yes
318 / Dawn Meats Ltd. / Carrolls Cross,
Kilmacthomas,
Co. Waterford / No / Yes
325 / Liffey Meats Ltd. / Ballyjamesduff,
Co Cavan / No / Yes
329 / Kepak Cork / Condonstown,
Watergrasshill,
Co. Cork / No / Yes
346 / Kepak Ltd. / Hacketstown,
Co. Carlow / Yes / Yes
363 / Irish Country Meats / Mullaghboy Industrial Estate,
Navan,
Co. Meath / Yes / Yes
364 / Dawn Ballyhaunis / Clare Road,
Ballyhaunis,
Co. Mayo / Yes / Yes
367 / Irish Country Meats Camolin / Baylands,
Camolin,
Co. Wexford / Yes / Yes
370 / Moyvalley Meats / Tanderagee,
Broadford,
Co. Kildare / Yes / Yes
371 / B & F Meats Ltd. / Pleberstown,
Thomastown,
Co. Kilkenny / Yes / Yes
372 / Martin Jennings Wholesale / Neale Road,
Ballinrobe,
Co Mayo / Yes / Yes
392 / Ballon Meats Ltd. / Raheen,
Ballon,
Co.Carlow / Yes / Yes
395 / Ballaghadereen Bacon Factory Ltd. / Magheraboy,
Sligo Road,
Ballaghaderreen,
Co. Roscommon / Yes / No
404 / Kavanagh Meats Ltd. / Moyne Lower,
Enniscorthy,
Co. Wexford / No / Yes
407 / Dunleavy Meats / Cooneal,
Ballina,
Co. Mayo / Yes / Yes
409 / Hilton Foods (Irl) Ltd. / Termonfeckin Road,
Drogheda,
Co. Louth / No / Yes
411 / Edenmore Farm Meats Ltd. / Coolatee,
Lifford,
Co. Donegal / Yes / No
538 / Tender Meats Ltd. / Unit 17B,
Canal Turn,
Clondalkin Industrial Estate,
Dublin 22 / No / Yes
552 / Q.K. Meats Ltd. / The Maudlins,
Naas,
Co Kildare / No / Yes
553 / Edenmore Farm Meats Ltd. / St. Johnston,
Co Donegal / No / Yes
568 / Isboye Associates Ltd T/A Branagan’s Quality Meat Processors / Unit 10 Rosemount Park Drive,
RosemountBusinessPark,
Ballycoolin,
Dublin 11 / No / Yes
576 / Divilly’s Ltd. / Carnmore,
Oranmore,
Co. Galway / No / Yes
782 / H & D Meats Ltd. / Unit E1 Chapelizod Industrial Estate,
Chapelizod,
Dublin 20 / No / Yes
2007 / Kepak Longford / Rostella,
Kilbeggan,
Co. Westmeath / No / Yes
2011 / O’Farrell Meats Ltd. / C.G.I.FoodPark,
Knockgriffin,
Midleton,
Co. Cork / No / Yes
2012 / Boyne Valley Meats Ltd. / Balgeeth,
Ardcath,
Garristown,
Co. Meath / No / Yes
2023 / VION McGee ROI Ltd. / Unit 2,
LoughEgishFoodPark,
Castleblayney,
Co. Monaghan / No / Yes
2026 / Fernwalk Traders Ltd. T/A/ Cork Bacon Curers / Unit 15 GreatIsland
EnterprisePark,
Ballincollig,
Co. Cork / No / Yes
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