Meat safety and hygiene

In Northern Ireland, slaughterhouse operators should have their own clean livestock policy. This should be part of their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.

The policy is designed to make sure that all cattle and sheep presented for slaughter conform to an acceptable level of hygiene. This helps to prevent food poisoning caused by dirt or faeces on the animal's coat. Excrement and mud on coats could contaminate meat inside the slaughterhouse.

Inspection of animals

The responsibility for the production of safe food lies with the food business operator. You must use appropriate controls to show you are managing food safety. This includes cleanliness of animals at slaughter.

The slaughterhouse operator inspects animals at the ante-mortem stage for cleanliness and dryness. This check is against their own HACCP based procedures. These procedures will detail the actions they take when excessively dirty animals are presented for slaughter. This may include not slaughtering the animal until remedial action has been taken to meet the required standard of cleanliness. This is to help prevent the contamination of meat and reduce risks to public health.

Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials verify that the slaughterhouse operator carries out these checks. This helps ensure safe food on behalf of the Food Standards Agency in slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland.