RESIDUES IN MEAT [ S.L.231.32 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 231.32
RESIDUES IN MEAT REGULATIONS
1st October, 1998
Legal Notice 142 of 1998.
Title.
Regulations.
Interpretation.
"aquaculture animal" means live fish, crustaceans or molluscs
coming from a fish-farm, including those from the wild intended
for a farm;
"Director" means the Director of Veterinary Service;
"farm animal" means a domestic animal of the bovine, porcine,
ovine and caprine species, domestic solipeds and rabbits, wild
animals of those species and wild ruminants which have been
raised on a holding, as well as such aquaculture animals as are used
intensively;
"illegal treatment" means the use of unauthorized substances or
products, or the use of substances or products authorised under
special conditions;
"pet" means any companion animal;
"sale" includes to offer, expose, advertise or keep for sale and
supply by way of compensation or otherwise;
"therapeutic treatment" means the administering, under
regulation 5, to an individual farm animal an authorised substance
to treat, after examination by a veterinarian, a fertility problem,
including the termination of unwanted gestation, and, in the case of
beta-agonists, to induce tocolysis in cows when calving, to treat
respiratory problems, and to induce tocolysis in equidae raised for
specific purposes other than meat production;
"veterinarian" means a licensed veterinary surgeon;
"zootechnical treatment" means the administering of any
substance -
( a ) to an individual farm animal, authorised under
regulation 6, for synchronizing oestrus, and preparing
donors and recipients for the implantation of embryos,
after examination of the animal by a veterinarian, or,
in accordance with the proviso to regulation 6(1),
under his responsibility; and
( b ) in the case of aquaculture animals, to a group of
breeding animals for sex inversion on a veterinarian’s
prescription and under his responsibility.
Prohibition of 
chemical products.
3. The Director shall prohibit:
( a ) the placing on the market of stibenes, stilbene
2 [ S.L.234.32 RESIDUES IN MEAT
derivatives, their salts and esters; thyrostatic
substances; and chloramphenicol or any salt or ester
thereof, for administering to animals of all species;
and
( b ) the placing on the market of beta-agonists for
administering to animals the flesh and products of
which are intended for human consumption and for
other purposes other than those provided for in
regulation 5( b ).
Further 
prohibitions.
4. The Director shall furthermore prohibit:
( a ) the administering to a farm aquaculture animal, by any
means whatsoever, of substances having a thyrostatic,
oestrogenic, androgenic or gestagenic action,
chloramphenicol and beta-agonists;
( b ) the holding, except under offcial control, of animals
referred to in paragraph ( a ) on a fish-farm, the placing
on the market or slaughter for human consumption of
farm animals or of aquaculture animals which contain
the substances referred to in paragraph ( a ) or in which
the presence of such substances has been established,
unless proof can be given that the animals in question
have been treated in accordance with regulation 5 or 6;
( c ) the placing on the market for human consumption of
aquaculture animals to which substances referred to in
paragraph ( a ) have been administered, and of
processed products derived from such animals;
( d ) the placing on the market of meat of the animals
referred to in paragraph ( b ); and
( e ) the processing of the meat referred to in paragraph ( d ).
Limitations. 5. (1) Notwithstanding regulations 3 and 4, the Director may
authorise -
( a ) the administering to farm animals, for therapeutic
purposes, of oestradiol 17ß, testosterone, progesterone
and derivatives which readily yield the parent
compound on hydrolysis after absorption at the site of
application. Veterinary medicinal products used for
therapeutic treatment must be administered only by a
veterinarian, by injection or for the treatment of
ovarian dysfunction in the form of vaginal spirals but
not by implant, to farm animals which have been
clearly identified. Treatment of identified animals
must be registered by the veterinarian responsible
therefor who shall record at least the following details
in a register:
- the type of treatment,
- the type of products authorised,
- the date of treatment,
- the identity of the animals treated,
- the identity of the establishment where the
RESIDUES IN MEAT [ S.L.231.32 3
animals treated are housed.
The register must be made available to the competent
authority at its request;
( b ) the administration for therapeutic purposes of
authorised veterinary medicinal products containing:
(i) allyl trenbolone, administered orally, or beta-
agonists to equidae and pets provided they are
used in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions;
(ii) beta-agonists, in the form of an injection to
induce tocolysis in cows when calving:
Provided that these substances must be
administered by a veterinarian or, in the case of the
veterinary medicinal products referred to in
sub-paragraph (i), under his direct responsibility.
Treatment by such substances must be registered by
the veterinarian responsible therefor, who shall record
at least the details referred to in paragraph ( a ).
(2) Farmers shall be prohibited from holding veterinary
medicinal products containing beta-agonists which may be used for
induction in the treatment of tocolysis:
Provided that, without prejudice to the proviso to
paragraph ( b ), the therapeutic treatment of production animals,
including breeding animals, at the end of their reproductive life,
shall be prohibited.
Zootechnical 
treatment.
6. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 4( a ) and
without prejudice to regulation 3, the Director may authorise the
administering to farm animals, for the purpose of zootechnical
treatment, of veterinary medicinal products having an oestrogenic,
androgenic or gestagenic action. Such veterinary medicinal
products must be administered by a veterinarian to clearly
identified animals, and the treatment must be recorded by the
veterinarian responsible therefor in accordance with regulation
5( a ):
Provided that the Director may allow the synchronization
of oestrus, the interruption of pregnancy and the preparation of
donors and recipients for the implantation of embryos to be
effected not directly by the veterinarian, but under his
responsibility.
(2) With regard to aquaculture animals, young fish may be
treated for the first three months for the purpose of sex inversion
with veterinary medicinal products that have an androgenous action
and which are authorised by the Director for that purpose.
(3) In the cases provided for in this regulation, the veterinarian
shall make out a non-renewable prescription specifying the
treatment in question and the quantity of the product required, and
shall record the products prescribed:
Provided that zootechnical treatment of production
animals, including during the fattening period for breeding animals
4 [ S.L.234.32 RESIDUES IN MEAT
at the end of their reproductive life, shall be prohibited.
Hormonal 
products.
7. ( a ) The use of the following hormonal products is not
authorised:
(i) products acting as a deposit;
(ii) products with a withdrawal period of more than
fifteen days after the end of treatment;
(iii) products: 
- whose conditions of use are not known,
- for which no reagents or equipment exist to
detect the presence of residues in excess of
the permitted limits in the case of analytical
techniques.
( b ) The use of veterinary medicinal products containing
beta-agonists which have a withdrawal period of more
than twenty-eight days after the end of treatment is not
authorized.
Trade 
requirements.
8. ( a ) For the purpose of trade, the Director may authorise
the placing on the market of animals for breeding that
have undergone treatment referred to in regulations 5
and 6, and may authorise the affixing of the veterinary
stamp to meat from such animals where the conditions
laid down in regulations 5 and 6 and the minimum
withdrawal periods laid down in regulation 7 under
paragraphs ( a )(ii) or ( b ) respectively, or the
withdrawal periods provided for in the authorization to
place on the market, are complied with:
Provided that trade in high-value horses, in
particular racehorses, competition horses, circus horses
or horses intended for study purposes or for
exhibitions, including registered equidae to which
veterinary medical products containing allyl
trenbolone or beta-agonists have been administered for
the purposes referred to in regulation 5, may take place
before the end of the withdrawal period provided that
the conditions governing administration are fulfilled
and that the type and date of treatment are entered on
the certificate or passport accompanying such animals.
( b ) Meat or products from animals to which substances
having an oestrogenic, androgenic or gestagenic action
and to which beta-agonists have been administered in
accordance with the dispensatory provisions of these
regulations, may not be placed on the market for
human consumption unless such animals have been
treated with veterinary medicinal products complying
with the requirements of regulation 7, and in so far as
the withdrawal period laid down was observed before
the animals were slaughtered.
Further checks by 
the Director.
9. The Director shall ensure that -
( a ) at the time of the import, manufacture, storage,
distribution, sale and use of the substances referred to
RESIDUES IN MEAT [ S.L.231.32 5
in regulations 3 and 4( a ), their possession is restricted
to the authorised persons;
( b ) checks are carried out by the competent authorities
without prior notice with a view to ascertaining facts
relating to -
(i) the possession or presence of substances or
products prohibited under regulation 3 intended
to be administered to animals for the purpose of
fattening;
(ii) the illegal treatment of animals;
(iii) failure to observe the withdrawal periods
provided for in regulation 7;
(iv) failure to observe the restrictions on the use of
substances or products laid down in regulations
5 and 6;
( c ) tests are carried out to detect the presence of -
(i) the substances referred to in paragraph ( a ) in
animals, in the drinking water of animals, and in
all places where animals are bred or kept;
(ii) residues of the aforementioned substances in
live animals, in their excrement and body fluids,
and in animal tissues and products; and
( d ) where the checks provided for in paragraphs ( b ) and
( c ) reveal -
(i) the presence of substances or products the use or
possession of which is prohibited, or the
presence of residues of substances the
administration of which is classified under the
heading of illegal treatment, such substances or
products should be confiscated, while any
animals treated with such substances or meat
therefrom should be placed under official
supervision until the requisite penalties have
been applied;
(ii) in the case of failure of compliance with the
requirements of paragraphs ( b )(ii) and (iii), the
competent authority should take appropriate
measures consistent with the gravity of the
infringement.
Purchase and sale 
records.
10. Undertakings buying or producing substances having a
thyrostatic, oestrogenic, androgenic or gestagenic action and beta-
agonists, undertakings authorised in any capacity to market such
substances, and undertakings buying or producing pharmaceutical
and veterinary medicinal products from such substances, shall be
required to keep registers detailing, in chronological order,
quantities produced or acquired, and those sold or used for the
production of pharmaceutical and veterinary medicinal products,
and the names of the persons to whom such quantities were sold or
from whom they are purchased. Such information must be made
available to the Director at his request and, in the case of
6 [ S.L.234.32 RESIDUES IN MEAT
computerized records, it shall be made available in the form of a
print-out.
Import 
requirements.
11. ( a ) Countries whose legislation authorises the placing on
the market and the administration of stilbenes, stilbene
derivatives, their salts and esters, thyrostatic
substances or chloramphenicol, for administering to
animals of all species, will not appear on any of the
lists which authorise the importation of farm or
aquaculture animals or meat or products obtained from
such animals.
( b ) The Director shall also prohibit the importation of:
(i) farm or aquaculture animals
- to which substances or products referred to
in regulation 3( a ) have been administered by
any means whatsoever;
- to which substances or products referred to
in paragraph regulation 4( a ) have been
administered, unless those substances or
products were administered in compliance
with the provisions and requirements laid
down in regulations 5, 6 and 8, and the
withdrawal periods allowed in international
recommendations have been observed; and
(ii) meat or products obtained from animals the
importation of which is prohibited under
sub-paragraph (i).
( c ) Animals intended for breeding, breeding animals at the
end of their reproductive life, or meat therefrom, may
be imported from countries which provide guarantees
at least equivalent to those laid down in these
regulations.
( d ) Checks on imports shall be carried out by the Director.
