MEAT [ S.L.231.11 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 231.11
MEAT REGULATIONS
1st May, 1978
LEGAL NOTICE 15 of 1977, as amended by Legal Notice 37 of 1984.
Title .
Interpretation.
advertise or keep for sale and to supply by way of compensation or
otherwise.
Inspection of 
animals.
3. (1) ( a ) An inspector shall, on an ante mortem inspection
of an animal, have the power to order the slaughter of the animal
and to condemn its carcase, if he suspects that the said animal is
suffering from any of the diseases or conditions listed in the
Schedule to these Regulations.
( b ) The slaughter of any such animal shall take place
in that part of the slaughterhouse reserved for slaughter of sick
animals, or in such other place and in such manner as may be
directed by the inspector in each particular case.
(2) An inspector shall, after having carried out an ante mortem
examination of an animal, if the animal is found to be suffering
from any disease or condition not listed in the Schedule, have the
power to keep the said animal under observation in such a place
and under such conditions as he thinks appropriate.
(3) An inspector shall, after inspecting the carcase of an
animal, regard the whole carcase and the offal and the blood as
unfit for human consumption if the animal wads suffering from any
of the diseases or conditions listed in the Schedule to these
regulations.
(4) An inspector shall regard as unfit for human consumption -
( a ) any stillborn or unborn carcase and any immature
carcase which is oedematous or in poor physical
condition as well as any offal or blood removed or
collected from any such carcase;
( b ) any animal which is far advanced in age;
( c ) (i) the blood of any animal affected with any
infectious disease or condition;
(ii) the blood of any animal if the blood is
contaminated by stomach contents or by other
extraneous matter, or by the blood of any other
animal affected with any infectious disease or
condition.
Carcase affected 
with tuberculosis.
4. (1) An inspector shall, if he is satisfied that the carcase or
offal is affected with tuberculosis, other than generalised
tuberculosis or tuberculosis with emaciation, regard the following
parts of the carcass and offal as unfit for human consumption:
( a ) any part of the carcase infected with localised
2 [ S.L.231.11 MEAT
tuberculosis and any other part contiguous thereto;
( b ) the head, including the tongue, when tuberculosis,
exists in any lymphatic gland associated with the head
or tongue;
( c ) any organ or viscera when tuberculosis exists in the
substance, or on the surface thereof, or in any
lymphatic gland associated therewith.
(2) An inspector shall regard any part of a carcase and any offal
or blood contaminated with tuberculosis material as unfit for
human consumption.
Carcase affected 
with localised 
cysticercus   bovis .
5. An inspector, if satisfied that any part of a carcase or offal is
affected with localised  cysticercus bovis  shall, after condemning
the affected part, regard as fit for human consumption the
remaining part of such carcase or offal on condition that it be kept
in cold storage at a temperature not exceeding -7º (20ºF) for a
period of not less than three weeksor at a temperature not
exceeding -10ºC (14°F) for a period of not less than 2 weeks, and
shall not release it as so fit except after the expiry of the said term.
Carcase affected 
by other diseases.
6. An inspector may, when satisfied that the whole or part of a
carcase or any offal is affected by any disease or condition not
mentioned in these regulations, regard as unfit for human
consumption the whole carcase and offal or such lesser part
thereof, as he may think appropriate in the circumstance.
Other unfit meat. 7. Meat declared to be unfit for human consumption and the
carcase of an animal suffering from rabies, glanders or anthrax
shall be destroyed by heat under the direction and supervision of an
inspector:
Provided that the Superintendent of Public Health may
allow any meat declared to be unfit for human consumption to be
used for industrial purposes under such conditions as he may deem
fit to impose.
Ill-treated animals. 8. (1) Animals which have been subjected to ill-treatment
shall not be slaughtered for human consumption before they have
recovered from such ill-treatment.
(2) For the purpose of this regulation, the fatigue caused by a
journey, any faulty method of conveyance, starvation, any violent
exercise and any brutal coercion shall be considered to be ill-
treatment.
Young bovines, 
etc., not to be 
slaughtered.
9. It shall not be lawful to slaughter any animal of the bovine,
caprine, ovine or equine species or swine, which has not attained an
age physical development sufficient to ensure a proper degree of
nutritiousness in its meat.
Stamp.
Cap. 231.
10. (1) The stamp used for the stamping of meat as required
by article 34 of the Food, Drugs and Drinking Water Act, shall be -
( a ) a stamp with “methyl violet” dye in the case of meat,
and
( b ) branding in the case of viscera,
MEAT [ S.L.231.11 3
bearing the date of slaughter and a letter corresponding to the
species to which the animal belongs.
(2) Every butcher shall constantly display in a conspicuous part
of his shop where meat is sold a facsimile (supplied by the
Government) of the impressions of the official stamps for stamping
of meat or viscera at the slaughterhouse.
Prohibition of sale 
of certain meat.
Substituted by:
L.N. 37 of 1984.
11. No person shall, without the permission of the
Superintendent of Public Health, acting on the advice of the
Principal Government Veterinary Surgeon, sell for human
consumption any meat or entrails not derived from animals of the
species commonly used as food in Malta.
Rabbits or poultry 
suffering from 
diseases.
12. (1) An inspector, after satisfying himself that any rabbit or
poultry was suffering from a disease when killed, or that it is in any
other way unwholesome or deteriorated, may declare the same to be
unfit for human consumption.
(2) The provisions of regulation 7 shall apply,  mutatis
mutandis , to any rabbit or poultry declared unfit under sub-
regulation (1).
Manner of 
slaughter.
13. The slaughtering of animals shall be carried out in such a
manner as will ensure that the animal is killed instantaneously, or is
rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes, in accordance
with the directions of the Principal Government Veterinary
Surgeon.
Employees in 
slaughterhouse.
14.  No person may be employed in a slaughterhouse without a
permit from the Superintendent of Public Health who may
withdraw or suspend such a permit in the case of misbehaviour or
other irregularity.
Protective 
clothing.
15. Any person who is employed or otherwise performs any
work whatsoever in a slaughterhouse shall, while within any part of
the slaughterhouse where animals are slaughtered, or where meat is
kept, stored, or offered for sale, wear protective clothing to the
satisfaction of the inspector.
Removal of meat 
from 
slaughterhouse.
S.L. 231.02
16. (1) No meat shall be removed from any slaughterhouse
without the permission of the inspector.
(2) No meat shall be conveyed from any slaughterhouse in any
vehicle which does not conform in all respects with the relative
provisions of the Food Hygiene Regulations.
Misbehaviour 
within 
slaughterhouse.
17. (1) Any person misbehaving or creating any disturbance
whatsoever in a slaughterhouse may be, at the discretion of the
inspector, asked to leave the slaughterhouse and/or prohibited from
entering the slaughterhouse during any period not exceeding one
month.
(2) Smoking in any part of the slaughterhouse as is referred to
in regulation 15 is prohibited.
Power of search.
liable to be searched.
Hours of work.
4 [ S.L.231.11 MEAT
inspected and/or removed from, a slaughterhouse during such hours
as shall appear on a notice affixed to the main entrance to the
slaughterhouse.
MEAT [ S.L.231.11 5
SCHEDULE
ABNORMAL ODOUR, ASSOCIATED WITH DISEASE OR OTHER
CONDITIONS, PREJUDICIAL TO HEALTH
ACTINOMYCOSIS (generalised)
ANAEMIA (advanced or infectious)
ANTHRAX
ACTINOBACILLOSIS (generalised)
AZOTURIA
BLACKLEG
BRUISING   (extensive and severe)
GASEOUS LYMPHADENITIS WITH EMACIATION
CASEDUS LYMPHADENITIS (generalised)
CYSTICERCUS BOVIS (generalised)
CYSTICERCUS CELLULOSAE
CYSTICERCUS OVIS (generalised)
DECOMPOSITION (generalised)
DOURINE
EMACIATION (pathological)
EXTENSIVE FISTULA
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
GANGRENOUS OR SEVERE HAEMORRHAGIC ENTERITIS OR GASTRITIS
GENERALISED PIGMENTARY DEPOSITS
GENERALISED OSTEOPOROSIS
GLANDERS
INFECTIOUS EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
INFLUENZA (acute)
JAUNDICE
MALIGNANT CATARRHAL FEVER
MASTITIS (acute septic)
METRITIS (acute septic)
OEDEMA (generalised)
PERICARDITIS (acute, septic)
PERITONITIS (acute, diffuse, septic)
PLEURISY (acute, diffuse, septic)
PNEUMONIA (acute, septic)
PURPURA HAEMORRHAGICA
PYAEMIA (including joint-ill)
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RABIES
SARCOCYSTS
SEPTICAEMIA OR TOXAEMIA
STRANGLES
SWINE ERYSIPELAS (acute)
SWINE FEVER (classical or African)
TETANUS
TOXIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (forage poisoning)
TRICHINOSIS
TUBERCULOSIS (generalized)
TUBERCULOSIS WITH EMACIATION
TUMOURS  ( a ) MALIGNANT WITH SECONDARY GROWTHS
( b ) MULTIPLE
URAEMIA
