IE
S.I. No. 8/1994 - European Communities (Beef Carcase Classification) Regulations, 1994.
Table of Provisions (11)
Statutory Text (11 Articles)
1. In the form set out in Part I of this Schedule—
"carcase no." means the number referred to in Regulation 6 (2) of these Regulations;
"cat." means category;
"conf." means conformation;
"date" means the date for which the daily classification sheet is prepared;
"factory code" means the code which the Minister has assigned to the export premises concerned for the purposes of the Community Regulations;
"inter grade" means intervention grade;
"officer code" means the code assigned by the Minister to a classification officer for the purposes of the Community Regulations;
the references to "side 1" and "side 2" are references to the respective weight of each side of a carcase where it is cut into two parts;
the "sheet number" shall be the number specified in paragraph 3 of this Part;
the "sheet type" shall be the number "1" unless the Minister directs otherwise;
"tag no." means the identification numbers or letters borne by the approved ear tag (within the meaning of the Bovine Tuberculosis (Attestation of the State and General Provisions) Order, 1989 (
S.I. No. 308 of 1989
)) that was attached to the animal from which the carcase has been derived.
2. If all of the determination made in relation to carcases on a particular day cannot be recorded on the one daily classification sheet, one or more further sheets shall be used.
3. The daily classification sheet or the first daily classification sheet, as the case may be, for a particular day shall bear as its sheet number, the number "1", and each subsequent sheet, as the case may be, for that day shall be numbered consecutively upwards accordingly.
4. (1) Subject to subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, the officer code to be entered on the daily classification sheet shall be the officer code of the classification officer who has made the determinations of conformation, fat cover and category in relation to carcases recorded on the sheet.
(2) If more than one classification officer has made the determinations of conformation, fat cover and category in relation to carcases recorded on a daily classification sheet—
(
a
) the officer code to be entered on the daily classification sheet shall be that of the classification officer who made the determination of conformation, fat cover and category in relation to the first carcase recorded on the sheet,
and
(
b
) for the purpose of identifying the classification officer who made the determinations in relation to a particular carcase recorded on the daily classification sheet the following provisions (with such modifications thereto as the Minister may from time to time direct to ensure the proper operation of this clause) shall have effect—
(i) the classification officer referred to in clause (a) of this subparagraph shall on the left hand margin of the sheet sign his initials or enter his officer code opposite the mention of the number of the last carcase recorded on the sheet that he has weighed or supervised the weighing of before being succeeded by another classification officer in the duties of making determination on the day concerned,
(ii) the classification officer who succeeds the first-mentioned officer shall sign his initials or enter his officer code on the left hand margin of the sheet opposite the mention of the number of the first carcase that he has made determinations in relation to after succeeding the other officer,
(iii) if the first-mentioned officer or another classification officer succeeds the second-mentioned officer in the duties of making determination on the day concerned and the determinations in relation to the first carcase made by that officer after succeeding the second-mentioned officer are entered on the same sheet then that officer and the second-mentioned officer shall sign their respective initials or enter their officer codes on the sheet in accordance with the preceeding provisions of this clause.
SIXTH SCHEDULE
Regulation 7
Form of Classification of Beef Carcases Return to Vendor Classification of Beef Carcases Return to Vendor
Name of export premises: ............................................................ ............................................................ ..........
Date of slaughter: ............................................................ ............................................................ .......................
Ear Tag Number
Carcase Number
Cold Weight (kgs.)
Category*
Conformation Class
Degree of Fat Cover
*The following letters denote the following categories of carcase, namely
A = Young Bull
B = Bull
C = Steer
D = Cow
E = Heifer
Name of Employee of Slaughterer
............................................................ ...........................................
Date
............................................................ .........................
GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 21st day of January, 1994.
JOE WALSH,
Minister for Agriculture, Food and
Forestry.
EXPLANATORY NOTE.
These Regulations pertain to the labelling, stamping and classification of adult bovine animals slaughtered at meat export premises. These regulations also concern the identification of carcases by reference to conformation, fat class, sex category and weight.
5. (1) Immediately after the determinations referred to in Regulation 3 of these Regulations have been made in relationto a carcase the slaughterer shall record in writing those determinations on a sheet (a "daily classification sheet"). The recording of the said determinations shall be supervised by a classification officer.
(2) A daily classification sheet shall be in the form specified in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to these Regulations. Part II of the said Schedule shall have effect for the purposes of Part I of the said Schedule.
(3) Each daily classification sheet shall be retained for a period of four years from the date on which it is prepared.
(4) The slaughterer shall furnish to a classification officer on each day on which adult bovine animals are slaughtered at an export premises two clear copies of the daily classification sheet or sheets relating to those animals.
6. (1) The slaughterer shall establish and operate a system of identification of carcases that is adequate to enable the information in relation to the conformation, fat cover, categories and weights of carcases and the prices paid by him to vendors for the live bovine animals from which the carcases derive to be related to the animals from which the carcases are derived and to enable each carcase to be identified.
(2) (
a
) Subject to subparagraph (
b
) of this paragraph, for the purposes of this Regulation—
(i) the first carcase weighed at an export premises on the commencement of these Regulations shall be assigned the number 0001,
(ii) each subsequent carcase weighed at the export premises shall be consecutively assigned the next highest four digit number.
(
b
) Where a carcase is assigned the number 9999 under subparagraph (
a
) (ii) of this paragraph (including that subparagraph as applied by this subparagraph) the next carcase weighed at the export premises concerned shall be assigned the number 0001 and the said subparagraph (
a
) (ii) shall apply to subsequent carcases weighed at the export premises concerned.
(3) The assignment of a number to a carcase under this Regulation shall be done within one hour of slaughter of the bovine animal concerned.
7. The slaughterer shall, at the time of payment for live bovine animals which have been purchased by him on a carcase weight basis, furnish to the vendor thereof a statement in relation to the animals, in the form set out in the Sixth Schedule to these Regulations, of the determinations under Regulation 3 of these Regulations in relation to the carcases of the animals.
8. (1) A classification officer may—
(
a
) at all reasonable times enter any premises in which he has reasonable grounds for believing are kept daily classification sheets or records or other documents in relation to prices paid by the slaughterer to vendors for live bovine animals or copies of, or extracts from daily classification sheets or such records or documents,
(
b
) require any person to produce to him any books, records or other documents which are in the person's control, possession or procurement and which the officer has reasonable grounds for believing to be daily classification sheets or such records or documents as are referred to in subparagraph (
a
) of this paragraph or copies of or extracts from daily classification sheets or such records or documents and to give to him such information as he may reasonably require in regard to any entries in the books, records or other documents produced to him,
(
c
) inspect, make copies of and take extracts from any books, records or documents produced to him,
(
d
) in the case of a carcase which he believes to have been labelled, stamped or dressed otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations or to have been incorrectly weighed, detain the carcase for such period as may be required for the purpose of investigating whether there has been a contravention of these Regulations in respect of that carcase.
(2) The slaughterer shall provide such facilities for a classification officer as he may reasonably request for the purposes of the performance of his functions under these Regulations and the Community Regulations.
(3) Where carcases at an export premises have been found by a classification officer to have been labelled, stamped or dressed otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations or to have been incorrectly weighed that classification officer or any other classification officer may refuse to make determinations under Regulation 3 of these Regulations in respect of other carcases at that premises for such period as may be required (not exceeding 24 hours from the time of the making of the aforesaid finding) for the purpose of enabling one or more classification officers to investigate whether there has been a contravention of these Regulations in respect of the first-mentioned carcases.
9. (1) A person who contravenes a provision of the Community Regulations or these Regulations or who fails to comply with a requirement under Regulation 8 (1) (
b
) of these Regulations or who obstructs, hinders or interferes with a classification officer when he is exercising a power conferred by these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
(2) (
a
) Where an offence under these Regulations is committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of a person being a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, that person as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.
(
b
) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, subparagraph (
a
) of this paragraph shall apply in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.
(3) It shall not be a defence to a prosecution alleging a contravention of Regulation 3, 4 (1) or 5 (1) of these Regulations to show that there was any failure by a classification officer to exercise the supervision required by the provision concerned.
(4) An offence under this Regulation may be prosecuted by the Minister.
10. The European Communities (Beef Carcase Classification) Regulations 1982, (
S.I. No. 320 of 1982
), and the European Communities (Beef Carcase Classification) (Amendment) Regulations, 1991 (
S.I. No. 223 of 1991
), are hereby revoked.
Regulation 3(2)
FIRST SCHEDULE
Conformation
Development of carcase profiles, in particular the essential parts (round, back, shoulder).
Class
Description
E
excellent
All profiles convex to superconvex; exceptional muscle development
Round
Back
Shoulder
very rounded; topside spreads markedly over the symphysis (symphysis pelvis)
wide and very thick, up to the shoulder; rump very rounded
very rounded
U
very good
Profiles on the whole convex; very good muscle development
Round
Back
Shoulder
rounded; topside spreads over the symphysis
wide and thick up to the shoulder; rump rounded
rounded
R
good
Profiles on the whole straight; good muscle development
Round
Back
Shoulder
well developed; topside and rump are slightly rounded
still thick but less wide at the shoulder
fairly well developed
O
fair
Profiles straight to concave; average muscle development
Round
Back
Shoulder
average development to lacking development
average thickness to lacking thickness; rump; straight profile
average development to almost flat
P+
poor
All profiles concave; poor muscle development
Round
Back
Shoulder
elongated and poorly developed
narrow and thin
flat, poorly fleshed, spina of the scapula evident
P
very poor
All profiles very concave; very poor muscle development
The round, back and shoulder are very poorly developed with the outlines of many bones apparent through the thin flesh covering
P–
extremely poor
All profiles extremely concave; extremely poor muscle development
Little or no flesh covering on the round, back and shoulder. All the bones of the skeleton are very apparent
SECOND SCHEDULE
Regulation 3 (3)
Degree of Fat Cover
Class
Description of amount of fat on the outside of carcase
Description of amount of fat in the thoracic cavity of carcase
1
low
None up to low fat cover
No fat
2
slight
Slight fat cover, flesh visible almost everywhere
Intercostal muscle clearly visible
3
average
Flesh, with the exception of the round and shoulder, almost everywhere covered with fat
Slight deposits of fat but intercostal muscles still visible
4L
above average
Flesh covered with fat, but still partly visible on the round and shoulder; seams of fat prominent on the round
Distinctive fat deposits; intercostal muscles may be infiltrated with fat
4H
high
Flesh covered with fat, but small areas partly visible on the round, back and shoulder; seams of fat very prominent on the round
Prominent fat deposits; intercostal muscles may be infiltrated with fat
5
Very high
Entire carcase covered with fat; the round is almost completely covered with fat, so that the seams of fat are no longer clearly visible
Heavy fat deposits; intercostal muscles infiltrated with fat
THIRD SCHEDULE
Regulation 3 (4)
Categories of Carcase
Category
Code
Description
Young Bull
A
Carcases of uncastrated young male bovine animals of less than two years of age in which the cartilaginous extremities of the spinous processes of the first nine dorsal vertebrae do not show signs of ossification.
Bull
B
Carcases of other uncastrated male bovine animals.
Steer
C
Carcases of castrated male bovine animals.
Cow
D
Carcases of female bovine animals that have calved.
Heifer
E
Carcases of other female bovine animals.
FOURTH SCHEDULE
Regulation 3 (8)
Carcase Dressing Specification
S.I. No. 8 of 1994.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (BEEF CARCASE CLASSIFICATION) REGULATIONS, 1994.
I, JOE WALSH, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by
section 3
of the
European Communities Act, 1972
(No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving full effect to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1358/80 of 5 June 1980
(1)
, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1208/81 of 28 April 1981
(2)
, Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 2930/81 of 12 October 1981
(3)
, Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 563/82 of 10 March 1982
(4)
, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1202/82 of 18 May 1982
(5)
, Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 1557/82 of 17 June 1982
(6)
, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1186/90 of 7 May 1990
(7)
, Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 344/91
(8)
of 13 February 1991, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1026/91
(9)
of 22 April 1991 and Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 2191/93
(10)
of 27 July, 1993, hereby make the following regulations