Safety of the Food Chain

• Slaughterhouses
  
• Red or White meat cuts,  
  
• Mince Meat (MM), 
  
• Meat Preparations (M. Prep), (example: burgers; Maltese sausages), 
  
• Meat Products (MP), (example: cooked ham), 
  
• Re-wrapping /Re-packaging of food of animal origin,
  
• Milk or Milk products ( ex: cheese, yoghurt)
  
• Fishery Products 
  
• Cold Stores holding such products of animal origin, (with the intention of placing them on the market by supplying retail or catering establishments (for example: supplying supermarkets, groceries, restaurants), need to obtain an APPROVAL from this Unit in order to carry out such activity. The Application Form for Approval and relevant information may be downloaded from Section 2.1.5 below
  

1. Red Meat Slaughterhouses and Cutting Establishments Section:  responsible for Official Controls within establishments slaughtering domestic ungulates.
   
2. White meat Slaughter and Cutting Establishments Section:  responsible for Official Controls within establishments slaughtering Poultry and Lagomorphs. 
   
3. Approved Establishments Section:  responsible for official controls in the inspection of meat processing establishments; Cold Stores for Products of Animal Origin; establishments processing milk and milk products, Eggs and Egg products and Honey.
   
4. Milk Hygiene and Dairy Section: responsible for Official Controls on the dairy farms producing raw milk and sheep and goat farms producing milk and cheeslets. 
   
5. Animal By-Products Section: responsible for Official Controls on animal by products
   
6. Fish Market, Fishing Vessels and Fishery Products Section: responsible for Official Controls within the Fish market, establishments producing Fishery products and Fishing vessels.
   

Main Legislation:

• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety
  
• Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs
  
• Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin.
  
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs.
  
• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004
  
• Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC
  
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. 
  
• Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal by-products Regulation)
  
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 of 25 February 2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and implementing Council Directive 97/78/EC as regards certain samples and items exempt from veterinary checks at the border under that Directive.