Short Title

1 These Regulations may be cited as the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990.

Interpretation

• 2 (1) In these Regulations,

  Act

  Act means the Meat Inspection Act; (Loi)

  adulterated

  adulterated means, in respect of a meat product intended for sale, use or consumption as an edible meat product in Canada,

  • (a) containing or having been treated with

    • (i) a pesticide, heavy metal, industrial pollutant, drug, medicament or any other substance in an amount that exceeds the maximum level of use prescribed by the Food and Drug Regulations,

    • (ii) an ingredient, a food additive or any source of ionizing radiation not permitted by or in an amount in excess of limits prescribed by these Regulations or by the Food and Drug Regulations,

    • (iii) any poison, decomposed substance or visible contamination, or

    • (iv) any pathogenic microorganism in excess of levels published in the Manual of Procedures, or

  • (b) failing to meet the standards set out in Part I; (falsifié)

  Agency

  Agency means the Canadian Food Inspection Agency established by section 3 of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act; (Agence)

  animal food

  animal food means a meat product identified for use as food for an animal that is not a food animal; (aliment pour animaux)

  animal information document

  animal information document means a document completed in accordance with subsection 66(1); (document d’information sur l’animal)

  ante-mortem examination

  ante-mortem examination means, in respect of a food animal that is slaughtered in a registered establishment, the examination of the animal, or the examination of a sample from a shipment of animals that includes the food animal, and the examination of the animal information document in respect of the animal or the shipment of animals, by the operator under the supervision of an official veterinarian; (examen ante mortem)

  ante-mortem inspection

  ante-mortem inspection means the inspection of a food animal by an official veterinarian or by an inspector under the supervision of an official veterinarian; (inspection ante mortem)

  bird

  bird means any species of bird that is slaughtered and processed as a meat product for human consumption and for which an inspection system has been established; (volaille)

  bulk container

  bulk container means a container not intended for sale by a retailer to a consumer and includes a shipping container; (contenant de vrac)

  Canadian unit

  Canadian unit means a unit of measurement set out in Schedule II to the Weights and Measures Act; (unité canadienne)

  casing

  casing means a skinlike container used for a meat product; (boyau)

  commercial sterility

  commercial sterility means the condition obtained in a meat product that has been processed by the application of heat, alone or in combination with other treatments, to render a meat product free from viable forms of microorganisms, including spores, that are capable of growing in the meat product at the temperatures at which the meat product is designed to be held during distribution and storage; (stérilité commerciale)

  component

  component means an individual unit of food that is combined with one or more other individual units of food to form an ingredient; (constituant)

  condemn

  condemn means, in respect of a food animal or a meat product, to determine that the food animal or meat product is inedible; (condamner)

  container

  container means a package or confining band in which a meat product is or is intended to be offered for sale, but does not include a lining, a bulk container, or a transport container; (contenant)

  control program

  control program means a control program referred to in section 57.2; (programme de contrôle)

  critical control point

  critical control point means a point in a process at which control is to be applied in order to prevent or eliminate a hazard or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level; (point de contrôle critique)

  critical factors

  critical factors means the physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of the thermal process to achieve commercial sterility in a meat product; (facteurs critiques)

  critical limit

  critical limit means the minimum or maximum value to which a hazard must be controlled at a critical control point to prevent or eliminate the hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level; (limite critique)

  cured

  cured means, in respect of an edible meat product, that salt together with at least 100 p.p.m. of sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite, sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate, or any combination thereof, was added to the meat product during its preparation; (saumuré)

  decharacterize

  decharacterize[Repealed, SOR/92-292, s. 1]

  denature

  denature, in relation to a meat product, means to stain the meat product in accordance with section 6.21 or 6.22 of the Health of Animals Regulations or to otherwise treat the meat product to give it an appearance or characteristic such that it cannot be confused with an edible meat product; (dénaturer)

  Director

  Director means the Director designated by the President of the Agency. (directeur)

  dress

  dress means

  • (a) in respect of a slaughtered food animal other than a pig, bird or goat

    • (i) to remove the skin, head and developed mammary glands and the feet at the carpal and tarsal joints,

    • (ii) to eviscerate, and

    • (iii) except in the case of a sheep, calf or domesticated rabbit, to split,

  • (b) in respect of a slaughtered pig, to remove the hair, toenails and developed mammary glands, or to remove the things set out in subparagraph (a)(i) in the manner set out therein, and to eviscerate and split,

  • (c) in respect of a slaughtered bird, to remove the feathers, hair and head, the feet at the tarsal joints, and the uropygial gland and to eviscerate; and

  • (d) in respect of a slaughtered goat, to remove the hair, head, toenails and developed mammary glands, or to remove the things set out in subparagraph (a)(i) in the manner set out therein, and to eviscerate; (habiller)

  • (e) [Repealed, SOR/2005-253, s. 1]

  durable life

  durable life means the period, commencing on the day on which a meat product is packaged, during which the meat product, when it is stored under conditions appropriate to that product, will retain, without any appreciable deterioration, its normal edibility, palatability, nutritional value and any other qualities claimed for it by the manufacturer; (durée de conservation)

  edible

  edible means, in respect of a meat product, a meat product that is fit for use as human food; (comestible)

  egg

  egg means

  • (a) a processed egg as defined in the Processed Egg Regulations, or

  • (b) an egg that has been graded Canada A under the Egg Regulations; (oeuf)

  eviscerate

  eviscerate means

  • (a) to remove the respiratory and digestive system and the other thoracic and abdominal organs which may include the reproductive and urinary system in respect of

    • (i) a carcass derived from a young chicken whose live weight was 2.7 kg or less, or

    • (ii) a carcass derived from a young duck whose live weight was 4 kg or less,

  • (b) in respect of a carcass derived from a bird other than a chicken or duck referred to in paragraph (a), to remove the respiratory, digestive, reproductive and urinary systems and the other thoracic and abdominal organs, and

  • (c) in respect of any other carcass, to remove the respiratory, digestive, reproductive and urinary systems, except the kidneys, and the other thoracic and abdominal organs; (éviscérer)

  Executive Director

  Executive Director means the Executive Director designated by the President of the Agency; (directeur exécutif)

  extended meat product

  extended meat product means an edible meat product to which a meat product extender has been added; (produit de viande avec allongeur)

  farmed game animal

  farmed game animal[Repealed, SOR/2004-280, s. 1]

  filler

  filler means milk, egg, yeast or any vegetable material or any derivative or combination thereof that is edible and that is not visibly distinguishable after addition to the meat product, but does not include beetroot, tomato or a food additive with the exception of modified starches; (agent de remplissage)

  flavour enhancer

  flavour enhancer means an ingredient that enhances the natural flavour of a meat product; (rehausseur de saveur)

  flock information document

  flock information document[Repealed, SOR/2014-151, s. 1]

  food

  food has the same meaning as in the Food and Drugs Act; (aliment)

  food additive

  food additive has the same meaning as in Part B of the Food and Drug Regulations; (additif alimentaire)

  food animal

  food animal means any animal in the class of mammals or birds that is slaughtered and processed as meat products for human consumption and for which an inspection system has been established for the purpose of these Regulations; (animal pour alimentation humaine)

  FSEP Manual

  FSEP Manual means the Food Safety Enhancement Program Implementation Manual for Processing Establishments and Shell Egg Grading Stations published by the Agency, as amended from time to time; (Manuel du PASA)

  game animal

  game animal means a wild animal, including an animal living in an enclosed territory under conditions of freedom similar to those of wild animals; (gibier)

  gelling agent

  gelling agent means gelatin, agar or carrageenan; (agent gélifiant)

  HACCP plan

  HACCP plan means a hazard analysis critical control points plan that is prepared in accordance with the FSEP Manual for a process or product and that specifies, in respect of the process or product, all the hazards, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring procedures, deviation procedures, verification procedures and records; (plan HACCP)

  ham

  ham means the edible meat product that is derived from the hind leg of a dressed swine carcass above the tarsal joint; (jambon)

  hazard

  hazard means a biological, chemical or physical agent or factor that has the potential to cause a food to be unsafe for human consumption in the absence of its control; (danger)

  hermetically sealed container

  hermetically sealed container means a container that is designed to be and is secure against the entry of microorganisms; (récipient hermétiquement fermé)

  identify

  identify means, in respect of a food animal or meat product, to identify by means of a label; (désigné)

  inedible products area

  inedible products area means that part of a registered establishment in which inedible meat products are received, held, processed, shipped or otherwise dealt with; (aire des produits incomestibles)

  ingredient

  ingredient means an individual unit of food that is combined with one or more other individual units of food to form an integral unit of food; (ingrédient)

  inspected

  inspected[Repealed, SOR/2001-167, s. 1]

  inspection

  inspection includes

  • (a) in respect of an animal, product or other thing, the examination of a sample from a shipment or other collection of animals, products or other things,

  • (b) in respect of a process, the verification or monitoring of the process, and

  • (c) in respect of an animal, the examination of the animal information document in respect of the animal or the shipment of animals that includes the animal; (inspection)

  local government unit

  local government unit means a city, metropolitan government area, town, village, municipality or other area of local government, but does not include any local government unit situated within a bilingual district established under the Official Languages Act; (collectivité locale)

  local product

  local product means a prepackaged meat product that is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged in a local government unit and sold only in

  • (a) the local government unit in which it is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged,

  • (b) one or more local government units that are immediately adjacent to the one in which it is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged, or

  • (c) the local government unit in which it is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged and in one or more local government units that are immediately adjacent to the one in which it is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged; (produit local)

  low-acid meat product

  low-acid meat product means an edible meat product any component of which has a pH value above 4.6 and a water activity above 0.85; (produit de viande peu acide)

  Manual of Procedures

  Manual of Procedures means the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures published by the Agency, as amended from time to time; (Manuel des méthodes)

  meat

  meat means the edible part of a carcass that is the muscle associated with the skeleton, tongue, diaphragm, heart, gizzard or mammalian oesophagus, with or without accompanying and overlying fat, together with those parts of the bones, skin, sinews, nerves, blood vessels and other tissues that normally accompany the muscle and are not ordinarily removed in dressing a carcass, but does not include the muscle associated with the lips, snout, scalp or ears, mechanically separated meat or meat to which an ingredient other than meat has been added; (viande)

  meat by-product

  meat by-product means edible blood, an edible organ or edible tissue that was derived from the carcass of a food animal, but does not include meat or mechanically separated meat; (sous-produit de viande)

  meat product extender

  meat product extender has the same meaning as in Part B of the Food and Drug Regulations; (allongeur de produit de viande)

  mechanically separated meat

  mechanically separated meat means an edible meat product that does not contain more than 0.027 per cent of calcium for every one per cent of protein in the product or any bone particles larger than 2 mm in size and that was obtained by removing most of the bone and cartilage from a comminuted meat product from which the bone and cartilage had not been previously removed; (viande séparée mécaniquement)

  metric unit

  metric unit means a unit of measurement set out in Schedule I to the Weights and Measures Act; (unité métrique)

  mother tongue

  mother tongue means the language first learned in childhood by persons in any area of Canada and still understood by them as ascertained by the decennial census taken immediately preceding the date on which the products referred to in subsection 97(3) are sold to the consumer; (langue maternelle)

  official languages

  official languages means the English language and the French language; (langues officielles)

  official tag

  official tag means any mark, imprint, stamp, seal, tag or other identification, including a detention tag, used by an inspector to indicate that an animal, meat product or other thing has been held, detained or condemned by the inspector; (étiquette officielle)

  official veterinarian

  official veterinarian means a veterinarian who is designated as an inspector under subsection 13(3) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act; (médecin vétérinaire officiel)

  on-farm food safety program

  on-farm food safety program means a program that is based on a system that identifies, evaluates and controls hazards on a farm or other place relating to the safety of food derived from a food animal and is implemented by the producer of the animal; (programme de salubrité des aliments à la ferme)

  operator

  operator means a person who is licensed to operate a registered establishment; (exploitant)

  ornamental container

  ornamental container means a container that, except on the bottom, does not have any promotional or advertising material thereon, other than a trade-mark or common name and that, because of any design appearing on its surface or because of its shape or texture, appears to be a decorative ornament and is sold as a decorative ornament in addition to being sold as the container of a product; (contenant décoratif)

  post-mortem examination

  post-mortem examination means, in respect of a food animal to which a shared inspection program or a post-mortem examination program applies, the examination of the carcass, blood or parts of a carcass of the food animal by the operator under the supervision of an official veterinarian; (examen post mortem)

  post-mortem examination program

  post-mortem examination program means a program under which an operator is responsible for the post-mortem examination of food animals; (programme d’examen post mortem)

  post-mortem inspection

  post-mortem inspection means the inspection of the carcass, blood or parts of a carcass of a food animal by an official veterinarian or by an inspector under the supervision of an official veterinarian; (inspection post mortem)

  pre-operational sanitation program

  pre-operational sanitation program[Repealed, SOR/2004-280, s. 1]

  prepackaged

  prepackaged means, in respect of an edible meat product, packaged in a container in the manner in which it is ordinarily sold to or used or purchased by a consumer without being repackaged; (préemballé)

  prepared

  prepared means, in respect of an edible meat product, a meat product that has been cooked or dehydrated or to which has been added any substance other than meat, a meat by-product or mechanically separated meat; (préparé)

  prerequisite programs

  prerequisite programs means written programs developed for a registered establishment in accordance with the FSEP Manual to ensure compliance with the Act and these Regulations in respect of

  • (a) the premises of the registered establishment, including its outside property, buildings and sanitary facilities,

  • (b) the registered establishment’s water, ice and steam quality programs,

  • (c) the storage and transportation of meat products, including temperature control and the vehicles for transporting meat products,

  • (d) the storage of material, including incoming material, non-food chemicals and finished products, in the registered establishment, including temperature control,

  • (e) the equipment in the registered establishment, including the general design, installation, maintenance and calibration of the equipment,

  • (f) the training, hygiene and health of personnel at the registered establishment,

  • (g) the sanitation and pest control programs for the registered establishment, and

  • (h) the registered establishment’s recall procedures and distribution records; (programmes préalables)

  preserved

  preserved means, in respect of an edible meat product, salted, pickled, dried, cured, smoked or treated by other similar means permitted by these Regulations, but does not include refrigerated or frozen; (conservé)

  President

  President means the President of the Agency; (président)

  principal display panel

  principal display panel means

  • (a) in the case of a container that is mounted on a display card, that part of the label applied to all or part of the principal display surface of the container or to all or part of the side of the display card that is displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use or to both such parts of the container and display card,

  • (b) in the case of an ornamental container, that part of the label applied to all or part of the bottom of the container or to all or part of the principal display surface or to all or part of a tag that is attached to the container, and

  • (c) in the case of all other containers and bulk containers, that part of the label applied to all or part of the principal display surface; (partie principale)

  principal display surface

  principal display surface means

  • (a) in the case of a container or bulk container that has a side or surface that is displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use, the total area of that side or surface, excluding the top, if any,

  • (b) in the case of a container or bulk container that has a lid that is the part of the container displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use, the total area of the top surface of the lid,

  • (c) in the case of a container or bulk container that does not have a particular side or surface that is displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use, any 40 per cent of the total surface area of the container, excluding the top and bottom, if any, if that 40 per cent can be displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use,

  • (d) in the case of a container or bulk container that is a bag with sides of equal dimensions, the total area of one of the sides,

  • (e) in the case of a container or bulk container that is a bag with sides of more than one size, the total area of one of the largest sides, and

  • (f) in the case of a container that is a wrapper or confining band that is so narrow in relation to the size of the product contained that it cannot reasonably be said to have any side or surface that is displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use, the total area of one side of a ticket or tag attached to such a container; (principale surface exposée)

  process

  process means, in respect of a meat product, to substantially change the appearance or nature of a meat product, and includes to debone, slice, comminute, thermally process, preserve, dehydrate, ferment, render, fractionate, defibrinate or add thereto an ingredient other than a meat product permitted to be added by these Regulations, but does not include to dress, trim, refrigerate, freeze or defrost; (transformer)

  ready-to-eat

  ready-to-eat means, in respect of a meat product, a meat product that has been subjected to a process sufficient to inactivate vegetative pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins and control spores of foodborne pathogenic bacteria so that the meat product does not require further preparation before consumption except washing, thawing or exposing the product to sufficient heat to warm the product without cooking it; (prêt à manger)

  recipe

  recipe means, in respect of a meat product,

  • (a) the ingredients of the meat product and the components of the ingredients thereof, including food additives,

  • (b) the proportions of those ingredients and components, and

  • (c) the method of manufacture and the results of any test conducted on the meat product; (recette)

  refrigerate

  refrigerate means to lower the temperature of a meat product to, and to maintain the temperature at, 4°C or lower, but does not include to freeze; (réfrigérer)

  Regional Director General

  Regional Director General[Repealed, SOR/2000-184, s. 72; SOR/2001-167, s. 1]

  registration number

  registration number means the number assigned to a registered establishment under subsection 27(3); (numéro d’agrément)

  Register of Operators

  Register of Operators means the Register of Operators maintained by the Director; (Registre des exploitants)

  render

  render means to extract the fat from a meat product by the application of heat; (fondre)

  sanitation program

  sanitation program means a written program to ensure that the buildings, equipment, material, utensils, transport containers and all other physical facilities of a registered establishment are maintained in a sanitary condition; (programme d’assainissement)

  scheduled process

  scheduled process means the thermal process alone, or in combination with critical factors, chosen by the operator for a particular meat product, container type and size and unit of thermal processing equipment that will achieve commercial sterility in the meat product; (traitement programmé)

  seasoning

  seasoning means a substance listed in Division 7 of Part B of the Food and Drug Regulations; (assaisonnement)

  shared inspection program

  shared inspection program means a program in which an operator is responsible for certain parts of the post-mortem examination of food animals; (programme de coïnspection)

  specialty product

  specialty product means a prepackaged meat product that is

  • (a) a food or beverage that has special religious significance and is used in religious ceremonies, or

  • (b) an imported product

    • (i) that is not widely used by the population as a whole in Canada, and

    • (ii) for which there is no readily available substitute that is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged in Canada and that is generally accepted as being a comparable substitute; (produit spécial)

  specified risk material

  specified risk material has the same meaning as in section 6.1 of the Health of Animals Regulations; (matériel à risque spécifié)

  split

  split means to divide a carcass lengthwise along its median line; (fendre)

  test market product

  test market product means a prepackaged meat product that, prior to the date of the notice of intention respecting that product referred to in subsection 97(5), was not sold in Canada in that form and that differs substantially from any other product sold in Canada with respect to its composition, function, state or packaging form; (produit d’essai)

  transport container

  transport container includes any conveyance used for the transportation of food animals or meat products; (conteneur)

  water activity

  water activity means the ratio of water vapour pressure of a meat product to the vapour pressure of pure water at the same temperature and pressure; (activité de l’eau)

  young chicken

  young chicken means a chicken that has flexible cartilage at the posterior end of the breastbone or keel bone, tender meat and soft skin of smooth texture; (jeune poulet)

  young duck

  young duck means a duck that has flexible cartilage at the posterior end of the breastbone or keel bone, tender meat and soft skin of smooth texture. (jeune canard)

• (2) A reference to a percentage of a meat product or other substance means a reference to a percentage of the meat product or other substance by weight.

Submission of Documents

2.1 A person who is required or authorized to submit a document under the Act or Regulations shall submit it in writing by one of the following ways:

• (a) in person;

• (b) by mail or by courier; or

• (c) by facsimile or other electronic means if the information contained in it is the same as the information that would have been provided if it had been sent or issued in paper form.

2.2 Any record or document that a person is required to make available to an inspector shall be made available in one or both of the official languages.

Meat Products Exempted from the Application of the Act

• 3 (1) Subject to subsection (1.1), sections 7 to 9 of the Act do not apply in respect of

  • (a) a shipment of meat products weighing 20 kg or less that is intended to be used for non-commercial purposes;

  • (b) a shipment of meat products that is part of an immigrant’s or emigrant’s effects;

  • (c) a meat product derived from a marine mammal;

  • (d) a prepared pet food;

  • (d.1) feed, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Feeds Regulations, 1983;

  • (e) a meat product carried on any vessel, train, motor vehicle, aircraft or other means of transportation for use as food for the crew or passengers thereof;

  • (f) a carcass of a game animal, or a part of a carcass of a game animal, including the carcass or part of the carcass of the animal that is considered to be a game animal in another country, that is to be used for non-commercial purposes;

  • (g) gelatin, bone meal, collagen casing, hydrolyzed animal protein, monoglyceride, diglyceride, fatty acid and the products resulting from the rendering of inedible meat products;

  • (h) a meat product, the total amount of which does not weigh more than 100 kg, destined and used for analysis, evaluation, testing, research or an international food exhibition;

  • (i) a food in which the meat product is of insignificant quantity having regard to the nature of the food and the nature of the meat product therein;

  • (j) animal skins not intended for use as human or animal food, hooves, horns, antlers, feathers, hair, wool and pharmaceuticals containing products of animal origin; and

  • (k) a meat product that is destined for inedible rendering; and

  • (l) a food that meets the following specifications, namely,

    • (i) the food is a mixture of a fish product and a meat product,

    • (ii) the food is commonly recognized as a fish product, having regard to

      • (A) the relative proportions and type of the fish and meat ingredients present in the food,

      • (B) the common name of the food,

      • (C) the type of processing applied to the fish and meat ingredients, and

      • (D) the historical recognition of the food as a fish product,

    • (iii) the food is processed in an establishment registered in accordance with the Fish Inspection Regulations or has been imported into Canada in compliance with those Regulations, and

    • (iv) the meat product used in the preparation of the food originates from an establishment registered in accordance with these Regulations or a foreign establishment authorized to export meat products to Canada in accordance with these Regulations.

• (1.1) The exemption established in paragraph (1)(i) does not apply to a food that is, that contains or that is derived from specified risk material in any form that originated in a country, or a part of a country, other than a country or part of a country that is designated under section 7 of the Health of Animals Regulations as posing a negligible risk for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.

• (2) Section 7 of the Act does not apply to a meat product in respect of which a notice for removal has been given to an importer in accordance with subsection 18(1) of the Act.

• (3) Section 8 of the Act does not apply in respect of the following meat products:

  • (a) a meat product transported by a person for non-commercial purposes;

  • (b) a meat product that is identified for use as animal food or for medicinal purposes and used for animal food or for medicinal purposes;

  • (c) [Repealed, SOR/94-683, s. 4]

  • (d) a meat product that is produced in a federal penitentiary and sent or conveyed to another federal penitentiary;

  • (e) a meat product derived from a muskox, caribou or reindeer that is a game animal, if the meat product was produced under an inspection system established for the purposes of these Regulations; and

  • (f) an imported meat product that is being delivered to a registered establishment for inspection as required by the Act or these Regulations.

• (4) Subsection 9(1) of the Act does not apply in respect of a meat product that has been exported from Canada and is thereafter imported into Canada in the state in which it was exported.

• (5) Subject to subsection (6), for the purpose of implementing the Agreement as defined in section 2 of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, section 8 and subsection 9(2) of the Act do not apply in respect of a meat product that is

  • (a) imported into Canada from the United States, as defined in section 2 of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act; and

  • (b) certified, by a person who is empowered by the United States Department of Agriculture to enforce the national meat inspection legislation of the United States, as being a product of that country and as meeting the standards set out in these Regulations and as being packaged and labelled in accordance with these Regulations.

• (6) Spot checks or similar verifying measures, including any such measures conducted at the border and including any unloading requirements, may be conducted in respect of a meat product that is imported into Canada from the United States by an inspector, at facilities designated by the Director.

• (7) Subject to subsections (8) and (9), section 9 of the Act does not apply in respect of a meat product that is imported from the United States onto the Akwesasne Reserve for use by an Akwesasne resident.

• (8) Subsection (7) does not apply in respect of a meat product that is imported into Canada from another country through the United States.

• (9) For the purpose of subsection (7), Akwesasne resident means an individual who has established permanent residence on the Akwesasne Reserve.

PART IStandards

Standards and Identification of Edible Meat Products

4 Subject to section 121, every operator shall ensure that no meat product in a registered establishment is identified as edible unless it meets the requirements set out in this Part.

5 The standards for a meat product set out in Column I of an item of Schedule I that is identified as edible in a registered establishment are the standards prescribed in Columns II to V of that item.

6 For the purposes of this Part and Schedule I, only the meat product protein derived from meat, meat by-products permitted by section 21, mechanically separated meat and partially defatted fatty tissue shall be considered when calculating the meat product protein content.

7 Every prepared meat product, other than white pudding or haggis, that contains a filler and in respect of which no standard is prescribed in Schedule I, shall contain not less than

• (a) in the case of an uncooked product, 9.5 per cent meat product protein and 11 per cent total protein; and

• (b) in the case of a cooked product, 11.5 per cent meat product protein and 13 per cent total protein.

8 [Repealed, SOR/93-160, s. 3]

• 9 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) and section 121, no meat product shall be identified as edible unless

  • (a) the food animal from which the meat product is derived was subjected to an ante-mortem examination or an ante-mortem inspection, as the case may be, and slaughtered in accordance with these Regulations;

  • (b) the carcass from which the meat product is derived is dressed and subjected to a post-mortem examination or a post-mortem inspection, as the case may be, in accordance with these Regulations; and

  • (c) the meat product conforms to the applicable standards prescribed by these Regulations and the Food and Drug Regulations.

• (2) On the request of an operator in order to meet a special market need and with the consent of the Director, the carcass of any food animal slaughtered in a registered establishment may be identified as edible without having been dressed if

  • (a) the food animal from which the carcass is derived was subjected to an ante-mortem examination or an ante-mortem inspection, as the case may be, and slaughtered in accordance with these Regulations;

  • (b) the carcass is sufficiently dressed to enable a complete post-mortem examination or a complete post-mortem inspection, as the case may be, to be performed; and

  • (c) the person who performed the post-mortem examination or the post-mortem inspection has determined that the carcass is edible.

• (3) On the request of an operator and with the consent of the President, a meat product derived from a muskox, caribou or reindeer that is a game animal may be identified as edible if

  • (a) the meat product was produced under an inspection system established for the purposes of these Regulations;

  • (b) the carcass from which the meat product is derived is dressed and subjected to a post-mortem inspection, in accordance with these Regulations; and

  • (c) the meat product conforms to the applicable standards prescribed by these Regulations and the Food and Drug Regulations.

10 No heart, other than the heart of a bird or domesticated rabbit, shall be identified as edible unless the heart is opened or inverted and all blood clots and all attached blood vessels are removed from the heart.

11 No liver shall be identified as edible unless the gall bladder, if any, is removed.

12 No blood or fraction thereof shall be identified as edible unless the blood is handled in accordance with section 52.

13 No gizzard shall be identified as edible unless the contents and the lining are removed and the gizzard is washed.

14 No meat product, other than a dressed carcass or portion of one, that contains a kidney of a mammal shall be identified as edible unless the kidney is deeply incised, soaked in water and washed before it is incorporated into the meat product.

• 15 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no meat product containing a urinary bladder, an intestine or any part of a urinary bladder or an intestine shall be identified as edible.

• (2) A urinary bladder or any part of an alimentary tract may be identified and used as a natural casing for a meat product if

  • (a) the contents and mucous lining thereof are removed and it is washed and tested for cleanliness;

  • (b) in the case of a urinary bladder, it is inverted and placed in brine for at least 12 hours and is subsequently rinsed with water; and

  • (c) the casing is clean.

16 No meat product packaged in an artificial casing shall be identified as edible unless the casing is prepared from collagen, cellulose or any other material free of any noxious constituent.

17 No animal fat shall be identified as edible unless the meat products used in its preparation include no inedible meat products and no heads or organs, other than organs included in the definition meat in subsection 2(1).

• 18 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no prepared meat product that contains pork shall be identified as edible unless it is heated, cured, frozen or otherwise treated in such a manner that all live trichinae therein are destroyed.

• (2) Side bacon, Wiltshire bacon, smoked pork jowls and any other prepared meat product that contains pork and does not have the appearance of having been cooked may be identified as edible without being treated in a manner described in subsection (1).

• (3) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a prepared meat product that contains pork that was found, using an official method of examination registered with the Director, to be free of trichinae.

19 No meat product derived from a carcass that is found to be affected by or to show evidence of cysticercus bovis shall be identified as edible unless the carcass is dealt with as set out in section 86 and the meat product is frozen or otherwise treated so as to destroy all viable larvae.

• 20 (1) No adulterated meat product shall be identified as edible.

• (2) Where an adulterated meat product in a registered establishment can be made to conform to the standards prescribed by this Part for an edible meat product, the meat product shall be held by an inspector until it is made to conform to those standards by the operator.

• (3) Where an adulterated meat product in a registered establishment cannot be made to conform to the standards prescribed by this Part for an edible meat product, the meat product shall be condemned by an inspector and dealt with in accordance with section 54.

• 21 (1) No prepared meat product, other than beef steak and kidney pie or beef steak and kidney pudding, shall contain as an ingredient any meat by-product, other than detached pork skin referred to in paragraph 2(h) of the Notes to Schedule I and detached poultry skin referred to in paragraph 2(j) of the Notes to Schedule I, or any liver, fatty tissue, rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, swine stomach, blood or fractions of blood.

• (2) No meat by-product, other than bovine kidney, shall be used as an ingredient in beef steak and kidney pie or beef steak and kidney pudding.

22 Every ready-to-eat meat product intended for sale shall be treated to ensure that it does not contain any pathogen, toxin or other thing in an amount that would render the meat product inedible.

22.1 Every operator that prepares meat products must prepare them in accordance with the process control requirements specified in the Manual of Procedures.

23 No food additive or other substance shall be used in or on a meat product except as authorized by these Regulations or the Food and Drug Regulations.

24 Every extended meat product identified as edible

• (a) that resembles an uncooked sausage shall have

  • (i) a minimum protein content of not less than nine per cent, and

  • (ii) a maximum fat content of not more than 40 per cent;

• (b) that resembles a potted meat shall have

  • (i) a minimum protein content of not less than nine per cent, and

  • (ii) a maximum fat content of not more than 30 per cent; and

• (c) in the absence of a protein standard for the corresponding non-extended meat product set out in Schedule I, shall have

  • (i) a minimum protein content of not less than 16 per cent, and

  • (ii) a maximum fat content of not more than 25 per cent in the case of an extended meat product not containing poultry meat, and a fat content of not more than 15 per cent in the case of an extended meat product containing poultry meat.

• 25 (1) Subject to subsection (2), every dressed poultry carcass of the species and weight set out in Column I of an item or subitem of the table to this section shall not have its original weight increased by more than the percentage set out in Column II of that item or subitem as a result of washing, chilling or other contact with water in a registered establishment or during transportation from a registered establishment to another registered establishment.

• (2) In the case of a dressed poultry carcass that is not prepackaged in a registered establishment, the applicable maximum weight increase shall not be more than four per cent greater than that set out in Column II of the table to this section.

  Item	Column I	Column II
  	Species and Weight of Dressed Poultry Carcass	Maximum Weight Increase
  1	Turkeys
  	(a) under 4.5 kg	8%
  	(b) 4.5 kg to under 9 kg	6%
  	(c) 9 kg and over	5.5%
  2	Chickens
  	(a) under 2.3 kg	8%
  	(b) 2.3 kg and over	6%
  3	All other species, irrespective of weight	6%

Standards and Identification of Meat Products or Use as Animal Food

• 26 (1) Subject to subsection (2), every operator shall ensure that no meat product is identified in a registered establishment for use as animal food unless

  • (a) it is harvested and handled in a registered establishment;

  • (a.1) it is not derived from, and does not contain, specified risk material in any form, whether or not incorporated into another thing, that originated in Canada or in a country, or a part of a country, other than a country or part of a country that is designated under section 7 of the Health of Animals Regulations as posing a negligible risk for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy;

  • (b) an official veterinarian has determined that its use as animal food would not pose a risk to the health of any animal that consumes it; and

  • (c) it is denatured.

• (2) A meat product, other than a condemned meat product, may be identified in a registered establishment for use as animal food without being denatured if it is not likely to be mistaken for an edible meat product.

PART IIRegistration, Licensing, Maintenance, Operations and Thermal Processing

Registration of Establishments

• 27 (1) An application for the registration of an establishment for one or more of the following activities shall be made to the Executive Director for the area in which the establishment is or is to be located, in a form approved by the Director:

  • (a) the slaughter of food animals;

  • (b) the processing of meat products;

  • (c) the inspection of imported or detained meat products requiring refrigeration or freezing;

  • (d) the inspection of imported or detained meat products not requiring refrigeration or freezing;

  • (e) the packaging and labelling of meat products;

  • (f) the refrigeration, freezing and storage of refrigerated and frozen meat products; and

  • (g) the storage of meat products not requiring refrigeration or freezing.

• (2) [Repealed, SOR/2011-234, s. 4]

• (3) If an establishment in respect of which an application referred to in subsection (1) has been made complies with the requirements prescribed by section 28, the Director shall register the establishment in the Register of Establishments of the Agency and shall assign it a registration number.

• (4) The registration of an establishment for an activity set out in subsection (1)

  • (a) shall lapse if the activity is not carried out in the establishment for a period of 12 consecutive months; and

  • (b) may be cancelled at the request of the registrant if no activity is carried out in the establishment and there is no licence to operate the establishment.

• (5) The Director may cancel the registration of an establishment where the establishment ceases to comply with section 28.

• (6) No registration of an establishment shall be cancelled under subsection (5) unless

  • (a) an inspector has notified the operator that the establishment has ceased to comply with section 28;

  • (b) a copy of an inspection report has been delivered to the owner of the registered establishment and to the operator, where the owner is not the operator,

    • (i) identifying every provision of section 28 that has not been complied with, and

    • (ii) specifying the period of time for compliance with the provisions of section 28 referred to in subparagraph (i) in order to prevent the cancellation of the registration;

  • (c) the establishment has not been brought into compliance with the provisions of section 28 referred to in subparagraph (b)(i) within the period of time specified in the inspection report;

  • (d) the owner of the registered establishment has been given an opportunity to be heard in respect of the cancellation; and

  • (e) a Notice of Cancellation of Registration in a form approved by the Director is delivered to the owner of the registered establishment.

• 28 (1) It is a requirement for the registration of an establishment pursuant to subsection 27(3) that the establishment

  • (a) be situated on land that

    • (i) is free of debris and refuse,

    • (ii) provides or permits good drainage, and

    • (iii) is not in such proximity to any source of pollution or any place that harbours insects, rodents or other vermin or any similar thing that meat products in the establishment are likely to be contaminated;

  • (b) be of sound construction and in good repair;

  • (c) be constructed of material that is suitable for the purpose for which it is to be used and is durable and free of any noxious constituent;

  • (d) be separate from and have no direct access to living quarters or any other area in which activities are carried out that are incompatible with the handling of a meat product;

  • (e) be protected against the entrance of birds, other than those intended for slaughter, and insects, rodents and other vermin or any similar thing likely to contaminate meat products;

  • (f) have floors, walls and ceilings that are hard and smooth and otherwise constructed in such a way that they can be cleaned and are impervious to moisture at the locations in the establishment where

    • (i) food animals are slaughtered or carcasses are dressed, and

    • (ii) meat products are refrigerated, stored in a refrigerated state, processed, packaged, labelled, shipped, received or otherwise transported;

  • (g) have rooms and areas with adequate lighting, ventilation and plumbing to meet the requirements of the activities carried out therein and constructed so as to facilitate their cleaning and disinfection;

  • (h) be equipped, in areas where food, food additives or packaging materials are exposed, with light bulbs and fixtures that are of a type that will not cause food contamination in the event of breakage;

  • (i) have a sufficient number of rooms to accommodate the separation of incompatible activities;

  • (j) have loading and unloading facilities;

  • (k) have facilities for the cleaning of protective clothing, if an application for registration is made for one of the activities set out in paragraph 27(1)(a),(b), (c), (e) or (f);

  • (k.1) have handwashing facilities that are operated hands-free and drained directly, and in sufficient number to maintain sanitary conditions, given the number of employees and nature of the anticipated activities in the establishment, and that are situated in locations that are readily accessible to maintain such conditions;

  • (l) have outside shipping and receiving areas that are adequately drained to avoid standing or pooled water, with a surface that is hard, smooth and impervious to moisture;

  • (m) have lavatories and, where appropriate, dressing rooms and lunch rooms that are

    • (i) capable of being kept in a clean and sanitary condition,

    • (ii) adequate in size and equipment for the number of people using them,

    • (iii) well lit and ventilated, and

    • (iv) in the case of lavatories, separate from and not leading directly into any room used for handling food;

  • (n) subject to subsection (2), be capable of supplying potable hot and cold water that is protected against contamination and is adequate in quantity and pressure to serve the water needs of the establishment;

  • (o) have adequate means of waste removal and disposal;

  • (p) have drainage and sewage systems that

    • (i) are designed and constructed to prevent the risk of contamination by waste water,

    • (ii) are adequate to dispose of all waste water, and

    • (iii) where drainage channels are fully or partially open, prevent waste water from flowing from a contaminated area towards or into a clean area;

  • (q) have, for the slaughter of food animals and for the inspection, handling and storing of meat products, equipment that is

    • (i) constructed of corrosion-resistant material, free of any noxious constituent and capable of withstanding repeated cleaning,

    • (ii) accessible for cleaning, servicing and inspection, or easily disassembled for those purposes, and

    • (iii) effective for the purpose for which it is intended;

  • (r) have food contact surfaces that are

    • (i) non-toxic,

    • (ii) smooth,

    • (iii) free from pitting, crevices and loose scale,

    • (iv) unaffected by food,

    • (v) capable of withstanding repeated cleaning, and

    • (vi) non-absorbent;

  • (s) have adequate facilities and means for the thorough washing, cleaning and sanitizing of equipment;

  • (t) have facilities for the holding and detention of meat products, which facilities are capable of being locked and are under the control of an inspector;

  • (u) have, where utensils are used in the handling of a meat product, water sanitizers that are capable of being maintained at a temperature of not less than 82°C for the sanitizing of the utensils;

  • (v) have adequate means of establishing, maintaining and verifying the temperature and humidity of rooms and areas where meat products are refrigerated, frozen, stored, processed, packaged or labelled; and

  • (w) have, for every room where pork products are frozen for the destruction of trichinae or where meat products packed in hermetically sealed containers are incubated, a self-recording thermometer.

• (2) An establishment registered pursuant to subsection 27(3) may supply water other than potable water referred to in paragraph (1)(n) where it is used solely for fire protection, boilers or auxiliary services and there is no connection between the system for that water and the system for potable water.

• (3) In addition to the requirements set out in subsection (1), every registered establishment in which food animals are slaughtered shall

  • (a) be equipped with

    • (i) a private, furnished workspace for the use of inspectors, with access to dressing rooms, shower facilities and lavatories, and

    • (ii) lockers and cabinets suitable for the protection and storage of the equipment and supplies of inspectors;

  • (b) have a separate area that is capable of accommodating crates or that is equipped with pens for

    • (i) the housing and inspection of food animals of each species apart from food animals of all other species,

    • (ii) the segregation of food animals considered to be a danger to other food animals, and

    • (iii) the holding of food animals that are injured, sick or suspected of being sick, or identified as being held or condemned in accordance with Part III;

  • (c) be equipped with facilities for

    • (i) restraining food animals for detailed inspection,

    • (ii) conveying injured or disabled food animals in a humane manner, and

    • (iii) slaughtering food animals that have been identified as condemned in accordance with Part III;

  • (d) have all floors, ramps, gangways and chutes constructed and maintained in a manner that provides secure footing for food animals during movement and prevents injury during movement.

  • (e) and (f) [Repealed, SOR/2011-234, s. 5]

• (4) In addition to the requirements set out in subsections (1) and (3), every registered establishment in which birds are slaughtered shall be provided with facilities for cleaning and disinfecting crates and transport containers used for the conveyance of birds to the establishment.

• (5) In addition to the requirements set out in subsection (1), every registered establishment in which meat products are processed, packaged or labelled shall have

  • (a) and (b) [Repealed, SOR/2011-234, s. 5]

  • (c) office facilities for the use of inspectors and facilities for the protection and storage of the equipment and supplies of inspectors.

• (6) In addition to the requirements set out in subsection (1), every registered establishment in which meat products are refrigerated, frozen or stored in a refrigerated or frozen condition and in which imported or detained meat products are inspected shall have

  • (a) [Repealed, SOR/2011-234, s. 5]

  • (b) office facilities for the use of inspectors and facilities for the protection and storage of the equipment and supplies of inspectors.

Licensing of Operators

General Requirements

• 29 (1) No person may operate a registered establishment without a licence issued under this section.

• (2) An application for a licence to operate a registered establishment or for the renewal or modification of a licence shall

  • (a) be made to the President in a form acceptable to the President; and

  • (b) subject to subsection (3), be accompanied by the following information, namely,

    • (i) the scheduled work shift, as defined in section 125, for the registered establishment,

    • (ii) a description of the prerequisite programs and other control programs to be carried out in the registered establishment, and

    • (iii) a description of the HACCP plans for the registered establishment.

• (2.1) [Repealed, SOR/2004-280, s. 9]

• (3) In the case of the renewal or modification of a licence to operate a registered establishment, the applicant is not required to provide any information listed in paragraph (2)(b) that has already been provided to the President unless requested by the President to do so.

• (3.1) to (3.9) [Repealed, SOR/2004-280, s. 9]

• (4) The President shall issue, renew or modify a licence to operate a registered establishment unless

  • (a) the applicant or operator does not have a scheduled work shift, as defined in section 125, covering the operations of the registered establishment for the period to which the application relates;

  • (b) the applicant or operator does not have the required prerequisite programs and other control programs in place or the programs are not functioning in accordance with the FSEP Manual or the Manual of Procedures;

  • (c) the applicant or operator does not have the required HACCP plans in place or the HACCP plans are not functioning in accordance with the FSEP Manual; or

  • (d) the President, based on the information provided with the application, determines that the operation of the registered establishment by the applicant or operator would not comply with the requirements of the Act and these Regulations.

• (4.1) [Repealed, SOR/2004-280, s. 9]

• (5) The President may, at any time, attach to a licence issued under subsection (4) any conditions that are necessary to ensure that meat products produced in the registered establishment comply with these Regulations or that are necessary to protect public health or safety.

• (6) [Repealed, SOR/2012-286, s. 17]

• (7) If the President refuses to issue, renew or modify a licence to operate a registered establishment or to authorize an applicant to operate a shared inspection program or a post mortem examination program, the President shall notify the applicant in writing

  • (a) giving the reasons for the refusal; and

  • (b) advising that the applicant may, within 15 days after the date of the notification, submit comments in writing regarding the refusal, to which the President shall reply.

• (8) There shall be only one operator for a registered establishment at any time, but for the purposes of section 94, an operator may use any business name, listed under the operator’s name in the Register of Operators.

• (9) Subject to subsection (10), a licence to operate a registered establishment shall be valid for not more than one year after the date of issuance and shall expire on the date specified under the operator’s name in the Register of Operators.

• (10) A licence to operate a registered establishment may be renewed on the expiry of the period referred to in subsection (9) if an operator continues to meet the conditions of the licence set out in this section, including the payment of all necessary fees.

• (11) No operator who is issued a licence under this section shall transfer the licence to any other person and any purported transfer of a licence is void.

• (12) Subject to subsection (13), every operator shall keep and retain in a registered establishment records of a specific activity or procedure that is performed in order to comply with the Act, these Regulations, the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures.

• (13) The records referred to in subsection (12) shall be retained for a period of not less than one year after the date on which the specific activity or procedure referred to in that subsection is performed unless a different retention period is specified in the Act, these Regulations, the FSEP Manual or the Manual of Procedures.

Shared Inspection Programs and Post mortem Examination Programs

• 29.1 (1) An operator engaged in the slaughter of birds, other than ostriches, rheas and emus, in a registered establishment may apply for authorization to operate a shared inspection program or a post mortem examination program in the registered establishment.

• (2) An application for authorization to operate a shared inspection program or a post-mortem examination program shall be made to the President in a form acceptable to the President and shall be accompanied by the following information:

  • (a) the name of the applicant and the business name, address, postal code, telephone and facsimile numbers and registration number of the registered establishment; and

  • (b) a complete copy of the program.

• (3) A shared inspection program or a post mortem examination program shall be in writing, shall meet the requirements of the provisions of the Manual of Procedures that deal with the inspection of poultry and shall contain

  • (a) a list of the duties of every person who is to be engaged in the shared inspection program or post mortem examination program, as the case may be;

  • (b) a description of the corrective actions to be taken to eliminate deviations from the shared inspection program or post mortem examination program, as the case may be;

  • (c) a description of the control programs and the training programs that will be developed, implemented and maintained to support the shared inspection program or post mortem examination program; and

  • (d) a description of the records that will be kept to demonstrate compliance with the Act and these Regulations.

• (4) For the purpose of evaluating an application for authorization to operate a shared inspection program or a post mortem examination program, the President may undertake any consultation, study, research, test, trial or other process that is necessary.

• (5) The President shall authorize an applicant to operate a shared inspection program or a post mortem examination program unless

  • (a) the program does not meet the requirements referred to in subsection (3); or

  • (b) information obtained through the examination of the application or from an evaluation process conducted under subsection (4) indicates that the program

    • (i) does not comply with the requirements specified in these Regulations, the FSEP Manual or the Manual of Procedures, or

    • (ii) would have an adverse effect on the edibility of meat products produced in the registered establishment.

• (6) The President may undertake, at any time, any consultation, study, research, test, trial or other process that is necessary to ensure that meat products produced in the registered establishment comply with these Regulations or that is necessary to protect public health or safety.

Suspension of an Operator’s Licence

• 29.2 (1) The President may suspend an operator’s licence

  • (a) if

    • (i) the registered establishment does not comply with the requirements of the Act, these Regulations, the FSEP Manual or the Manual of Procedures,

    • (ii) the operator fails to comply with the requirements of the Act, these Regulations, the FSEP Manual, the Manual of Procedures or any condition of the licence,

    • (iii) it is reasonable to believe that public health will be endangered or the edibility of meat products produced in the registered establishment would be affected if the establishment is allowed to continue operating, or

    • (iv) the HACCP plans or the prerequisite plans of the registered establishment no longer comply with the requirements specified in the FSEP Manual; and

  • (b) if

    • (i) an inspector has notified the operator of the existence of grounds for suspension under paragraph (a),

    • (ii) an inspector has provided the operator with a copy of an inspection report that sets out the date by which corrective measures must be implemented in order to avoid the suspension of licence, and

    • (iii) the operator has failed to take or is unable to take corrective measures by the date referred to in subparagraph (ii).

• (1.1) If the President suspends an operator’s license, the President shall send a notice of suspension to the operator.

• (2) The suspension of an operator’s licence shall remain in effect until the earliest of

  • (a) the day on which an inspector determines that the required corrective measures have been taken,

  • (b) the day on which the licence expires, and

  • (c) the day on which a notice of cancellation under paragraph 29.3(2)(b) is delivered to the operator.

• (3) If an operator fails to pay a fee set out in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Fees Notice, in accordance with the conditions of payment specified in that Notice, a licence issued under these Regulations shall also be suspended until all outstanding fees are paid.

Cancellation of an Operator’s Licence

• 29.3 (1) The President may cancel an operator’s licence if

  • (a) the operator has not implemented the required corrective measures within 90 days after the date on which the licence was suspended; or

  • (b) the application for a licence to operate a registered establishment contains false or misleading information.

• (2) The licence shall not be cancelled unless

  • (a) the operator was advised of an opportunity to be heard in respect of the cancellation and was given that opportunity, and the decision at the hearing was unfavourable to the operator; and

  • (b) a notice of cancellation of the licence was delivered to the operator.

• (3) An operator’s licence to operate a registered establishment is void if, and at the time when,

  • (a) the establishment is destroyed;

  • (b) the establishment is relocated to an address different from the address stated in the Register of Operators;

  • (c) the operator is subject to a receivership or makes an assignment in bankruptcy; or

  • (d) the operator ceases or is unable to operate the establishment or surrenders the licence to operate it.

Suspension of an Authorization to Operate a Program

• 29.4 (1) The President may suspend an operator’s authorization to operate a shared inspection program or a post-mortem examination program

  • (a) if

    • (i) the operator fails to comply with the requirements of the Act, these Regulations or the Manual of Procedures, or

    • (ii) it is reasonable to believe that public health will be endangered or the edibility of meat products produced in the registered establishment would be affected if the establishment is allowed to continue operating; and

  • (b) if

    • (i) an inspector has notified the operator of the existence of grounds for suspension under paragraph (a),

    • (ii) an inspector has provided the operator with a copy of an inspection report that sets out the grounds for suspension and the date by which corrective measures must be implemented in order to avoid the suspension of the program, and

    • (iii) the operator has failed to take or is unable to take corrective measures by the date referred to in subparagraph (ii).

• (1.1) If the President suspends an operator’s authorization, the President shall send a notice of suspension to the operator.

• (2) The suspension shall remain in effect until the required corrective measures have been taken and have been verified by an inspector.

Maintenance and Operation of Registered Establishments

30 Every operator shall maintain and operate the registered establishment in accordance with sections 30.1, 30.2, 32 to 34 and 36 to 60.3.

• 30.1 (1) The operator of an establishment shall develop, implement and maintain

  • (a) the required prerequisite programs, HACCP plans and other control programs as set out in the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures; and

  • (b) the procedures to ensure compliance with the performance requirements set out in the Manual of Procedures.

• (2) Every operator shall keep all records relevant to the programs and procedures referred to in subsection (1).

30.2 An operator who is authorized to operate a shared inspection program or a post mortem examination program shall

• (a) operate the program under the supervision of an official veterinarian;

• (b) ensure that the program continues to meet the requirements of the Manual of Procedures;

• (c) conduct a review of the program each time it is found to be not in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Manual of Procedures and, in any case, at least once per year; and

• (d) keep and maintain in the registered establishment records of

  • (i) the name, business address, business telephone number and title of the person who is responsible for carrying out the program at the establishment,

  • (ii) every person responsible for supervising the development or operation of the program, documentary evidence of their training, qualifications or job experience in processing meat products or other food or in quality control,

  • (iii) all amendments made to the program, and

  • (iv) the monitoring procedures used, including their frequency, and the corrective actions taken to eliminate deviations from the program.

31 Every operator shall, for the purposes of inspection or reinspection, make available to an inspector any food animal or meat product or any thing used in connection with a food animal or meat product.

32 No food animal shall be slaughtered, no carcass dressed and no meat product processed, packaged or labelled in a registered establishment outside the hours of operation agreed to by the President and the operator, unless the slaughtering, dressing, processing, packaging or labelling, as the case may be, is authorized by an inspector.

33 [Repealed, SOR/2011-234, s. 6]

• 34 (1) Every operator of a registered establishment shall possess and maintain the equipment and material necessary to operate the registered establishment in accordance with the Manual of Procedures.

• (1.1) The building, equipment, utensils, transport containers and all other facilities of a registered establishment shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.

• (2) Every operator of a registered establishment shall develop, implement and maintain a written sanitation program to ensure compliance with subsection (1).

• (2.1) The sanitation program shall be prepared and maintained in accordance with the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures and shall contain

  • (a) the name, business address, business telephone number and title of the person who is responsible for carrying out the program at the registered establishment;

  • (b) the measures to be taken to maintain in a sanitary condition before and during operations, the building, equipment, utensils, transport containers and all other facilities of the registered establishment;

  • (c) the frequency of the cleaning and sanitizing activities;

  • (d) a description of the equipment and chemical agents to be used;

  • (e) the concentration, temperature and other specifications for the detergent, sanitizer or other chemical agent to be used; and

  • (f) the monitoring activities put in place by the operator to demonstrate the effectiveness of the sanitation program, including any environmental testing.

• (2.2) Every operator shall keep in the registered establishment, for a period of not less than one year after the date of the activity or procedure, records that contain information about

  • (a) monitoring and verification activities, including the results of any test; and

  • (b) any corrective and preventative action taken.

• (3) No equipment shall be cleaned, washed, disinfected or serviced in any room in a registered establishment at any time if, in so doing, there is the slightest risk that a meat product be contaminated.

• (4) No equipment shall be used in a registered establishment to slaughter a food animal, dress a carcass or inspect, grade, process, package or label a meat product unless the equipment complies with the requirements set out in paragraph 28(1)(q).

• (5) Every container or other equipment used in the collection and conveyance of an inedible meat product to the inedible products area of a registered establishment shall be clearly identified and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before being admitted to any other part of the establishment.

• (6) No crate or transport container used to transport a bird to a registered establishment for slaughter shall be admitted to the registered establishment unless the crate or transport container was cleaned before transport.

• (7) Every crate and transport container that has been used for the purpose referred to in subsection (6) shall be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly before it leaves the registered establishment.

• (8) The walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows and other parts of any area of a registered establishment where food animals are slaughtered, carcasses are dressed or meat products are refrigerated, frozen, stored, processed, packaged, labelled, shipped, received or otherwise handled shall not be composed of any material, or have applied to them any coating, other than a material or coating that is durable and does not contain any noxious constituent.

• (9) All lavatories, sinks and drains in a registered establishment shall be maintained in a manner that prevents any odours or fumes therefrom from pervading any room where meat products are refrigerated, stored, processed, packaged, labelled or otherwise handled.

• (10) Every operator of a registered establishment shall develop, implement and maintain a written pest control program that is effective and safe and that conforms to the requirements set out in the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures.

• (10.1) No animal shall be used to control pests in a registered establishment.

• (11) Every detergent, sanitizer or other chemical agent used in a registered establishment shall be properly labelled and stored and used in a manner that prevents contamination of meat products, ingredients, packaging and labelling material and of the surfaces with which they come into contact.

• (11.1) Every detergent, sanitizer or other chemical agent used in a registered establishment shall be handled only by a person trained to use it.

• (12) Where steam is used in the processing of a meat product in a registered establishment, the steam shall be generated from potable water and shall contain no harmful substances and the supply of steam shall be adequate in quantity and pressure to serve all the needs of the establishment.

• (13) Notices shall be posted in prominent places in a registered establishment instructing employees engaged in the dressing of carcasses or the processing, packaging, labelling, storing or other handling of food to clean their hands immediately after using toilet facilities.

35 [Repealed, SOR/2014-151, s. 4]

36 The temperature in a room or area of a registered establishment where a meat product is processed, packaged, labelled or handled shall be appropriate to ensure the preservation of a meat product.

37 The temperature and humidity of every room in a registered establishment where a meat product is refrigerated, stored, processed, packaged, labelled, shipped, received or otherwise handled shall be controlled to prevent the formation of moisture on walls, ceilings or equipment.

• 38 (1) No food animal shall be presented for slaughter in a registered establishment if the condition of the animal would or would be likely to constitute a contamination hazard during the dressing of its carcass.

• (2) No carcass of a food animal shall be admitted to an area of a registered establishment where food animals are dressed if the condition of the carcass would or would be likely to constitute a contamination hazard during the dressing of the carcass.

• (3) No pig carcass shall be eviscerated in a registered establishment unless all hair, scurf and toenails have been removed from its surface.

39 Where a food animal has been condemned in accordance with Part III or has died by any means other than by slaughter, the animal or its carcass shall be led or conveyed directly to the inedible products area of the registered establishment.

40 The time interval between the slaughter of a food animal and the evisceration of its carcass shall be such as to prevent deterioration of the carcass.

41 All skin, hair and feathers removed from carcasses in a registered establishment shall be taken forthwith to the inedible products area in a manner that prevents contamination of any edible meat product.

42 Nothing that is likely to harbour microorganisms or any other source of contamination shall be used in washing a carcass in a registered establishment.

• 43 (1) No food animal shall be removed from a registered establishment without the written consent of an official veterinarian.

• (2) No food animal shall be kept in a registered establishment for more than one week without the written consent of an official veterinarian.

43.1 No person shall prepare in a registered establishment a food that is a mixture of a fish product and a meat product unless

• (a) the establishment is also registered in accordance with the Fish Inspection Regulations; or

• (b) the food is exempt from the application of the Fish Inspection Regulations because of paragraph 3(2)(b) of those Regulations.

• 44 (1) Subject to subsection (2) and section 45, no meat product shall be

  • (a) admitted to or processed in a registered establishment without evidence that the meat product

    • (i) was inspected in another registered establishment in accordance with these Regulations,

    • (ii) is a meat product referred to in paragraph 3(3)(e),

    • (iii) was imported into Canada in accordance with these Regulations, or

    • (iv) is derived from a game animal referred to in subsection 44.1(1); or

  • (b) admitted or readmitted to a registered establishment after being removed from a registered establishment and shipped to a place other than a registered establishment.

• (2) A meat product that is shipped from a registered establishment to a retail store, restaurant or public institution or that is exported may be readmitted to a designated area of a registered establishment for reinspection and disposition by an inspector.

• (3) [Repealed, SOR/2004-280, s. 13]

• 44.1 (1) This section applies to meat products derived from an eviscerated game animal carcass that have not been inspected under an inspection system established for the purpose of these Regulations.

• (2) The meat products shall not be admitted to a registered establishment if their condition would or would be likely to constitute a contamination hazard for other food in the registered establishment.

• (3) The meat products shall not be admitted to a registered establishment unless it has the facilities and equipment required to handle them.

• (4) The identity of the meat products, except skin, hair, horns, antlers, hooves, feathers and inedible parts of the carcass, shall be maintained while they are in the registered establishment.

• (5) The meat products shall not be admitted to any area of a registered establishment other than an area where food animals are dressed unless they are free of apparent defects and, in the case of birds, of feathers, and, in the case of any other animal, of skin, hair, horns, antlers and hooves.

• (6) Subject to subsections (7) to (9), the meat products shall not be handled or stored in a room of a registered establishment in which meat products derived from a food animal are present.

• (7) A dressed carcass that is free of apparent defects may be stored together with meat products derived from a food animal if there is no contact, either direct or indirect, between the carcass and the meat products.

• (8) Meat products that are derived from a dressed carcass and that are packaged and bear a label indicating the name of the person from whom they were received and the species of game animal from which they are derived may be stored in the same room of a registered establishment where meat products from a food animal are stored.

• (9) Meat products that are derived from a dressed carcass may be handled in the same room as meat products derived from a food animal for the purpose of combining the two types of meat products.

• (10) Sections 89 to 120 do not apply to a meat product.

• (11) A meat product that is intended for use as food that is removed from a registered establishment, or the outer receptacle or covering used in connection with the meat product, shall bear a label indicating

  • (a) the species of game animal from which the meat product is derived; and

  • (b) the name of the person from whom the meat product was received.

• (12) If the meat product or a part of it is dressed, boned, cut up, processed or otherwise handled in a registered establishment, the utensils, equipment, room or area used shall be cleaned and sanitized before any food animal meat product is dressed, boned, cut up, processed or otherwise handled in the room or area.

• (13) The meat shall be returned to the person from whom it was received together with any food with which it has been combined and, on request of that person, any of the other meat products from the same animal.

• 45 (1) A carcass of a food animal may be admitted to a registered establishment in which food animals are slaughtered if the food animal died while en route to the registered establishment, and the carcass is conveyed immediately and directly from the live animal receiving area to the inedible products area of the registered establishment.

• (2) The carcasses of animals of the species Bos taurus or Bos indicus that died before they otherwise would have been slaughtered and from which the specified risk material has not been removed shall be sent to a designated area of the inedible products area for staining and disposal in accordance with the Health of Animals Regulations.

46 No substance intended for use in a meat product as an ingredient, a component or a food additive shall be admitted to a registered establishment unless

• (a) it meets the requirements of these Regulations and the Food and Drug Regulations;

• (b) where applicable, it is labelled to indicate the product and its composition and to provide directions for its use; and

• (c) in the case of nitrite or nitrate, it is packaged separately from any spice, seasoning or other proteinaceous ingredient.

47 [Repealed, SOR/2005-253, s. 3]

• 48 (1) No edible meat product shall be shipped from a registered establishment unless the meat product is adequately protected against contamination and deterioration.

• (2) No imported meat product delivered to a registered establishment for inspection pursuant to subsection 9(2) of the Act shall be shipped from the registered establishment unless

  • (a) the imported meat product has been inspected by an inspector and has been found to meet the requirements of the Act and these Regulations; or

  • (b) authorized by an inspector, where the imported meat product is to be removed from Canada in accordance with the provisions of section 18 of the Act.

49 No edible meat product shall be transported to or from a registered establishment unless the transport container in which it is transported

• (a) is constructed of material that is free of any noxious constituent;

• (b) has inside surfaces that are hard, smooth, impervious to moisture, in good repair and clean;

• (c) is capable of protecting meat products and containers thereof against contamination;

• (d) is equipped, where applicable, to maintain meat products in a refrigerated or frozen state;

• (e) is equipped, where applicable, to prevent meat products from freezing where freezing could adversely affect them; and

• (f) is not being used and has not been used for the transport of animals, control products as defined in the Pest Control Products Act or any other material or substance that might adulterate the meat product.

50 No meat product and no food intended for use as an ingredient of a meat product shall be kept in a registered establishment at a temperature or humidity that may cause the meat product or food to deteriorate, to become inedible or to become unfit for use as animal food.

51 No meat product and no substance used in the processing, packaging, labelling or handling of a meat product in a registered establishment shall be contaminated.

• 52 (1) Blood shall not be processed in any part of a registered establishment, other than the inedible products area, unless it is

  • (a) harvested from a food animal in a manner that prevents contamination;

  • (b) collected in a receptacle that is labelled in a manner that identifies the carcass of that food animal;

  • (c) protected against contamination; and

  • (d) retained in the receptacle referred to in paragraph (b) until the carcass of that food animal is determined to be acceptable as an edible meat product.

• (2) Blood shall not be defibrinated by hand in a registered establishment.

• (3) Blood and every fraction thereof intended for processing as an edible meat product shall be refrigerated immediately after the blood is fractionated or defibrinated.

53 During the processing of a dressed carcass or a portion thereof in a registered establishment, any blood clot, stick wound, bone splinter or extraneous matter shall be removed, condemned and handled in accordance with section 54.

• 54 (1) Every meat product that is condemned in a registered establishment, other than a condemned meat product sent by an inspector for laboratory examination or a meat product referred to in subsection 85(2), shall be identified as condemned, conveyed immediately to the inedible products area of the establishment and

  • (a) rendered or otherwise treated to destroy pathogenic and potentially pathogenic microorganisms;

  • (b) denatured and conveyed to another registered establishment or to a rendering plant for the rendering or treatment referred to in paragraph (a);

  • (c) in the case of meat products judged by an official veterinarian not to be harmful to the health of animals and permitted by the official veterinarian to be used as animal food, denatured and used for animal food;

  • (d) identified for use for medicinal purposes, with the consent of an official veterinarian;

  • (e) in the case of meat products that are judged by an official veterinarian to be unacceptable for rendering due to dangerous residues or for other reasons, disposed of in accordance with local environmental requirements; or

  • (f) disposed of pursuant to subsection 48(1) of the Health of Animals Act.

• (1.1) Paragraphs (1)(a) to (f) do not apply in respect of a meat product that is, that contains or that is derived from specified risk material in any form.

• (1.2) A meat product that is, that contains or that is derived from specified risk material in any form shall be kept in a designated area of the inedible products area for staining and collection in a dedicated container and disposal in accordance with the Health of Animals Regulations.

• (2) A meat product that is not edible but is permitted for use as animal food in a registered establishment shall be sent to and processed in a designated room in the inedible products area.

• (3) No inedible meat product shall be denatured in any part of a registered establishment other than the inedible products area.

• (4) No substance or treatment shall be used to denature a meat product unless the substance or treatment does not pose a risk to the health of

  • (a) an animal that consumes the meat product;

  • (b) an animal or a person that consumes or is exposed to a product derived from the meat product; or

  • (c) a person who is exposed to the meat product.

• (5) [Repealed, SOR/2013-75, s. 2]

• 55 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no meat product that has been admitted to the inedible products area of a registered establishment shall thereafter be admitted to any other part of the registered establishment.

• (2) A meat product, other than a condemned meat product, that has been packaged and identified in a registered establishment for use as animal food may be admitted to another part of that registered establishment or to any other registered establishment for

  • (a) freezing; or

  • (b) storage or shipping in the frozen state.

• 56 (1) Every person who engages in the preparation, packaging, labelling, storing or other handling of a meat product or an ingredient in a registered establishment shall

  • (a) clean and sanitize their hands

    • (i) before engaging in the activity and as frequently as necessary during the activity, and

    • (ii) if the person leaves an area in a registered establishment where a meat product or an ingredient is being prepared, packaged, labelled, stored or otherwise handled, before returning to that area; and

  • (b) keep their protective clothing, including waterproof clothing and gloves, in a sound, clean and sanitary condition and, whenever necessary to prevent the contamination of meat products and ingredients, wash their clothing before engaging in the preparation, packaging, labelling, storing or other handling of a meat product or an ingredient.

• (2) Every person who engages in the preparation, packaging, labelling, storing or other handling of a meat product or an ingredient, or who works in any area with food-contact surfaces and packaging materials in a registered establishment, shall adhere to hygienic practices while on duty to prevent contamination of meat products or ingredients and the creation of insanitary conditions.

• (3) Every person who enters or is in any area of a registered establishment where there is a meat product or an ingredient shall wear clothing and footwear that are sound, clean and in a sanitary condition.

• (4) Every person who enters or is in any area of a registered establishment where a meat product or an ingredient is exposed shall wear a hair covering and, if appropriate, a beard and mustache covering.

• (5) Every person who enters or is in any area of a registered establishment where a meat product or an ingredient is prepared, packaged, labelled, stored or otherwise handled shall refrain from spitting, chewing gum, smoking or consuming tobacco products or consuming food, other than water dispensed from a drinking fountain.

• (6) No person engaged in the preparation or packaging of a meat product or an ingredient shall, in the registered establishment, wear an object or use a substance if the object or substance may fall into or otherwise contaminate the meat product or the ingredient.

• 57 (1) Every operator shall ensure that no person who is suffering from or is a known carrier of a communicable disease or who has an open or infected lesion works in any area of a registered establishment where there is a danger of contaminating a meat product, or a surface with which a meat product comes into contact, with pathogenic microorganisms.

• (2) Any person in a registered establishment who has or appears to have symptoms of a disease or illness that could be transmitted through a meat product shall report the symptoms, disease or illness to the operator of the establishment.

• (3) On receiving the report, the operator must determine whether the person should undergo a medical examination or be excluded from certain areas of the registered establishment.

Training of Personnel

• 57.1 (1) Every operator shall ensure that all personnel at the registered establishment who are involved in the examination, handling and slaughter of food animals, the examination, processing and handling of meat products, including inedible meat products, ingredients, packaging and labelling materials, the maintenance of equipment, the handling of chemical products and the cleaning and disinfecting of equipment and the premises, the development, implementation, maintenance and supervision of prerequisite programs, HACCP plans and other control programs

  • (a) receive appropriate training on hygienic practices, on personal hygiene and on the process and tasks for which they are responsible; and

  • (b) are qualified to perform their duties.

• (2) For the purpose of complying with subsection (1), the operator shall develop, carry out and keep up-to-date a written training program for all persons in respect of whom that subsection applies.

• (3) The training program shall meet the requirements of the provisions of the Manual of Procedures that deal with the training of personnel and shall include a description of the procedures for identifying the training needs of personnel.

• (4) The operator shall keep records, in English or French, of the training of personnel.

Control Programs

57.2 Every operator shall carry out control programs in accordance with the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures to ensure that

• (a) food animals are subjected to an ante-mortem examination or an ante-mortem inspection, as the case may be, in accordance with these Regulations;

• (b) the carcass, parts of the carcass or blood of the food animal are subjected to a post-mortem examination or a post-mortem inspection, as the case may be, in accordance with these Regulations;

• (c) the requirements of the Act and these Regulations are met in respect of the registered establishment, equipment, food animals, meat products, ingredients, food additives, chemical agents, packaging and labelling materials, training and any other requirement of a control program set out in the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures; and

• (d) in all other respects, inspection programs or examination programs, as the case may be, are operated in accordance with the Act and these Regulations.

Thermal Processing of Low-Acid Meat Products Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers

• 58 (1) Every operator shall ensure that every low — acid meat product packaged in a hermetically sealed container in a registered establishment is thermally processed until commercial sterility is achieved.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a low-acid meat product packaged in a hermetically sealed container where

  • (a) the low-acid meat product is

    • (i) stored continuously under refrigeration and the container in which it is packaged is marked “Keep Refrigerated” and “Garder au froid”, or

    • (ii) kept continuously frozen and the container in which it is packaged is marked “Keep Frozen” and “Garder congelé”; and

  • (b) the shipping containers of the low-acid meat product are also marked accordingly.

59 The operator of a registered establishment in which a low-acid meat product packaged in a hermetically sealed container is thermally processed shall

• (a) keep in the establishment, for every low-acid meat product that is processed,

  • (i) a written description of the scheduled process, together with the name of the person responsible for the development of the scheduled process, and

  • (ii) the recipe of the meat product;

• (b) keep the information referred to in paragraph (a) for at least three years after the most recent use of the scheduled process;

• (c) keep in the establishment, for every low-acid meat product that is processed, a written description of the procedures for the operation and maintenance of each unit of thermal processing equipment;

• (d) keep in the establishment a written description of a low-acid meat product recall procedure;

• (e) if requested by an inspector, produce a written statement of all relevant data used in the development of the scheduled process;

• (f) retain, for not less than three years after the date of processing, records that adequately set out the low-acid meat product history and that include as minimum information

  • (i) production volume, identification and distribution records,

  • (ii) the unit of thermal processing equipment used, the duration, the temperature and, where appropriate, the pressure of the process used,

  • (iii) the systems used to control the thermal process and critical factors,

  • (iv) information concerning maintenance of and modifications to each unit of thermal processing equipment and monitoring devices,

  • (v) process deviations and any corrective action taken,

  • (vi) incubation results, and

  • (vii) where applicable, cooling water treatments applied; and

• (g) notify an inspector when a low-acid meat product is to be recalled.

60 Every operator of a registered establishment shall ensure that no low-acid meat product packaged in a hermetically sealed container is thermally processed in the registered establishment unless

• (a) the container, before being filled, meets the manufacturer’s specifications and is in all other respects suitable for its intended use;

• (b) the filling of the container is controlled to ensure compliance with the scheduled process;

• (c) the operation of each closing head is evaluated at frequent intervals and adjusted as required to maintain closures within the designated operating limits of the closing head;

• (d) the container is labelled in a legible and permanent manner to identify the registered establishment, the meat product and the date on which the meat product is thermally processed and, where any part of that information is coded, the meaning of the code used is made available to an inspector on request;

• (e) the thermal processing is carried out under the continuous supervision of a person who has attended a course in thermal processing and has received a certificate of competence on completion of the course;

• (f) the thermal process used meets or exceeds the requirements of the scheduled process;

• (g) a written description of the thermal process to be used for each low-acid meat product and container size is located in a conspicuous place near the unit of thermal processing equipment while the unit is in use;

• (h) each unit of thermal processing equipment is maintained in good working order;

• (i) each unit of thermal processing equipment is equipped with adequate monitoring devices maintained in good working order;

• (j) where batch thermal processing is employed, a heat-sensitive indicator that visually indicates whether the container has been thermally processed is placed on or attached directly or indirectly to the container;

• (k) the container cooling water is of an acceptable microbiological quality and, in the case of water used in a cooling canal system, contains a residual amount of a bactericide at the discharge end of the canal; and

• (l) the container is handled in a manner that ensures that the container remains hermetically sealed.

Recall Procedures, Distribution Records and Complaints

• 60.1 (1) An operator who has processed, packaged, labelled, stored or distributed a meat product, or any person who imports a meat product, and who learns that the meat product might constitute a risk to the public health or might not meet the requirements of these Regulations shall investigate the matter and notify an inspector.

• (2) If the results of the investigation indicate that the meat product constitutes a risk to the public health, the operator or importer shall notify the President immediately after becoming aware of the results.

• 60.2 (1) Every operator or importer shall develop, implement and maintain written procedures for the recall of meat products that shall meet the requirements set out in the FSEP Manual and the Manual of Procedures.

• (2) The operator or importer shall develop and maintain any product distribution records that are necessary to facilitate the location of products in the event of a product recall.

• (3) The operator or importer shall review the product recall procedures and shall conduct a product recall simulation at least once a year.

• (4) On the request of an inspector, the operator or importer shall make available to the inspector, in a readily accessible location, a copy of the product recall procedures, the results of the product recall simulations for the previous year and the product distribution records

  • (a) for the last three years in the case of any meat product that is treated as a shelf stable in a manner described in any of paragraphs 94(3)(a) to (f); and

  • (b) for a period that is at least equivalent to twice the possible shelf life for any other meat product.

60.3 Every operator shall prepare written procedures that conform to the requirements set out in the FSEP Manual and keep and maintain records for receiving, investigating and responding to product complaints.

PART IIIExamination, Inspection, Humane Treatment and Slaughter, Packaging and Labelling

Ante-Mortem Examination, Ante-Mortem Inspection and Humane Treatment and Slaughter of Food Animals

61 Every operator and every person engaged in the handling and slaughtering of a food animal in a registered establishment shall comply with sections 62 to 80.

61.1 [Repealed, SOR/2011-205, s. 46]

• 62 (1) No food animal shall be handled in a manner that subjects the animal to avoidable distress or avoidable pain.

• (2) No goad or electrical prod shall be applied to the anal, genital or facial region of a food animal.

• 63 (1) Different species of food animals shall be kept separate from each other.

• (2) Every food animal that is obviously diseased or injured shall immediately be segregated from apparently healthy food animals.

• (3) Every food animal that is a potential danger to other food animals shall immediately be segregated from those other food animals.

64 Every holding pen that is used for food animals awaiting slaughter shall be provided with adequate ventilation and shall not be used in a manner that results in their overcrowding.

65 Every food animal in a holding pen awaiting slaughter shall be provided with access to potable water and shall, if held for more than 24 hours, be provided with feed.

• 66 (1) Subject to subsection (4), an equine animal and a bird, other than an ostrich, rhea and emu, may be presented for slaughter in a registered establishment only if the operator has been provided with a completed animal information document in respect of the animal by the owner or producer of the animal, or their authorized representative.

• (2) The animal information document must include

  • (a) the name and contact information of the owner or producer of the animal;

  • (b) the identification of the last location at which the animal was raised or kept before being sent to slaughter by specifying the address of the location or a code or number that identifies the location;

  • (c) the identification number of each animal or other information that identifies it;

  • (d) in the case of an equine animal, the name of any on-farm food safety program in which the owner or producer participates;

  • (e) a description of any physical or chemical hazard with respect to the animal of which the owner or producer is aware;

  • (f) in the case of birds, other than ostriches, rheas and emus, the time at which the catching of the birds to be loaded started, the last time that the birds had access to water before loading and the last time at which the birds were fed before loading the birds in the transport containers;

  • (g) in the case of an equine animal, for the last 180 days of the life of the animal,

    • (i) the name of any disease or syndrome that was diagnosed or a description of the clinical signs of any illness or deviation from normal behaviour or appearance,

    • (ii) the name of any drug or vaccine administered, as well as its Drug Identification Number, if any, its route of administration, the last date of its administration and the dosage administered and either the withdrawal period or, in the case of extra label drug use, a copy of the prescription issued by a veterinarian together with a document attesting to the withdrawal period determined by a competent person or body respecting that use, and

    • (iii) any use of the animal;

  • (h) in the case of birds, other than ostriches, rheas and emus, for the last 120 days of the life of a bird that has been used for breeding or egg production or for the life of any other bird,

    • (i) the mortality rate for the flock, the name of any disease or syndrome that was diagnosed in the flock and the date on which the flock recovered from the disease or syndrome, and

    • (ii) the names of the drugs used to treat a disease or syndrome and vaccines administered and the name of any drug used extra label, their route of administration, the first and last date of their administration and the dosage administered and either the withdrawal period or, in the case of extra label drug use, a copy of the prescription issued by a veterinarian together with a document attesting to the withdrawal period determined by a competent person or body respecting this use; and

  • (i) in the case of birds, other than ostriches, rheas and emus, in addition to the information referred to in paragraph (h), the name of any drug requiring a withdrawal period that has been used in the last 14 days.

• (3) For every equine animal and every shipment of birds, other than ostriches, rheas and emus, that is slaughtered in a registered establishment, the operator shall keep and retain, for a period of not less than one year beginning on the day on which the food animal is slaughtered, records that contain

  • (a) the information required by subsection (2);

  • (b) the date and time at which the slaughtering process began, if any;

  • (c) the condition of the food animal on its arrival, and, in the case of a shipment of birds,

    • (i) their average weight, and

    • (ii) the number of birds found dead at the time the shipment was presented for slaughter; and

  • (d) if the food animal or its carcass was condemned, the reasons for condemnation.

• (4) A food animal referred to in subsection (1) may be presented for slaughter in a registered establishment without the operator being provided with a completed animal information document respecting the animal for the purpose of the operator

  • (a) holding the edible meat products derived from the food animal pending the reception of a completed animal information document; or

  • (b) preparing animal food or other inedible meat products.

• 67 (1) Subject to subsection (9), every operator who slaughters an animal shall perform, within 24 hours before the time of slaughter, an ante-mortem examination of the animal.

• (2) Subject to subsection (9), no food animal shall be slaughtered in a registered establishment unless the animal has been subjected, within 24 hours before the time of slaughter, to

  • (a) an ante-mortem examination performed under subsection (1), or

  • (b) an ante-mortem inspection performed by an official veterinarian or by an inspector under the supervision of an official veterinarian.

• (3) No food animal shall be slaughtered in a registered establishment unless the slaughter has been authorized by an inspector.

• (4) On the request of an inspector, the operator shall present an animal to the inspector for an ante-mortem inspection, even if the slaughter of the animal has been authorized under subsection (3).

• (5) The operator shall not slaughter an animal that was the subject of a request under subsection (4) unless an inspector has, after that request, inspected the animal and authorized the slaughter of the animal.

• (6) Subject to subsection (7), if an operator or an inspector who is not an official veterinarian suspects, in the course of the ante-mortem examination or the ante-mortem inspection of a food animal, that the food animal shows a deviation from normal behaviour or appearance, the food animal shall be held and referred to an official veterinarian for a detailed inspection and instructions regarding its disposition.

• (7) An official veterinarian may instruct an operator or an inspector who is not an official veterinarian that food animals with certain deviations from normal behaviour or appearance

  • (a) are not required to be referred to an official veterinarian for a detailed inspection; and

  • (b) are to be disposed of in accordance with the instructions provided by an official veterinarian.

• (8) An operator shall comply with any instructions from an official veterinarian under subsection (6) or (7).

• (9) The Director may specify how an ante-mortem examination or ante-mortem inspection is to be performed, including

  • (a) the methods and equipment that shall be used; and

  • (b) the criteria that the operator or the inspector shall take into account in determining whether the ante-mortem examination or the ante-mortem inspection of a shipment of food animals may be performed by

    • (i) the examination or inspection of a sample from the shipment, or

    • (ii) the examination of the animal information document for the shipment.

• 68 (1) An operator shall comply with any instructions from an official veterinarian that a food animal must be condemned or must be held and segregated from all other food animals for rest, treatment or slaughter.

• (2) [Repealed, SOR/2001-111, s. 2]

69 The carcass of every food animal destined for slaughter that dies by a means other than slaughter shall be condemned and handled in accordance with section 54.

70 [Repealed, SOR/2001-167, s. 13]

• 71 (1) Every condemned food animal shall be segregated and identified as condemned in a manner satisfactory to the Director.

• (2) Every food animal identified as condemned shall be slaughtered in an area of the registered establishment that is part of the live animal area or the inedible products area and shall be handled in accordance with section 54.

72 [Repealed, SOR/2001-167, s. 14]

73 The operator shall ensure that

• (a) every food animal designated as held by an official veterinarian is segregated and identified as being held; and

• (b) the carcass derived from a food animal that was identified as being held is also identified as being held until the completion of the post-mortem examination or post-mortem inspection of the carcass.

74 [Repealed, SOR/2001-167, s. 15]

75 No food animal identified as being held shall be slaughtered without the authorization of an inspector.

76 [Repealed, SOR/99-369, s. 3]

77 Despite section 79, every food animal that is ritually slaughtered in accordance with Judaic or Islamic law shall be restrained and slaughtered by means of a cut resulting in rapid, simultaneous and complete severance of the jugular veins and carotid arteries, in a manner that causes the animal to lose consciousness immediately.

78 No food animal, other than a bird or domesticated rabbit, shall be suspended for the purpose of slaughter unless, immediately before being suspended, it is rendered unconscious or killed by a method set out in section 79.

79 Every food animal that is slaughtered, other than a muskox, caribou or reindeer that is a game animal that is slaughtered elsewhere than in a registered establishment, shall, before being bled,

• (a) be rendered unconscious in a manner that ensures that it does not regain consciousness before death, by one of the following methods:

  • (i) by delivering a blow to the head by means of a penetrating or non-penetrating mechanical device in a manner that causes immediate loss of consciousness,

  • (ii) by exposure to a gas or a gas mixture in a manner that causes a rapid loss of consciousness, or

  • (iii) by the application of an electrical current in a manner that causes immediate loss of consciousness; or

• (b) be killed by one of the methods set out in paragraph (a) or, in the case of a bird or a domesticated rabbit, by rapid decapitation.

80 No equipment or instrument for restraining, slaughtering or rendering unconscious any food animal shall be used by any person for those purposes

• (a) unless the person is, by reason of the person’s competence and physical condition, able to do so without subjecting the animal to avoidable distress or avoidable pain; or

• (b) where the condition of the equipment or instrument or the manner in which or the circumstances under which the equipment or instrument is used might subject the animal to avoidable distress or avoidable pain.

Post-mortem Examination and Inspection

81 [Repealed, SOR/2001-167, s. 17]

82 Every operator shall ensure that

• (a) all blood harvested from a food animal in a registered establishment for processing as an edible meat product is identified in a manner that indicates the carcass of the food animal from which the blood was harvested; and

• (b) every part that is removed from the carcass of a food animal in a registered establishment is identified in a manner that indicates the carcass from which the part was removed, if the part is removed before the carcass is subjected to a post-mortem examination or a post-mortem inspection.

• 83 (1) Subject to subsection (5), every operator of a registered establishment shall ensure that the carcass of a food animal slaughtered in the registered establishment and all blood of the food animal that is harvested for processing as an edible meat product are, in the course of dressing the carcass, presented for

  • (a) a post-mortem examination by the operator under the supervision of an official veterinarian, in the case of an animal to which a post-mortem examination program applies; or

  • (b) a post-mortem inspection by an official veterinarian or by an inspector under the supervision of an official veterinarian, in any other case.

• (2) Subject to subsection (3), if an operator or an inspector who is not an official veterinarian finds, in the course of the post-mortem examination or the post-mortem inspection, that the blood harvested from a food animal or the carcass or a part of the carcass of a food animal shows a deviation from normal appearance, or is derived from a food animal identified as being held, all the blood from the food animal and the carcass and all its parts shall be held and referred to an official veterinarian for detailed inspection and for instructions regarding the disposition of the blood and the carcass and its parts.

• (3) An official veterinarian may instruct an operator or an inspector who is not an official veterinarian that blood, carcasses or parts of carcasses with certain deviations from normal appearance

  • (a) are not required to be referred to an official veterinarian for detailed inspection; and

  • (b) are to be disposed of in accordance with the instructions provided by an official veterinarian.

• (4) An operator shall comply with any instructions from an official veterinarian under subsection (2) or (3).

• (5) The Director may specify how a post-mortem examination or post-mortem inspection is to be performed, including

  • (a) the methods and equipment that shall be used; and

  • (b) the criteria that shall be taken into account in determining which parts, if any, of the carcass of a food animal need to be examined or inspected in order that a post-mortem examination or post-mortem inspection may be considered to have been performed on the carcass.

84 [Repealed, SOR/2005-253, s. 4]

• 85 (1) The operator shall ensure that

  • (a) every carcass of a food animal and every part of a carcass of a food animal identified as condemned is handled in accordance with section 54; and

  • (b) if the carcass of a food animal is condemned, all blood harvested from that food animal is also condemned and is handled in accordance with section 54.

• (2) Horns, hooves, hair and, in the case of poultry, heads, feet and feathers, derived from the condemned carcass of a food animal may, unless otherwise directed by an official veterinarian, be salvaged as inedible products without subsequent treatment as condemned material.

• 86 (1) If an official veterinarian instructs an operator that a part of a carcass must be removed and condemned, the operator shall ensure that the part is removed from the carcass and handled in accordance with section 54.

• (2) That part of the carcass of a food animal remaining after the removal referred to in subsection (1) may be identified as edible by an operator in accordance with Part I.

87 [Repealed, SOR/2001-167, s. 22]

88 In a registered establishment an operator may, in accordance with section 54, treat as a condemned meat product

• (a) any meat product not identified as being held; or

• (b) with the consent of an inspector, any meat product identified as being held.

Packaging and Labelling

89 Subject to section 122, every operator shall ensure that a meat product that is packaged and labelled in a registered establishment is packaged and labelled in accordance with sections 90 to 120 of these Regulations and with the Food and Drug Regulations, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations and all applicable regulations made under the Canada Agricultural Products Act.

90 Subject to section 91, the meat products set out in Column I of an item of Schedule II shall not be prepackaged in weights other than the permitted weights set out in Column II of that item.

91 Section 90 does not apply in respect of meat products that are

• (a) prepackaged at random weights and subsequently labelled with the net weight for retail sale;

• (b) packaged in hermetically sealed containers in accordance with section 58; or

• (c) prepackaged at weights over 1 kg.

• 92 (1) No material used in packaging or labelling a meat product in a registered establishment shall come into contact with the meat product if the contact might prevent the meat product from conforming to the requirements of these Regulations or the Food and Drug Regulations.

• (2) No material used in packaging or labelling a meat product in a registered establishment shall come into contact with the meat product unless the material

  • (a) is durable and effective, having regard to the manner in which it is used; and

  • (b) is suitable for the purpose for which it is to be used.

• 93 (1) For the purposes of the Act and these Regulations, the prescribed meat inspection legend is the meat inspection legend set out in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule III.

• (2) Subject to subsection (3), the registration number shall be substituted for the numbers “00” where they appear in the meat inspection legend in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule III.

• (3) The meat inspection legend, without the registration number, may be placed on the label of a meat product where the label is applied to

  • (a) a hermetically sealed container that is labelled as prescribed in paragraph 60(d);

  • (b) a casing or bag closed by a metal clip, if the registration number is legibly engraved on the metal clip and is visible when the clip is closed; or

  • (c) a cardboard container, a corrugated fibreboard container, a bulk container or a plastic container, if the registration number is clearly marked elsewhere on the principal display panel.

• (4) The meat inspection legend

  • (a) where placed on a label, shall have no transverse measurement through the centre of the legend of less than 10 mm; and

  • (b) where stamped or branded directly on a meat product, shall have no transverse measurement through the centre of the legend of less than 25 mm.

• 94 (1) Subject to section 122, every label used in a registered establishment in connection with a meat product identified as edible shall include or consist of the following:

  • (a) in the case of an immediate container of a prepackaged meat product or a tag, other than an official tag, attached to a prepackaged meat product,

    • (i) the identity of the meat product in terms of its common name or in terms that are descriptive of the meat product,

    • (ii) except in the case of a meat product prepackaged at a random weight, the net quantity of the meat product,

    • (iii) the operator’s name and the address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or the name and address of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled, preceded by the words “Prepared for” and “Préparé pour”,

    • (iv) the meat inspection legend,

    • (v) subject to sections 118 to 120, a list of the names of every ingredient and component in the product where the product is a prepared meat product,

    • (vi) subject to subsection (3), storage instructions,

    • (vii) where the durable life of the meat product is 90 days or less, the words “Best before” and “Meilleur avant” followed by the durable life date, and

    • (viii) in the case of a dressed carcass derived from a young chicken or young duck, or a portion thereof, that may contain kidneys, the words “May contain kidneys”;

  • (b) in the case of a bulk container,

    • (i) the identity of the meat product in terms of its common name or in terms that are descriptive of the meat product,

    • (ii) the net quantity of the meat product,

    • (iii) the operator’s name and the address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or the name and address of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled, preceded by the words “Prepared for” or “Préparé pour”,

    • (iv) except where the bulk container contains a prepackaged meat product, the meat inspection legend,

    • (v) subject to sections 118 to 120, a list of the names of every ingredient and component in the product where the product is a prepared meat product that is not prepackaged,

    • (vi) subject to subsection (3), storage instructions, and

    • (vii) if the bulk container contains an unlabelled dressed carcass derived from a young chicken or young duck, or a portion thereof, that may contain kidneys, the words “May contain kidneys”;

  • (c) in the case of a breast tag applied to a dressed poultry carcass or to the dressed carcass of a domesticated rabbit,

    • (i) the identity of the meat product in terms of its common name,

    • (ii) the operator’s name and the address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or the name and address of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled, preceded by the words “Prepared for” and “Préparé pour”,

    • (iii) the meat inspection legend, and

    • (iv) in the case of a dressed carcass derived from a young chicken or young duck, that may contain kidneys, the words “May contain kidneys”;

  • (d) in the case of a tag, other than a tag referred to in paragraphs (a) and (c), used to identify a meat product as edible,

    • (i) the identity of the meat product in terms of its common name or in terms that are descriptive of the meat product,

    • (ii) the net quantity of the meat product,

    • (iii) the operator’s name and the address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or the name and address of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled, preceded by the words “Prepared for” or “Préparé pour”,

    • (iv) the meat inspection legend,

    • (v) subject to sections 118 to 120, a list of the names of every ingredient and component in the product where the product is a prepared meat product,

    • (vi) subject to subsection (3), storage instructions, and

    • (vii) in the case of a dressed carcass derived from a young chicken or young duck, or a portion thereof, that may contain kidneys, the words “May contain kidneys”;

  • (e) in the case of a meat inspection legend applied directly to a meat product or applied indirectly thereto by means of a printed and sealed bag or a label used in conjunction with a sealed bag, the meat inspection legend.

• (2) Every label applied to a meat product identified for use as animal food or for use for medicinal purposes shall include

  • (a) the identity of the meat product in terms that are descriptive of the meat product;

  • (b) in the case of a meat product identified for use as animal food, the words “Animal food” or “Aliments pour animaux”, or the words naming the animal species for which the meat product is intended, followed by the word “Food” or preceded by the words “Aliments pour”;

  • (c) in the case of a meat product identified for medicinal purposes, the words “For medicinal purposes” or “À des fins médicinales”, or the words “For pharmaceutical purposes” or “À des fins pharmaceutiques”, as the case may be;

  • (d) the net quantity of the meat product;

  • (e) the operator’s name and the address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or the name and address of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled, preceded by the words “Prepared for” or “Préparé pour”;

  • (f) the registration number; and

  • (g) subject to subsection (3), storage instructions.

• (3) The label of any meat product identified as edible, for use for medicinal purposes or for use as animal food shall indicate if the meat product should be kept refrigerated or kept frozen, except if the meat product

  • (a) is packaged in a hermetically sealed container and treated to achieve commercial sterility;

  • (b) is dried to attain a water activity of 0.85 or less;

  • (c) has a pH of 4.6 or lower;

  • (d) is packaged in salt or a saturated salt solution;

  • (e) is fermented and has a pH of 5.3 or less, and a water activity of 0.90 or less, at the end of the fermentation within the time set out in the Manual of Procedures; or

  • (f) has been subjected to a treatment, approved by the Director, that ensures the stability of the meat product when it is stored at normal room temperature.

• (4) No meat product that is identified as edible shall be described on the label by a name set out in Column I of an item of Schedule I unless the meat product conforms to the standards set out in Columns II to V of that item.

• (5) No meat product that is identified as edible, that is identified for use for medicinal purposes or that is identified for use as animal food shall be described on the label as a carcass, cut, organ or tissue of an animal unless the name of the animal species from which it was derived is also shown.

• (6) No word or phrase set out in Column I of an item of Schedule IV shall be shown on the label of a meat product unless the meat product meets the requirements set out in Column II of that item.

• (6.1) If any meat product is not a ready-to-eat meat product but has the appearance of or could be mistaken for a ready-to-eat meat product, the meat product shall bear the following information on its label:

  • (a) the words “must be cooked”, “raw product”, “uncooked” or any equivalent words or word as part of the common name of the product to indicate that the product requires cooking before consumption; and

  • (b) comprehensive cooking instructions such as an internal temperature-time relationship that, if followed, will result in a ready-to-eat meat product.

• (6.2) No meat product label shall bear any word or words that could indicate or suggest that the meat product is a ready-to-eat meat product unless the meat product complies with section 22.

• (7) No word, picture or design that conveys a false or misleading impression as to the contents, quality, quantity, weight, method or date of production or manufacture or place of origin of the contents of any meat product bearing the meat inspection legend shall be used on the label of or in connection with the meat product.

• (8) Where the label of a meat product indicates that the meat product has been derived from one or more species of food animals, the label shall not be used for the meat product unless all meat product ingredients of that meat product are derived from those species of food animals.

• (9) The term “ham” shall not be used on the label of a meat product unless the meat product is derived from the hind leg of a dressed swine carcass above the tarsal joint.

• (10) [Repealed, SOR/2003-6, s. 88]

• 95 (1) Subject to sections 115 and 122, every meat product shipped from a registered establishment shall bear a label that meets the requirements of section 94.

• (2) Every carcass and half carcass, other than that of a bird or domesticated rabbit, that is not, as a result of a post-mortem examination or a post-mortem inspection, identified as being held or condemned shall be stamped with the meat inspection legend before refrigeration.

• (3) All meat products shall be labelled with the production date or with a code identifying the production lot.

• 96 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the information required by section 94 to be included on the label of a meat product shall be shown on the principal display panel.

• (2) The information required by subparagraphs 94(1)(a)(iii) to (v) and (vii) may be shown on a panel other than the principal display panel.

• (3) The information required by subparagraph 94(1)(a)(vii) may be shown on that part of the label that is applied to the bottom of the container if a clear indication of the location of the required information appears elsewhere on the label.

• (4) In the case of a bulk container sealed with a tamper-evident seal, the meat inspection legend required by subparagraph 94(1)(b)(iv) may be shown on the seal and, if it is shown on the seal, may be shown on a panel other than the principal display panel.

• 97 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (8) and section 122, all markings required by these Regulations to be shown on a label used in connection with a meat product shall be shown in both official languages, except that the operator’s name and the address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or the name and address of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled may be shown in one of the official languages.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of the label of a non-retail container or of any tag referred to in paragraph 94(1)(d) where all of the information required by paragraphs 94(1)(b) and 123(e) is shown in one of the official languages.

• (3) Subject to subsections (4) to (6), subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a local product or test market product where

  • (a) it is sold in a local government unit in which one of the official languages is the mother tongue of less than 10 per cent of the total number of persons residing in the local government unit; and

  • (b) the information required by these Regulations to be shown on the label of those products is shown in the official language that is the mother tongue of at least l0 per cent of the total number of persons residing in the local government unit.

• (4) Where one of the official languages is the mother tongue of less than l0 per cent of the total number of persons residing in a local government unit and the other official language is the mother tongue of less than l0 per cent of the total number of persons residing in the same local government unit, subsection (3) does not apply.

• (5) Subsection (3) does not apply in respect of a test market product unless the dealer who intends to conduct the test marketing of the product has, at least six weeks before conducting the test marketing, filed with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food a notice of intention to do so.

• (6) A test market product shall, for the purpose of subsection (3), cease to be a test market product on the expiration of 12 consecutive months after the date on which it was first offered for sale as a test market product, but any test market product that was acquired for resale by a dealer, other than the dealer who filed the notice of intention referred to in subsection (5), before the expiration of those 12 consecutive months, shall continue to be a test market product, for the purposes of subsection (3), until it is sold to a consumer.

• (7) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a specialty product if the information required by these Regulations to be shown on the label of a meat product is shown in one of the official languages.

• (8) Where there are one or more surfaces on the label of a meat product that are of at least the same size and prominence as the principal display panel, the information required by these Regulations to be shown on the principal display panel may be shown in one official language if that information is shown in the other official language on one of those other surfaces.

• 98 (1) Subject to subsection (2), all or part of the label of a meat product shall be applied to the principal display surface.

• (2) Where the container of a prepackaged meat product is mounted on a display card, the label may be applied to the side of the display card that is displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use.

• 99 (1) For the purposes of this section and sections 100 and 101, the height of a character is, where words appear in upper case, the height of an upper case letter and, where words appear in lower case or in a mixture of upper and lower case, the height of the lower case letter “o”.

• (2) Subject to section 100, all information required by these Regulations to be shown on a label shall be shown in a manner easily legible to any person under normal or customary conditions of sale or use and shall be in characters not less than 1.6 mm in height.

• (3) The numerical quantity in the declaration of net quantity shall be shown in bold-face type in characters not less than the following height:

  • (a) 1.6 mm, where the area of the principal display surface of the container or bulk container is not more than 32 cm²;

  • (b) 3.2 mm, where the area of the principal display surface of the container or bulk container is more than 32 cm² but not more than 258 cm²;

  • (c) 6.4 mm, where the area of the principal display surface of the container or bulk container is more than 258 cm² but not more than 645 cm²;

  • (d) 9.5 mm, where the area of the principal display surface of the container or bulk container is more than 645 cm² but not more than 2 580 cm²; and

  • (e) 12.7 mm, where the area of the principal display surface of the container or bulk container is more than 2 580 cm².

• (4) Where a container is mounted on a display card and the declaration of net quantity is shown on the display card, the height of the characters shall be proportionate to the total area of the side of the display card that is displayed or visible under normal or customary conditions of sale or use.

100 Where the area of the principal display surface of a container is not more than 10 cm² and all the information required by these Regulations to be shown on a label is shown on the principal display panel, that information, other than the information contained in the declaration of net quantity, may be in characters not less than 0.8 mm in height.

101 Where a word or phrase set out in Column I of an item of Schedule IV is shown on the label of a meat product, it shall be shown immediately preceding or immediately following the identity of the meat product.

• 102 (1) The net quantity of a meat product shall be shown in metric units.

• (2) Where the declaration of net quantity is shown in metric and Canadian units, those units shall be grouped together.

• (3) If the net quantity in the declaration of net quantity of a meat product is less than one metric unit, it shall be shown using

  • (a) the decimal system with the numeral zero before the decimal point; or

  • (b) words.

• 103 (1) The declaration of net quantity of a meat product shall reflect the actual quantity of the meat product within the tolerances prescribed by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.

• (2) Subject to subsection (4), the declaration of net quantity of a meat product shall show the quantity of the meat product by weight.

• (3) The declaration of net quantity of a meat product packed in brine or vinegar shall show the quantity of the meat product by weight exclusive of the free liquid.

• (4) The declaration of net quantity of the following meat products shall be expressed by volume:

  • (a) beans with pork;

  • (b) infant foods;

  • (c) junior foods;

  • (d) soups; and

  • (e) mincemeat.

104 If a declaration of net quantity shown in metric units is in the decimal system, it shall be shown to three decimal places, except that if the net quantity is less than 100 g or 100 mL, it may be shown to two decimal places and, in either case, any final zero occurring to the right of the decimal point need not be shown.

105 [Repealed, SOR/2003-6, s. 93]

• 106 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the declaration of net quantity of a meat product shown in metric units shall be in

  • (a) millilitres, where the net volume of the product is less than 1 000 mL, except that 500 mL may be shown as being one-half L or 0.5 L;

  • (b) litres, where the net volume is 1 000 mL or more;

  • (c) grams, where the net weight is less than 1 000 g, except that 500 g may be shown as being one-half kg or 0.5 kg; and

  • (d) kilograms, where the net weight is 1 000 g or more.

• (2) The declaration of net quantity of a prepackaged random-weight meat product shown in metric units may be in grams or a decimal fraction of a kilogram, where the net weight is less than 1 000 g.

• 107 (1) Subject to subsection (2), where a meat product is sold as one unit but consists of two or more meat products that are packaged separately and labelled with the markings required to be shown on meat products in accordance with section 94, the declaration of net quantity shall show

  • (a) where there are different classes of products in the unit, the number of products in each class and the identity of each class in terms of its common name;

  • (b) the total net quantity of identical products in the unit or the net quantity of each of the identical products in the unit; and

  • (c) if a class of product in the unit contains only one product, the net quantity of that product.

• (2) Subsection (l) does not apply where a meat product consists of less than seven identical meat products that are packaged separately and

  • (a) the meat products are each labelled to show all the markings required to be shown on meat products in accordance with section 94; and

  • (b) the markings are clearly visible at the time of sale.

108 Subject to sections 118 to 120,

• (a) the ingredients of a meat product shall be listed on the label of the meat product in descending order of their proportion in the product or as a percentage of the product; and

• (b) the components of the ingredients of a meat product shall be listed on the label of the meat product

  • (i) immediately after the ingredient of which they are components, in such a manner as to indicate that they are components of that ingredient, and

  • (ii) in descending order of their proportion in the ingredient.

109 Where a meat product is imported into Canada and subsequently packaged or labelled in a registered establishment without undergoing processing in a registered establishment, the label used for the meat product shall bear, in addition to the information required by section 94 and subject to subsection 97(1), the words “Product of” and “Produit de” followed by the name of the country from which the meat product originated, marked in a conspicuous manner, in close proximity to the identity of the meat product.

110 [Repealed, SOR/2013-75, s. 3]

111 The meat inspection legend shall not be applied to a meat product or the label of a meat product unless the meat inspection legend meets the requirements of section 93.

• 112 (1) The meat inspection legend shall not be applied to or used in connection with any meat product unless the meat product

  • (a) is permitted to be identified as edible under Part I; or

  • (b) is identified as edible for the purpose of export and meets the requirements of the importing country.

• (2) Subject to subsection (3), the meat inspection legend shall not be applied in any place other than a registered establishment.

• (3) The meat inspection legend may be applied at a location other than a registered establishment where it is applied to a transport container of a meat product intended for export.

113 [Repealed, SOR/94-683, s. 4]

• 114 (1) Subject to subsection (2) and sections 115 and 122, no meat product that is an edible dressed carcass, a part of the dressed carcass or an edible organ removed from the carcass shall be shipped from a registered establishment unless the meat product has been identified as edible

  • (a) by stamping or branding the meat product with the meat inspection legend;

  • (b) in the case of a dressed poultry carcass or the dressed carcass of a domesticated rabbit, by labelling it with a breast tag marked in accordance with paragraph 94(1)(c); or

  • (c) in the case of a meat product that is contained in a sealed container, by means of a printed meat inspection legend that is visible on or within the container.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of an edible dressed carcass, a part of the dressed carcass or an edible organ removed from the carcass that is packaged in a container or bulk container that is labelled in accordance with sections 94 and 109.

115 A meat product may be shipped from a registered establishment without having a label marked on it in accordance with this Part where

• (a) it is shipped from the registered establishment in a bulk container or transport container that was sealed with an official seal under the authority of an inspector to another establishment that is registered for an activity set out in paragraph 27(1)(b) or (e);

• (b) it is accompanied by

  • (i) a document from the operator stating that the meat product is edible, and

  • (ii) in the case of a prepared meat product, an ingredient listing; and

• (c) the official seal is broken only with the consent of an inspector.

• 116 (1) For the purpose of section 5 of the Act, inspectors and operators are authorized to apply the meat inspection legend to meat products and to reproduce or otherwise use the meat inspection legend with respect to meat products.

• (2) For the purpose of section 5 of the Act, the following persons are authorized to reproduce the meat inspection legend or to advertise or sell, or to have in their possession for any of those purposes, a label or other material that shows the meat inspection legend:

  • (a) printers of labels and manufacturers of containers, if they deliver the labels and containers bearing the meat inspection legend to the operators who are authorized to use them;

  • (b) publishers of material on the subject of meat inspection;

  • (c) publishers of material advertising meat products produced in registered establishments; and

  • (d) printers of official export labels and manufacturers of meat inspection legend stamps, if they deliver the stickers and stamps directly to an Executive Director, Operations, of the Agency.

117 For the purposes of paragraph 5(b) of the Act, purveyors of meat products are authorized to advertise or sell or have in their possession for any such purpose a meat product to which the meat inspection legend has been applied.

118 Components of ingredients added to a meat product shall be shown on the label as prescribed by sections B.01.008 to B.01.010 of the Food and Drug Regulations.

119 [Repealed, SOR/93-232, s. 2]

• 120 (1) Where it is an acceptable manufacturing practice for an operator to omit from a meat product any food that is ordinarily an ingredient of the meat product or a component of an ingredient thereof or substitute in whole or in part in a meat product any other food for a food that is ordinarily an ingredient or a component of an ingredient, the list of ingredients on the label of the meat product may, for the 12 month period beginning at the time the label is applied to the meat product, show as ingredients of the meat product or components of ingredients thereof the foods that may be omitted and the foods that may be substituted, where

  • (a) all the foods that may be used as ingredients or components throughout the 12 month period are shown in the list of ingredients;

  • (b) it is clearly stated as part of the list of ingredients that the food shown as an ingredient or component may not be present or that another food may be substituted for a food shown as an ingredient or component; and

  • (c) the foods that may be omitted or substituted are grouped with those of the same class of foods that are used as ingredients or components and the foods within each of the groups are listed in descending order of the proportion in which they are likely to be used during the 12 month period.

• (2) Where it is an acceptable manufacturing practice for an operator to vary the proportions of ingredients of a meat product or components of an ingredient thereof, the list of ingredients on the label of the meat product may, for the 12 month period beginning at the time the label is applied to the meat product, show the ingredients or components in the same proportions throughout the 12 month period, where

  • (a) it is clearly stated as part of the list of ingredients that the proportions indicated are subject to change; and

  • (b) the ingredients or components are listed in descending order of the proportion in which they are likely to be used during the 12 month period.

PART IVTrade

Meat Products for Export

121 No operator shall identify as edible any meat product intended for export unless the meat product meets the requirements of the importing country and is packaged and labelled in accordance with section 122.

• 122 (1) Subject to subsection (2), every operator shall package and label a meat product intended for export in accordance with the requirements of the importing country or, where no such requirements exist, shall package and label the meat product as required by Part III.

• (2) Every operator shall ensure that a meat product that is produced for export as an edible meat product and does not meet the requirements of these Regulations for a meat product intended for sale, use or consumption as an edible meat product in Canada is, in addition to being packaged and labelled in accordance with all other requirements of these Regulations, labelled as being for export.

  • SOR/93-160, s. 10

122.1 In any meat inspection certificate used for the purpose of exporting meat products, a statement that the meat products are derived from food animals that received ante-mortem and post-mortem veterinary inspection at the time of slaughter means that the food animals were subjected to ante-mortem examination or ante-mortem inspection and that the meat products were subjected to post-mortem examination or post-mortem inspection, in accordance with these Regulations.

122.2 No person shall return or have returned to Canada a meat product that was exported from Canada unless the meat product is

• (a) authorized for return by an inspector;

• (b) delivered to a registered establishment that has the required facilities for a reinspection; and

• (c) reinspected by an inspector.

Meat Products for Import

123 A meat product may be imported into Canada if

• (a) the compositional standards and labelling requirements for the meat product are the standards and labelling requirements to which the meat product would have to conform if it were produced in a registered establishment in Canada;

• (b) in the case of a meat product packaged in a hermetically sealed container, a code has not been used to replace the processing establishment number on the container;

• (c) in the case of a meat product identified as edible, instead of being marked or stamped with the meat inspection legend, the meat product has been marked with the official inspection mark of the government of the country of origin, prescribed by the national legislation of that country, to indicate that the meat product has been prepared in an establishment operating in accordance with the national meat inspection legislation of that country;

• (d) the words “Product of” and “Produit de”, followed by the name of the country of origin, are marked in a conspicuous manner in close proximity to the common name of the meat product on the label used in connection with the meat product;

• (e) in the case of a meat product identified for use as animal food, the label bears the words “Plant Number” or “Numéro d’usine” followed by the number of the foreign establishment in which the meat product was prepared; and

• (f) the meat product was manufactured in an establishment that was operating under a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles based system determined by the President to be equivalent to the Food Safety Enhancement Program (FSEP) established by the Agency.

124 The importer of a meat product who has been given a notice for the removal of the meat product from Canada referred to in subsection 18(1) of the Act shall present the meat product to an inspector for verification of the removal of the meat product at the time and place of its removal.

PART VAdministration

Inspection Services

125 In this Part,

designated paid holiday

designated paid holiday means a day specified in article M-20 of the Agreement between the Treasury Board and the Public Service Alliance of Canada — Master Agreement — (PSAC) 300; (jour férié désigné payé)

holiday

holiday[Repealed, SOR/95-510, s. 1]

import shipment

import shipment means a shipment of meat products covered by an official meat inspection certificate for the purpose of importing the meat products into Canada; (expédition liée à l’importation)

inspection station

inspection station means a place designated by the Director; (poste d’inspection)

scheduled work shift

scheduled work shift means a work shift that is agreed to by the President and an operator and that,

• (a) in the case of a slaughter shift, does not exceed 7.5 hours per inspection station in one day and 37.5 hours per inspection station in one work week, excluding meal times, and

• (b) in the case of a work shift other than a slaughter shift,

  • (i) does not exceed 7.5 hours in one day and 37.5 hours in one work week, excluding meal times, or

  • (ii) is scheduled between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; (période de travail établie)

slaughter shift

slaughter shift means a work shift during which the ante-mortem inspection and slaughter of animals and the post-mortem inspection of carcasses is carried out; (période de travail sur la chaîne d’abattage)

work shift

work shift[Repealed, SOR/93-147, s. 1]

work week

work week[Repealed, SOR/93-147, s. 1]

126 Inspection of a registered establishment and the animals and meat products in it may be carried out outside a scheduled work shift or on a designated paid holiday, if

• (a) the operator of the registered establishment submits a written request to the Executive Director, in a form approved by the Agency; and

• (b) [Repealed, SOR/2000-183, s. 35]

• (c) an inspector is available to carry out the inspection.

127 [Repealed, SOR/95-510, s. 2]

• 128 (1) The Director shall, in respect of an establishment registered for the processing or packaging and labelling of meat products, determine the minimum number of hours of inspection that is required per year for each scheduled work shift, by considering the following criteria:

  • (a) whether any of the following processes are being performed in the registered establishment and, if so, the number, type and combination of them:

    • (i) cutting, boning, slicing and comminuting,

    • (ii) cooking and smoking,

    • (iii) thermal processing,

    • (iv) preparation of dry and semi-dry fermented products,

    • (v) preparation of dehydrated products,

    • (vi) handling of ready-to-eat products,

    • (vii) curing,

    • (viii) use of bulk nitrate and nitrite salts,

    • (ix) rendering,

    • (x) mechanical deboning,

    • (xi) offal preparation, and

    • (xii) tripe and casing preparation;

  • (b) the level of integration of the activities set out in paragraph (a) with the other activities performed in the registered establishment;

  • (c) the physical size of the registered establishment, the layout of equipment and the type of equipment and technology used;

  • (d) the mix of products and the volume of production;

  • (e) work scheduling practices in the registered establishment; and

  • (f) where available, the inspection records of the registered establishment and of comparable registered establishments.

• (2) The Director shall, in respect of an establishment registered for the slaughter of food animals, determine the number of inspection stations that is required per year within a scheduled work shift, by considering the following criteria:

  • (a) the animal species slaughtered;

  • (b) the method of carcass inspection used;

  • (c) the speed of the slaughter line; and

  • (d) the volume of production.

• (3) The Director may, in respect of an establishment registered for the slaughter of food animals, provide on an annual basis one or more additional inspection stations within a scheduled work shift, if

  • (a) the operator of the registered establishment submits a written request to the Director, in a form provided by the Agency; and

  • (b) [Repealed, SOR/2000-183, s. 36]

  • (c) an inspector is available to provide the service.

• (4) The Executive Director may, in respect of an establishment registered for the slaughter of food animals, provide on an hourly basis one or more additional inspection stations within a scheduled work shift, if

  • (a) the operator of the registered establishment submits a written request to the Executive Director, in a form provided by the Agency; and

  • (b) [Repealed, SOR/2000-183, s. 36]

  • (c) an inspector is available to provide the service.

• (5) The operator of a registered establishment shall notify the Director in writing if either of the following situations occurs:

  • (a) there is a change in the operations of the registered establishment in respect of any of the criteria set out in subsection (1) or (2); or

  • (b) an additional inspection station provided in accordance with subsection (3) is no longer required.

• (6) Where the Director is notified of a situation in accordance with subsection (5) or where the Director has other information that a situation referred to in that subsection has occurred, the Director shall re-determine the minimum number of hours of inspection required or the number of inspection stations required, as the case may be.

128.1 to 128.3 [Repealed, SOR/98-133, s. 7]

129 [Repealed, SOR/2000-184, s. 79]

Official Seals and Official Tags

• 130 (1) No person shall remove or alter an official seal or official tag applied by or under the authority of an inspector unless authorized to do so by an inspector.

• (2) Any food animal, meat product or other thing being held on the instructions of an inspector shall not be handled or used in any way without the permission of an inspector.

Laboratory Examination

• 131 (1) An operator or an importer shall, at the request of an inspector and without charge, provide the inspector, for laboratory examination, with samples of a meat product or any ingredient or additive used or to be used in the preparation of a meat product or any other material used or to be used in connection with a meat product.

• (2) Reports on the results of a laboratory examination referred to in subsection (1) shall be made available, on request, to the operator or importer who provided the sample.

• 132 (1) Where, in the course of the inspection of a meat product or any ingredient or additive referred to in subsection 131(1), a laboratory examination is conducted on the meat product, the applicable official method registered with the Director shall be used.

• (2) The Director shall provide any person, on request, with a copy of an official method referred to in subsection (1).

Seizure and Detention

133 Where an inspector seizes and detains a meat product or other thing pursuant to section 15 of the Act, the inspector shall attach a detention tag to that meat product or other thing in a prominent place.

134 An inspector shall, after detaining a meat product or other thing in accordance with section 133, forthwith deliver or mail a notice of detention

• (a) to the person having the care or custody of the meat product or other thing at the place where it was seized and to the person having the care or custody of the meat product or other thing at the place where it is being detained;

• (b) to the owner of the meat product or other thing that was seized or to the owner’s agent; and

• (c) where a detained meat product or other thing is removed from the place where it was seized to another place in accordance with subsection 14(2) or 15(2) of the Act, to the person having the care or custody of the meat product or other thing at that other place.

• 135 (1) A meat product or other thing seized and detained under section 15 of the Act shall be detained, at the owner’s expense, under storage conditions appropriate to the preservation of the meat product or other thing.

• (2) For the purposes of paragraph 16(1)(a) of the Act, an inspector may require that a meat product or other thing seized and detained under section 15 of the Act be presented for inspection in a registered establishment, within the time period specified therefor in the notice of detention, in order to determine whether the provisions of the Act and these Regulations have been complied with.

136 For the purposes of paragraph 16(1)(b) of the Act, the longer period after which any meat product or other thing shall not be detained is 180 days.

137 Where an inspector determines that a detained meat product or other thing conforms to the requirements of the Act and these Regulations, the inspector shall release the meat product or other thing and shall deliver or mail one copy of a notice of release to each of the persons to whom a copy of the notice of detention referred to in section 134 was delivered or mailed.

SCHEDULE III / ANNEXE III(Section 93 / article 93)Meat Inspection Legend / Estampilles