Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No. 40 of 2000)

Meat inspection assignees' roles in the meat inspection service include:

(a)        Provision of meat inspection personnel

An owner of an abattoir must procure a meat inspection service through a registered meat inspection assignee. Inspection capacities must be maintained at all times during and for the full duration of production cycles at abattoirs. These include extended working hours, overtime, night, weekend and holiday shifts, multiple shifts, and emergencies. Provision must be made for relief personnel and to service peak production periods.

(b)        Provision of secondary meat inspection service by veterinarians

All abattoirs must have a registered inspector who is a veterinarian to conduct the duties as listed elsewhere in this document. All veterinarians servicing abattoirs as registered inspectors, with the exception of state veterinarians, must be procured through meat inspection assignees. This means that meat inspection assignees must therefore be able to provide veterinarians to abattoirs as required. A veterinarian must visit an abattoir for a pre-determined period of time on slaughter days as determined by the PEO.

(c)        Registration of meat inspection personnel

The meat inspection assignee must ensure that all meat inspection personnel under their employment are registered with the PEO to provide meat inspection at abattoirs.

(d)         Monitoring of meat inspection personnel by the supervisory registered inspector

The meat inspection assignee must provide supervisory meat inspection personnel to monitor the performance of meat inspection personnel in all abattoirs they are servicing. The supervisor is also responsible for the assessment of meat inspection personnel in accordance with regulations 55(c)(ii) and 53(c)(ii) of the red meat and poultry meat regulations respectively.

(e)        Induction and continuous training of meat inspection personnel

New or inexperienced meat inspection personnel must receive direct supervision by a senior and more experienced inspector for a period of at least 1 month. The meat inspection assignee must ensure that the meat inspection personnel receive continuous professional development related to their duties in abattoirs.

(f)        Liaison with the PEO in relation to meat inspection

The meat inspection assignee must provide regular reports on meat inspection service at abattoirs they are servicing to the PEO at a frequency to be determined by the PEO. The reports must include slaughter statistics. The NEO may require an assignee to report to him/her on any activity under their scope of activity.