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

Poultry Regulations, 2006

Part II : Requirements for the Registration of Poultry Abattoirs

A. Throughput and other requirements for grades

5. Requirements for low throughput poultry abattoirs

Purchase cart Previous page Return to chapter overview Next page

 

 

Considering the requirements set out in Part II B(1) and (2), for an abattoir to be graded as a low throughput poultry abattoir –

a)a maximum throughput of two thousand units per day may not be exceeded, provided that the provincial executive officer may determine a lower maximum throughput for an abattoir on grounds of the hourly throughput potential relative to available equipment and facilities as well as chilling capacity;
b)premises must be fenced and provided with a gate to control access of people and animals;
c)roofed facilities for offloading and holding of live birds must be provided;
d)a facility where poultry transport trucks must be sanitised after offloading must be provided;
e)an equipped room must be available, but if throughput exceeds 100 units per day separate rooms inter-connected by means of hatches only must be available, where -
i)poultry is stunned, bled, scalded, defeathered, heads and feet are removed, rough offal is dispatched and meat inspection is done;
ii)carcasses are eviscerated, washed, meat inspection is done and where separate facilities must be provided for further inspection and recovery;
iii)carcasses are portioned, packed and chilled and meat and red offal are dispatched provided that where the daily throughput is less than 300 birds, this function may be done in the room mentioned in (ii) and where the throughput exceeds 500 birds the air temperature of this room may not exceed 12°C;
iv)rough offal is handled, provided that this may be done in a separate area in (ii):
f)facilities must be provided where feathers and inedible products can be kept under hygienic conditions prior to removal from the abattoir, unless it is removed on a continuous basis;
g)separate chillers and freezers must be provided for the daily throughput of -
i)carcasses, red offal; and
ii)washed rough offal;
h)a personnel entrance to the clean areas of the abattoir must be provided and must be designed as an ante-chamber for cleaning purposes and must be provided with hand washbasins, soap dispensers, hand drying facilities, a boot wash, apron wash, hooks for aprons and a refuse container and at the discretion of the provincial executive officer, personnel entrances to other areas of the abattoir need not be provided with an ante-chamber but must be provided with conveniently placed boot wash and hand wash facilities at the entrance to such areas;
i)change room, shower, toilet as well as hand wash-facilities must be provided on the premises for persons working at the abattoir;
j)dining facilities must be provided with tables and chairs and must be situated so that personnel do not sit or lie on the ground or soil their protective clothing during rest periods;
k)a storage facility or room for items needed In the daily slaughter process must be provided;
l)if an office is required by the owner, a separate room must be provided;
m)rooms or facilities must be provided for -
i)storage of cleaning equipment and materials;
ii)cleaning and sterilisation of fixed and movable equipment; and
iii)sterilisation of product crates and storage thereof.