European Union: new specific rules on official controls for Trichinella in meat

Official Journal of the European Union has published Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1114/2014 of 21 October 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005 laying down specific rules on official controls for Trichinella in meat.

One of the major changes affecting the Article 2 concerning the sampling of carcases.

• Carcases of domestic swine shall be sampled in slaughterhouses as part of the post-mortem examination as follows:
  (a) all carcases of breeding sows and boars or at least 10 % of carcases of animals sent in for slaughter each year from each holding being officially recognised as applying controlled housing conditions, shall be examined for Trichinella.
  (b) all carcases from holdings not being officially recognised as applying controlled housing conditions shall be systematically examined for Trichinella.

• Carcases of horses, wild boar and other farmed and wild animal species susceptible to Trichinella infestation shall be systematically sampled in slaughterhouses or game-handling establishments as part of the post-mortem examination.

• Pending the results of the Trichinella examination and provided full traceability is guaranteed by the food business operator, carcases of domestic swine and of horses may be cut up into a maximum of six parts in a slaughterhouse or in a cutting plant on the same premises.

It is also amended Article 13 on import health requirements and Article 15 on documentation.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.