All persons desirous of slaughtering animals for the Christmas Season are asked to contact the Environmental Health Department at Tel. # 456-1991 or the District Environmental Health Officer.
The following Guidelines must be adhered to:
ANTE-MORTEM AND POST-MORTEM INSPECTION
Animals must be inspected before slaughtering.
Animals must be rested for a minimal of thirty-six (36) hours before slaughter.
Carcass must remain hanging to facilitate the inspection.
Head, feet, and offal must be presented during the post-mortem inspection.
FACILITY
Hoist is erected to an adequate height to avoid the hanging animal’s carcass from touching ground/floor.
Areas below the hoist be concreted with reinforce concrete and so graded to allow easy flow of liquids.
Liquid waste be channel into an appropriate soakaway/pit.
Slaughter areas must be supplied with potable water.
Slaughter areas must be well lighted.
No slaughtering of animals are allowed under trees.
The slaughter areas be cleaned before slaughtering process.
The area must be inspected and approved before any slaughtering is done.
The selling surface/area be fitted with clean impervious material.
No painted materials should be used as the surface area to hold meat.
The cutting area be impervious and appropriate for the purpose (No plywood, softwood, or wood with paint).
No slaughtering of animals is facilitated on the ground or floor.
PERSONEL
The butchers and their assistants must be appropriately dressed in clean apparel and closed-toe shoes.
No one with open cuts and abscesses is allowed at the place of slaughter.
No smoking is allowed during the slaughter and sale of meat.
SALE OF MEAT
No sale of meat should be done before inspection is completed (make efforts to set times and place correctly).
Remember it is an offense under the Public Health Act No. 9 of 1977 to sell meat for human consumption that was not inspected and passed by the Department.
Butchers and slaughter men are advised to follow all COVID -19 protocols during the slaughtering and sale of meat.
