Thông tư 60/2010/TT-BNNPTNT

CIRCULAR

ON VETERINARY HYGIENE CONDITIONS FOR PIG SLAUGHTERHOUSES

Pursuant to Animal Health Ordinance No. 18/ 2004/PL-UBTVQH which was passed by the National Assembly Standing Committee on April 29, 2004;
Pursuant to Food Hygiene and Safety Ordinance No. 12/2003/PL-UBTVQH which was passed by the National Assembly Standing Committee on July 26, 2003;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 01/ 2008/ND-CP of January 3, 2008, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; and the Government's Decree No. 75/2009/ND-CP of September 10, 2009, amending Article 3 of the Government's Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 163/2004/ND-CP of September 7,2004, detailing a number of articles of the Food Hygiene and Safety Ordinance;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 33/ 2005/ND-CP of March 15, 2005, detailing a number of articles of the Animal Health Ordinance; and the Government's Decree No. 119/2008/ND-CP of November 28, 2008, amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government's Decree No. 33/2005/ ND-CP;
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development promulgates the circular on veterinary hygiene conditions for pig slaughterhouses;

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular provides veterinary hygiene conditions for slaughterhouses killing pigs by the manual or semi-automatic method.

Article 2. Subjects of application

This Circular applies to domestic and overseas organizations and individuals engaged in pig slaughter in Vietnam.

Article 3. Interpretation of terms

In this Circular, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. Equipment includes tools and machines used to slaughter, contain, cut and debone, and transport pigs and meat.

2. Cleaning means taking mechanical measures to collect and remove inorganic and organic substances on equipment, tools, safety devices, workshops and floors of slaughterhouses.

3. Sanitization means using physical and chemical agents to exterminate microorganisms adverse to the health of people and animals in slaughterhouses.

4. Hygiene means conditions for workers, equipment, tools and workshops of slaughterhouses to ensure production in an appropriate environment and products" satisfaction of criteria of safety for users.

5. Production area includes the area for keeping pigs before slaughter and the slaughter area.

6. Slaughter area is the place for washing, stunning and sticking and bleeding pigs, eviscerating, cleaning viscera, washing and checking carcasses for the last time, and sticking and affixing slaughter control stamps and marks.

7. Clean area is the place for washing and checking carcasses, affixing slaughter control marks, chilling, cutting and deboning, and packing.

8. Unclean area is the place for keeping pigs before slaughter, washing, stunning, scalding, dehairing and eviscerating and cleaning viscera.

Chapter II

VETERINARY HYGIENE CONDITIONS

Article 4. Requirements on physical facilities

1. Location:

a/ To conform with local planning and lo be licensed by competent agencies.

b/ To be separated from residential areas and far away from animal breeding farms and polluting sources (dumping grounds, plants emitting dust and toxic chemicals, national highways).

c/ To be in areas with stable supply of electricity and water.

d/ To be convenient in transport and far away from rivers and streams used as daily-life water sources.

2. Design and arrangement:

a/ To have surrounding fences or be separated from surrounding areas.

b/ To have separate routes for transporting live pigs and meat, ensuring that live pigs are not transported through the clean area.

c/ To have sterilization pits or equipment for sanitizing vehicles and people entering the slaughter area.

d/ To have solid and liquid waste treatment systems suitable with the slaughtering capacity.

f/ To be arranged in two separate areas: the administrative area and the production area.

g/ To have a working office for animal health workers in the production area.

Article 5. Requirements on areas for receiving and keeping pigs before slaughter

1. The area for receiving pigs has equipment to enable safe unloading of pigs without injuring them.

2. Facilities for keeping pigs before slaughter:

a/ To have roof, the floor to be made of solid, smooth, non-slippery and easily drained and sanitized materials, to be divided into small pens.

b/ The pig-keeping area to accommodate a number of pigs doubles the slaughterhouse's capacity.

c/ To have a water supply system for pigs.

3. To have a passage for animal health workers to examine pigs before slaughter.

4. To have wastewater drains which are directly connected to the liquid waste treatment place and do not run through the slaughter area.

5. To have facilities to isolate diseased pigs.

Article 6. Requirements on the slaughter area

1. To be designed to enable one-direction slaughter process from unclean to clean areas. The unclean area is separated from the clean area, between them are sanitization pits or troughs.

2. The roof or ceiling is made of durable materials. The place for collecting blood is at least 3.6m below the ceiling or roof; for water boiling and dehairing, at least 4.8m; and for meat cutting and deboning, at least 3m. A hanging slaughter line is at least lm below the ceiling or roof.

3. Walls inside the slaughter area are made of solid, durable, heatproof, smooth, damp- and mold-proof materials which are easily cleaned and sanitized. The foot of the wall and comer between the floor and pillar are built round or sloping.

4. To have sufficient hand-wash sinks for workers, sinks for washing and sanitizing slaughtering tools and safety devices in places which are conveniently located for cleaning and sanitization.

5. Floor of the slaughter area:

a/ To be made of durable, waterproof and non-slippery materials which are easily cleaned and sanitized.

b/ To be sloped toward the waste collection system to ensure proper drainage without stagnant water on the floor.

6. To have rails to ensure that carcasses are at least 0.3m above the floor. For evisceration on the slaughtering platform, such platform is at least 0.4m above the floor.

7. To have a good steam absorption system.

8. The place for cleaning white intestines and stomachs is separated from the place for keeping red intestines and meat to prevent cross contamination.

9. The place for final inspection of carcasses is at the end of the hanging slaughter line or follows the place for final washing for carcass inspection and affixing of slaughter control mark before meat is carried out of the slaughterhouse.

10. Requirements on chilling and cold preservation of meat at slaughterhouses (if any):

a/ For fresh meat, after cooling, to pack and preserve at a temperature of 0-5°C.

b/ For frozen meat, after cooling, to freeze at a temperature of between-40°C and-50°C, to preserve at a temperature of between -18°C and -20°C.

Article 7. Requirements on wastewater drainage and waste treatment systems

1. Wastewater drainage system;

a/ To have wastewater from workers' toilets directly discharged into wastewater drains outside the slaughter area.

b/ Wastewater drains to be designed to allow water flow from clean to unclean areas without stagnant water on the floor after sanitization.

c/ To have covered wastewater drains of proper size and capacity without stagnancy.

d/ To have garbage nets and fat and viscera-separating tanks before discharge into the wastewater treatment system.

e/ To have wastewater drainage gates convenient for inspection, supervision and sampling.

f/ Treated wastewater reaches regulation QCVN 24:2009/BTNMT for the following norms: BOD, COD, Coliforms, pH, NH3, H2S, TN, TP and TSS specified in Appendix 3 to this Circular (not printed herein).

2. Collection and treatment of solid waste:

a/ To have a place for handling dead pigs, viscera or parts of carcasses suspected of carrying pathogens of infectious disease.

b/ If having no solid waste treatment place, to sign a contract with a licensed waste collection establishment.

c/ To have covered containers of waste materials and by-products labeled by their use (with colors, signs) to prevent cross contamination.

d/ To treat manure and organic waste.

e/ To frequently collect and clean up solid waste at the end of each slaughtering shift.

Article 8. Requirements on lighting and ventilation

1. Requirements on lighting and illumination power

a/ White illumination power at least reaches 300 lux in the slaughter and cutting and deboning areas; 500 lux in the areas of evisceration and veterinary and final inspection; and 200 lux in the packing and chilling areas.

b/ All light bulbs have protective nets or shades.

2. Ventilation

a/ The ventilation system is designed to enable air to flow from clean to unclean areas.

b/ Ventilation doors have nets to keep out insects and harmful animals.

Article 9. Requirements on water use in slaughterhouses

1. To have sufficient water and hot water for slaughter and cleaning activities.

2. To have rules on water quality control and maintenance of the water supply system. To keep dossiers at the slaughterhouse.

3. Water used for slaughter reaches regulation QCVN 0I:2009/BYT

Article 10. Requirements on personal hygiene facilities for workers

1. To have sufficient toilets and change rooms for workers .

2. To furnish toilets with sufficient personal hygiene equipment. Toilets to be in proper conditions, airy, clean and completely separate from the slaughter area without doors directly leading to the slaughter area.

3. To have a place for keeping clothes and personal articles of workers, which is separate from the slaughter area.

Article 11. Requirements on equipment and maintenance

1. Equipment:

a/ To have slaughtering equipment made of durable, stainless, non-corroded and non-toxic materials.

b/ To use separate tools and utensils for each area.

c/ To sanitize knives and cutting tools before and after use and keep them in proper places.

d/ To have sufficient sinks with running water and soap for workers to wash hands and tools in different areas.

2. Maintenance:

a/ To have programs on routine maintenance of equipment to prevent cross contamination of meat. To fully keep maintenance records.

b/ To only maintain and repair equipment and machines at the end of a slaughtering shift after all meat is carried away.

Article 12. Requirements on the warehouse system

1. Warehouses:

a/ To have places for storing and reserving slaughtering equipment separate from places for keeping chemicals.

b/ To preserve packaging and packaging materials in a separate and clean area.

2. Cold stores and containers (if any)

To have thermometers and built-in or remote temperature controllers for each refrigerating equipment.

Article 13. Requirements on cleaning and sanitization

1. To have a cleaning and sanitization process, covering a list of equipment and machines, cleaning and sanitization steps and frequency; chemicals and chemical contents to be used.

2. To regularly maintain the cleaning and sanitation process at the slaughterhouse.

3. To examine hygiene conditions of workshops, equipment and tools before each slaughtering shift. To conduct slaughtering only after workshops, equipment and tools meet hygiene requirements. Hygiene criteria for tools and equipment are specified in Appendix 2 to this Circular (not printed herein).

4. To regularly conduct hygiene inspection of slaughtering tools. To record inspection results and cleaning measures in dossiers of the slaughterhouse.

Article 14. Requirements on control of insects and harmful animals

1. To have effective and appropriate processes and measures to control insects and harmful animals in the slaughterhouse.

2. To only use permissible traps or chemicals under current regulations to kill insects and harmful animals in the slaughterhouse.

3. Not to keep birds, dogs, cats and any other animals in the slaughter area.

Article 15. Hygiene requirements for workers

1. Health requirements

a/ Slaughterers receive health checks before recruitment and biannually under the Ministry of Health's regulations.

b/ Sufferers of infectious and dermatological diseases on the list of the Ministry of Health may not directly participate in the slaughter process.

2. Personal hygiene in the slaughterhouse

a/ Slaughterers must wear safety devices which must be cleaned before and after each slaughtering shift.

b/ Those with an open wound must have such wound dressed with unabsorbent materials.

c/ To maintain personal hygiene: to properly use safety devices, not to wear jewelry while working.

d/ Not to eat, drink, smoke and spit in the slaughter area.

e/ Not to bring food into the slaughter area.

g/ To wash hands with soap before slaughter, after using the toilet or touching contaminated materials.

Article 16. Requirements for visitors

All visitors must fully wear safety devices and observe cleaning and sanitization requirements of the slaughterhouse.

Article 17. Requirements on transportation

1. Transportation of live pigs to slaughterhouses:

a/ A certificate quarantine issued by a competent animal health agency is required for pigs transported to a slaughterhouse.

b/ Pig-carrying vehicles are made of durable and easily cleaned and sanitized materials and have a tight floor to prevent manure and waste from dropping on the way.

c/ Vehicles are sanitized after transportation.

2. Transportation of meat and viscera to places of consumption:

a/ Before being brought out of a slaughterhouse, meat and viscera bear a slaughter control mark or veterinary stamp.

b/ Vehicles' meat containers are made of durable, Waterproof and easily cleaned and sanitized materials and have tightly closed doors.

c/ Vehicles carrying live animals, manure, chemicals or waste may not be used to transport meat.

d/ Vehicles' meat containers are cleaned and sanitized before loading meat,

e/Vehicles' meat containers have doors tightly closed during transportation.

f/ Meat unloading measures minimize contamination.

Article 18. Requirements on pigs to be slaughtered

1. Pigs are transported to slaughterhouses at least 6 hours before slaughter and are safely unloaded.

2. Received pigs are accompanied by valid dossiers.

3. Pigs are washed before slaughter. The electrical stunning technique and blood collecting time are as follows:

a/ To apply electrical stunning to pigs before slaughter for not more than 15 seconds; not to apply electrical stunning to the facial, genital and anal areas.

b/ The blood collecting time does not exceed 2 minutes.

Article 19. Requirements on slaughter and slaughter control processes

1. To remove viscera on rails or slaughtering platforms under Clause 5, Article 6 of this Circular.

2. To have animal health workers to control slaughter under Decision No. 87/2005/QD-BNN.

3. To control evisceration to minimize carcass contamination.

4. To have all carcasses and viscera inspected and handled under regulations by competent persons.

5. To affix slaughter control marks on carcasses or grant veterinary hygiene stamps to hygienically eligible viscera and grant certificates of transportation quarantine.

6. To dispose of hygienically ineligible meat and viscera under the guidance of animal health agencies.

7. To assign a person responsible for veterinary hygiene to assure food safety in slaughter.

8. To make and keep records of production-related procedures and activities in the slaughterhouse.

Chapter III

PROVISIONS ON MANAGEMENT

Article 20. Certification of satisfaction of veterinary hygiene conditions

1. Slaughterhouses shall be biennially examined and granted certificates of satisfaction of veterinary hygiene conditions by animal health agencies.

2. The order and procedures for evaluation and classification of veterinary hygiene conditions of slaughterhouses comply with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's regulations.

Article 21. Inspection and examination

1. Slaughterhouses shall be inspected and examined regularly or extraordinarily by competent state agencies.

2. Inspection, examination, and handling of violations comply with current law.

Chapter IV

ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 22. Responsibilities of the Animal Health Department

1. To guide owners of slaughterhouses, slaughterers and animal health workers in provinces and cities in implementing this Circular.

2. To provide training in inspection and evaluation methods for inspection and examination officers.

3. To inspect and evaluate slaughterhouses in taking measures to improve veterinary hygiene conditions to assure food safety.

Article 23. Responsibilities of Animal Health Sub-Departments

1. To direct local pig slaughterhouses in applying veterinary hygiene conditions to assure food safety.

2. To inspect and grant veterinary hygiene certificates to eligible slaughterhouses under this Circular.

Article 24. Responsibilities of pig slaughterhouses

1. To be managed and supervised by competent state agencies.

2. To provide documents and information related to, and create conditions for sampling for. inspection and supervision when so requested.

3. To fulfill obligations prescribed by law.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 25. Effect and amendment and supplementation

1. This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of its signing.

2. Any problems arising in the course of imple­mentation should be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration, amendment and supplementation.