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Title: Regulations of Meat Inspection Ch
Date: 2016.03.07
Legislative: 1.Full text including 30 articles jointly promulgated by the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan ((89) Nong-Fang-Zih-88565143) and the Department of Health, Executive Yuan (Wei-Shu-Shih-Zih-88057224) on April 19, 2000.
2.Article 3-1, 3-2, 26-1 added and Article 3 amended, and promulgated jointly by the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan (Nong-Fang-Zih-1001502886) and the Department of Health, Executive Yuan (Shu-Shou-Shih-Zih-1001301675) on June 15, 2011.
3.Article 5-1 added and Article 7 amended, and promulgated jointly by the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan (Nong-Fang-Zih-1011503460) and the Department of Health, Executive Yuan (Shu-Shou-Shih-Zih-1011303917) on December 18, 2012.
4.Article 16 amended and promulgated jointly by the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan (Nong-Fang-Zih-1051504824) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Bu-Shou-Shih-Zih-1051300475) on March 07, 2016.
Content: Chapter One General Provisions

Article 1
The Regulations of Meat Inspection (referred to as the 
Regulations hereinafter) are drawn up pursuant to the provisions
specified in the paragraph 2, Article 29 of the Animal Industry 
Act (referred to as the Act hereinafter).


Article 2
Meat Inspection includes the ante-mortem and post-mortem 
inspection of livestock and poultry, and the related inspection 
works at the premises of slaughterhouse.


Article 3
The terms used in the Regulations herein are defined as follows:
1.Veterinary meat inspector: Veterinarian carrying out meat 
  inspection in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 29 of the
  Act.
2.Veterinary meat inspector in charge: A veterinary meat 
  inspector is selected and appointed by the central competent 
  authority or an agency entrusted to serve as the supervisor of
  the personnel assigned to the slaughterhouse to perform meat 
  inspection.
3.Meat Inspection Assistant: Refers to the person who assists in
  performing pre-mortem, post-mortem and other related 
  inspection works of livestock and poultry under the 
  instructions and supervision of veterinary meat inspectors.
4.Carcass: The whole or cut body of livestock or poultry which
  is well bled and eviscerated.
5.Viscera: The internal organs of livestock or poultry in the
  chest, abdominal or pelvic cavities.
6.Suspected livestock or poultry: Livestock or poultry which
  requires further examination as deemed necessary by the
  veterinary meat inspector in the ante-mortem inspection.
7.Pass: Refers to any of the following conditions:
(1)Livestock or poultry interpreted as fit for slaughter
   subsequent to ante-mortem inspection.
(2)Carcasses or viscera of livestock or poultry interpreted as
   edible after post-mortem inspection.
8.Fail: Refers to any of the following conditions:
(1)Livestock or poultry interpreted as unfit for slaughter after 
   ante-mortem inspection.
(2)Carcasses or viscera of livestock or poultry interpreted as 
   inedible after post-mortem inspection.
9.Detention: A disposition instructed by the veterinary meat 
  inspector to the slaughterhouse to deliver livestock, poultry,
  or their carcasses or viscera under inspection to a designated
  place for holding when it is so interpreted by the veterinary
  meat inspector that the said livestock, poultry or their
  carcasses or viscera require more detailed examination,
  testing or other actions before a decision of pass/fail can be
  made.
10.Cooked to Pass: Carcass or livestock interpreted as edible 
   after the required heating process.
11.Frozen to Pass: Carcass or livestock interpreted as edible
   after the required freezing process.


Article 3-1
The person-in-charge of the slaughterhouse shall fill in the
application form ten days before the first operation after 
obtaining the slaughterhouse registration certificate or 
application for resumption of business. The person-in-charge 
must submit the following documents, in accordance with the 
provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 29 of the Act, to the 
central competent authority to apply for dispatching personnel 
to perform meat inspection:
1.Certified document for the registration of company or business.
2.The Photocopy of the slaughterhouse registration certificate.
3.Other documents specified by the central competent authority.
A slaughterhouse applying for a trial run inspection in the 
establishing process shall submit the application forms for the 
trial run for joint review and meat inspection to the central 
competent authority through the municipal or county (city) 
competent authorities to dispatch personnel for meat inspection.


Article 3-2
The person-in-charge of the slaughterhouse shall report the 
actual slaughter operation hours during the previous month and 
scheduled hours for the following month to the central competent
authority by the tenth day of each month, or the next business 
day if there is occurrence of public holidays. The central 
competent authority is to dispatch personnel to conduct meat 
inspection accordingly. 
The slaughterhouse person-in-charge shall submit an application 
form for a timetable schedule change to the central competent 
authority for approval at least 48 hours before a change to 
operation schedule, unless there is occurrence of a force 
majeure.
The central competent authority will consider the 
slaughterhouse's operation schedule to adjust dispatching of the
meat inspection personnel accordingly. 


Article 4
A slaughterhouse shall appoint adequate and experienced workers 
to carry out the following tasks in accordance with the 
instructions of the veterinary meat inspector at the time of 
meat inspection:
1.Driving, moving, isolating and handling of livestock or 
  poultry during ante-mortem inspection.
2.Labeling the livestock or poultry and their carcasses and 
  viscera.
3.Cutting, displaying or arranging the objects for inspection.
4.Moving carcasses or viscera interpreted as detention to the 
  detention line (area).
5.Cutting, trimming, cleaning or disinfecting carcasses or 
  viscera.
6.Disposing livestock, poultry, and their carcasses and viscera
  interpreted as fail.
7.Other tasks relating meat inspection as specified by the 
  central competent authority.


Article 5
Slaughterhouse shall present carcasses and corresponding viscera 
synchronously for the veterinary meat inspector to conduct 
inspection.


Article 5-1 
The designated livestock or poultry shall have the label to 
sufficiently identify the farm of origin before ante-mortem 
inspection, and the owner or keeper shall provide the proof 
of origin.
The specified type of designated livestock or poultry and the 
format of the proof of origin described in the preceding 
paragraph are announced by the central competent authority.


Article 6
Livestock or poultry shall be held for sufficient time prior to 
the ante-mortem inspection. 
The aforesaid inspection specified in the preceding paragraph 
shall be carried out in the holding pens/areas of the 
slaughterhouse before slaughtering.


Article 7
The following livestock or poultry shall be slaughtered 
separately or slaughtered on the same day after all the 
livestock or poultry which pass the ante-mortem inspection are
slaughtered:
1.Suspected livestock or poultry.
2.The designated livestock or poultry described in Paragraph 1 
  of Article 5-1 do not have the label to sufficiently identify 
  the holding of origin, or if the owner/keeper does not provide
  the proof of origin.
For the designated livestock/poultry described in Subparagraph 2
of the preceding paragraph, either not having the label to 
sufficiently identify the holding of the origin, or if the 
owner/keeper does not provide proof of origin within 72 hours of
slaughtering, the carcasses or visceras shall be deemed "fail".


Article 8
Where livestock, poultry, or their carcasses or viscera are 
found in sampling tests containing residues of harmful 
substances or foreign objects which do not conform to relevant 
regulations, the slaughtered carcasses or viscera shall be 
interpreted as "fail". Other livestock or poultry originated 
from the same source of production as the tested ones may be 
retrieved by their owner after a release paper is signed by the 
veterinary meat inspector if the test result is examined by the 
veterinary meat inspector and indicates the possibility of the 
livestock and poultry having the same kind of residues. The 
livestock or poultry which is not retrieved by their owner will 
be interpreted as "fail".


Chapter Two Ante-mortem Inspection of Livestock

Article 9
Livestock having any of the following conditions may be 
slaughtered on an emergency basis, subject to the approval of 
the veterinary meat inspector:
1.Accidental injury that renders the livestock in untreatable 
  state.
2.Dystocia, prolapse of uterus, parturient paresis or acute 
  tympany.
3.Transport stress that causes debilitation.
4.Undergone surgical or obstetric operation.
5.Other non-infectious, acute diseases designated by the central
  competent authority.
Livestock stated in the preceding paragraph for emergency 
slaughter must be free of other complications that might 
endanger human health.


Article 10
Livestock having any of the following diseases, symptoms or 
states, and interpreted as suspected shall be detained according
to the instructions of the veterinary meat inspector:
1.Foot-and-mouth disease.
2.Rabies.
3.Pseudorabies.
4.Vesicular stomatitis.
5.Anthrax.
6.Tetanus.
7.Severe tuberculosis.
8.Paratuberculosis.
9.Severe brucellosis.
10.Leptospirosis.
11.Hemorrhagic septicemia.
12.Shipping fever.
13.Septicemic salmonellosis.
14.Severe necrobacillosis.
15.Systemic or extensive actinomycosis or actinobacillosis.
16.Babesiosis.
17.Anaplasmosis.
18.Tryanosomiasis.
19.Severe bovine cysticercosis.
20.Severe echinococcosis.
21.Classical swine fever.
22.African swine fever.
23.Swine vesicular disease.
24.Vesicular exanthema.
25.Systemic swine erysipelas.
26.Trichinellosis.
27.Severe porcine cysticercosis.
28.Rinderpest.
29.Bovine malignant catarrhal fever.
30.Bovine parainfluenza.
31.Blue tongue.
32.Gas gangrene (Blackleg).
33.Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
34.Sheep pox and goat pox.
35.Sheep scabies.
36.Severe caseous lymphadenitis of sheep and goat.
37.Equine infectious anemia.
38.Equine epidemic encephalitis.
39.Glanders.
40.Pseudoglanders.
41.Uremia.
42.Extensive myositis.
43.Polyarthritis.
44.Malignant tumor or tumor with marked metastasis.
45.Severe jaundice.
46.Cachexia.
47.Pernicious anemia.
48.Toxicosis that may pose a risk to human health.
49.Severe subcutaneous hematoma or edema.
50.Residues of harmful substances or foreign objects that do not
   comply with relevant regulations.
51.Any other disease, symptom or state designated by the central
   competent authority.


Article 11
Dead livestock or livestock having any of the diseases, symptoms
or states as provided in Article 10 shall be disposed in 
accordance with relevant regulations, and shall not be 
slaughtered for food.


Chapter Three Post-mortem Inspection of Livestock

Article 12
Livestock carcass or viscera shall be detained if it is deemed 
in post-mortem inspection that further examination, test or 
other action is required before a decision of pass/fail can be 
made.


Article 13
Livestock carcasses or viscera having any of the following 
conditions and interpreted as pass for heating or freezing shall
be processed by heating or freezing under the supervision of the
veterinary meat inspector before it can be released for food:
1.Moderate or mild bovine cysticercosis, porcine cysticercosis 
  or echinococcosis.
2.Toxoplasmosis.


Article 14
Livestock carcasses or viscera having any of the following 
conditions shall be interpreted as fail and shall not be 
released for food:
1.Having any of the diseases, pathological changes or states as 
  specified in Article 10.
2.Dead before slaughter.
3.Obvious incomplete exsanguination.
4.Carcass with obvious stinky smell or special odor.
5.Not eviscerated within a prescribed period of time after 
  slaughter.
6.Both carcass and viscera at the same time having residues of 
  harmful substances to human or foreign objects that do not 
  comply with relevant regulations.
7.Having other conditions deemed inedible by the central 
  competent authority.


Article 15
Livestock carcass or viscera having any of the following 
conditions shall have the affected part removed before the 
normal parts may be released for food; where the slaughter 
operator refuses to or cannot remove the affected part, the 
entire carcass or viscera shall be interpreted as fail and 
deemed inedible:
1.Udders, uterus or testicles of livestock infected by 
  brucellosis or localized pathological lesions caused by 
  brucellosis.
2.Localized lesion caused by swine erysipelas.
3.Localized necrotic lesion.
4.Localized lesion caused by tuberculosis.
5.Localized suppurative lesion caused by actinomycosis or 
  actinobacillosis.
6.Head of livestock affected by listeriosis.
7.Head with deformed cheek and nasal cavity caused by severe 
  atrophic rhinitis.
8.Head and viscera of livestock affected by toxoplasmosis.
9.Pathological changes caused by parasites or tissues that are
  inseparable from the parasite.
10.Mastitis or lactating udder.
11.Superficial, localized trauma, abscess or necrotic lesion.
12.Localized arthritis.
13.Localized lesion caused by foot rotting.
14.Localized subcutaneous edema.
15.Localized tumor.
16.Localized pustular sore or trauma.
17.Localized pathological change.
18.Apparent deformity.
19.Parts contaminated by inflammatory exudate.
20.Severe mechanical injury and contaminated part.
21.Lungs of livestock inhaling blood or large amount of foreign
   objects.
22.Parts contaminated by feces or urine.
23.Local tissue with obviously incomplete exsanguination.
24.Local tissue or viscera inflated with water.
25.Other abnormal pathological changes of tissues or viscera.
26.Having residues of harmful substances or foreign objects that
   do not comply with relevant regulations.
27.Parts deemed as inedible by the veterinary meat inspector.


Chapter Four Ante-mortem Inspection of Poultry

Article 16
Poultry having any of the following diseases, symptoms or states
, and determined as suspected shall be detained according to the
instructions of the veterinary meat inspector:
1.Highly or low pathogenic (subtypes H5/H7) avian influenza.
2.Systemic fowl pox.
3.Systemic avian infectious bronchitis.
4.Systemic avian infectious laryngotracheitis.
5.Newcastle disease.
6.Avian leukemia-sarcoma complex.
7.Inclusion body hepatitis.
8.Marek's disease.
9.Psittacosis.
10.Fowl cholera.
11.Avian tuberculosis.
12.Avian colibacillosis.
13.Systemic infectious Coryza.
14.Pullorum disease.
15.Salmonellosis.
16.Staphylococcosis.
17.Listeriosis.
18.Toxemia.
19.Pyemia.
20.Septicemia.
21.Mycosis.
22.Protozoiasis.
23.Toxoplasmosis.
24.Parasitosis with systemic symptoms.
25.Systemic degeneration.
26.Gout with systemic symptoms.
27.Severe edema.
28.Severe ascites.
29.Systemic hemorrhage.
30.Systemic inflammation.
31.Muscular atrophy.
32.Neoplasm other than Marek’s disease or avian 
   leukemia-sarcoma complex.
33.Having abnormal shape, hardness, color or odor.
34.Abnormal body temperature caused by sunstroke or heat stroke.
35.Jaundice.
36.Trauma.
37.Toxicosis.
38.Obviously emaciated or dysplasia.
39.Systemic reaction caused by administration of biological 
   preparation.
40.Having residues of harmful substances or foreign objects that
   do not comply with relevant regulations.
41.Any other disease, symptom or state designated by the central 
   competent authority.


Article 17
Dead poultry or poultry having any of the diseases, symptoms or 
states as specified in Article 16 shall be disposed in 
accordance with relevant regulations, and shall not be 
slaughtered for food.


Chapter Five Post-mortem Inspection of Poultry

Article 18
Poultry carcass or viscera having any of the following 
conditions shall be detained and removed from the slaughter 
line. Otherwise, it shall be interpreted as fail:
1.When a poultry carcass passing the inspection station, its
  corresponding viscera is missing, incomplete or not taken out,
  or not well presented for inspection.
2.More detailed examination, testing or other actions is 
  required before a decision of pass/fail can be made. 


Article 19
Poultry carcass or viscera having any of the following 
conditions shall be interpreted as fail and shall not be 
released for food:
1.Having any of the diseases, pathological changes, or states as
  specified in Article 16.
2.Dead before slaughter.
3.Severely contaminated by lubricant, inflammatory exudate or
  content of digestive tract.
4.Incomplete exsanguination.
5.Over-scalding.
6.Having other conditions deemed inedible by the central
  competent authority.


Article 20
Poultry carcass or viscera having any of the following 
conditions shall have the affected part removed before the 
normal parts may be released for food; where the slaughter 
operator refuses to or cannot remove the affected part, the 
entire carcass or viscera shall be interpreted as fail and 
deemed inedible:
1.Localized lesion caused by fowl pox.
2.Localized lesion caused by infectious bronchitis.
3.Localized lesion caused by infectious laryngeal trachitis.
4.Localized lesion caused by infectious Coryza.
5.Lesion caused by protozoiasis other than toxoplasmosis.
6.Pathological changes caused by parasites or tissues that are
  inseparable from the parasite.
7.Localized tissue degeneration.
8.Localized gout.
9.Localized edema.
10.Localized hemorrhage or congestion.
11.Localized inflammation.
12.Localized atrophy.
13.Localized neoplasm other than Marek's disease or avian 
   leukemia-sarcoma complex.
14.Localized trauma.
15.Localized contamination of lubricant, inflammatory exudate or
   contents of digestive tract.
16.Having abnormal shape, color, hardness or odor.
17.Parts deemed inedible by the veterinary meat inspector.


Chapter Six Disposal of Inedible Carcasses and Viscera

Article 21
Carcasses or viscera designated for pharmaceutical purposes 
shall be held in a vessel labelled "FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSE" 
and sealed under the supervision of the veterinary meat 
inspector before they are delivered to the pharmaceutical 
manufactory.


Article 22
Carcasses or viscera having passed the post-mortem inspection, 
but later undergone degeneration, decay, contamination or any 
other changes that might endanger human health, shall be 
re-interpreted as "fail".


Article 23
The slaughterhouse shall dispose the carcasses or viscera 
interpreted as "fail" using any of the following methods:
1.Rendering: After the approval of the veterinary meat 
  inspector, carcasses or viscera may be delivered to a 
  rendering site or a temporary storage site in transit to the 
  rendering site.
2.Incineration or burial: Carcasses or viscera shall be 
  denatured under the supervision of the veterinary meat 
  inspector and then be delivered to an incineration or landfill
  site, or a temporary storage site in transit to the 
  incineration or landfill site.
3.Other necessary actions as specified by the central competent
  authority.
The term "denature" stated in the preceding paragraph means 
cutting or chopping the carcasses or viscera into pieces and 
mixing them with a substance designated by the competent 
authorities to change their appearance or nature and to render 
them unusable for food. 
For livestock or poultry interpreted as "fail" in ante-mortem 
inspection or carcasses or viscera interpreted as "fail" in 
post-mortem inspection may be denatured by injection with the 
aforesaid substance.


Article 24
For the purpose of research or disease diagnosis, the academic 
and research institutions may apply to the central competent 
authority for the collection of specimens of carcasses/viscera 
deemed as "fail", having parasites and fetus. The aforesaid 
specimens shall not be moved out of the premises of 
slaughterhouse without a release permit issued by the veterinary
meat inspector.


Chapter Seven Supplemental Provisions

Article 25
The slaughterhouse found to be contaminated with pathogens that 
might endanger the health of human or animals shall undergo 
disinfecting procedure as designated by the central competent 
authority and under the instruction of the veterinary meat 
inspector.


Article 26
The Regulations provided herein may, if applicable, apply to the
meat inspection of animals not defined as livestock or poultry.


Article 26-1
A veterinary meat inspector conducting the meat inspection in 
accordance with the Act may suspend the meat inspection, after 
reporting to the veterinary meat inspector in charge, any of the
following situations:
1.Being threatened or coerced by violence.
2.The slaughterhouse facilities may endanger personal safety.
3.Products from the slaughter operation may be harmful to the
  health of consumers.
The same action also applies for the meat inspection assistant, 
while assisting the meat inspection and facing the situations 
described in Subparagraph 1 of the preceding paragraph.
When there is suspension of meat inspection for the reason 
described in Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1, the case shall be 
reported to the police where the slaughterhouse is located.
Meat inspection shall resume when the veterinary meat inspector 
or the veterinary meat inspector in charge confirms that all 
situations in Paragraph 1 have been resolved. 


Article 27
The slaughterhouse shall provide the veterinary meat inspector 
with documents and data necessary for the meat inspection as 
required by the central competent authority, and submit monthly 
report of slaughter to the central competent authority.
The items and format of document and report described in the 
preceding paragraph shall be established by the central 
competent authority.


Article 28
The format of labels used for meat inspection and the methods of 
marking shall be established by the central competent 
authority.


Article 29
The central competent authoritiy shall publish a meat inspection
manual stipulating the procedures and methods of meat inspection.


Article 30
The Regulations shall enter into force on the date of 
promulgation.