SEVERAL stakeholders have joined forces to carry out an awareness drive to inform the public about why government departments are so stringent when it comes to the sale and slaughtering of animals.
These stakeholders are the City of Johannesburg, Region F Environmental Health Department, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Johannesburg SPCA.
Human health is of the utmost importance and, to safeguard people, there has to be control of the sale and slaughter of animals. The purpose of the meat inspection system is to identify abnormalities during the ante- and post-mortem (before and after slaughtering) examination. Microbial contamination can cause major public health hazards in terms of food poisoning and spoilage of meat if proper meat inspection by a qualified meat inspector does not take place.
The bylaws
According to the Meat Safety Act, Regulation 962 (Regulations Governing General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises and the Transportation of Food) and the City of Johannesburg Bylaws for Food Premises, the following laws apply to the sale and slaughter of animals:
• No animal is permitted to enter any area where food is handled.
• No person may slaughter or permit the slaughter of any animal at a place under his or her control, unless the place is an approved abattoir.
• The meat may not be sold or provided for human consumption unless it has been slaughtered in an approved abattoir.
• It is an offense under the Meat Safety Act for a person to slaughter animals illegally or to sell or provide meat derived from illegally slaughtered animals for human or animal consumption.
• Any meat, records or equipment obtained or used in such a case may be forfeited.
Ritual slaughtering
The Meat Safety Act does make provision for exemptions to slaughter for own consumption or for cultural or religious purposes.
These exemptions, however, are conditional and the meat obtained from such slaughter may not be sold to any person. The City of Johannesburg Municipality and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are not opposed to private slaughtering of animals for ritual purposes.
The following procedures must be followed for ritual slaughtering:
• A written notice must be submitted to your local Environmental Health Offices at least 14 days prior to the event.
• Animals must not be kept prior to slaughtering for a period in excess of 12 hours.
• The meat must be handled in a hygienic manner and supplied free of charge to people attending the ritual ceremony.
• Parts of the animals that are not utilized must be disposed of as prescribed by the Meat Safety Act or as stipulated by the local authority in their letter of consent
• The Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 should also be complied with during the ritual /cultural slaughtering processes.
If anyone is found guilty of the above, such a person may be liable to prosecution and if found guilty, be liable to a fine or imprisonment, or both. Animals in distress will be confiscated by the SPCA.
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