§ Mr. Kershawasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now in a position to make a statement of his intentions as regards the sale of unfit meat and of meat from knackers' yards.
§ Mr. GodberThe Meat (Staining and Sterilisation) Regulations, 1960, which will come into force on 1st November, 1960, have today been laid before the House. The main provisions are as follows
Meat which at the time of slaughter is intended for human consumption but is found to be unfit for that purpose and unfit imported meat will have to be sterilised before sale. Meat from knackers' yards will also have to be sterilised or stained green before it leaves the premises and the stain must remain clearly visible so long as the meat is in anybody's possession for sale.Processors, such as canners of animal foods. and others who will sterilise the meat before sale, zoos, menageries, mink farms and trout farms will be permitted to obtain these types of meat unstained and unsterilised direct from slaughterhouses, ports and knackers' yards, provided that the meat is transported in locked containers or vehicles clearly marked to show that the meat is not for human consumption.The supply of meat to hospitals, medical or veterinary schools and similar institutions for instructional or diagnostic purposes and to manufacturing chemists will he unaffected.The object of these Regulations is to strengthen the powers of local authorities in preventing the risk 40 health from unfit meat or meat from knackers' yards. The green stain on knacker meat will serve as a warning to owners of cats and dogs who wish to buy raw meat for their animals, but do not know its origin and previous handling, that it should not be treated like ordinary meat.