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Meat Inspection Act
Chapter M-9
Table of Contents
1 Definitions
2,3 Inspectors
4 Slaughter of animals
5 Sale of meat
6 Condemning meat unfit for food
7 Animal inspections
8 Inspection
9 Proof of appointment
10 Offence and penalty
11 Regulations
12 Fees
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HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows:
Definitions
1 In this Act,
(a) “abattoir” means a premises or facility, including a multi-location abattoir,
(i)where animals are slaughtered, or
(ii) where animals are slaughtered and any or all of the following take place:
(A)meat is cut;
(B)meat is wrapped;
(C)meat is frozen;
(D)meat is cured;
(E)meat is smoked;
(F)meat is aged;
(b) “animal” means an animal, including a bird, the meat of which is intended to be used for human consumption;
(c) “Director” means an employee of the Government who is under the administration of the Minister and designated by the Minister as a Director for the purposes of this Act;
(d) “establishment” means an establishment operating under the Meat Inspection Act (Canada);
(e) “inspector” means an inspector under this Act;
(f) “meat” means the flesh of any animal or any product of it intended for human consumption in primary or processed form;
(g) “meat facility” means an abattoir, mobile butcher or slaughter operation or any facility or operation that converts carcasses, primal cuts of meat, or both, into saleable products;
(h) “Minister” means the Minister determined under section 16 of the Government Organization Act as the Minister responsible for this Act;
(i) “mobile butcher” means a person who slaughters an owner’s animal on the owner’s premises or assists an owner in slaughtering the owner’s animal on the owner’s premises;
(j) “multi-location abattoir” is an abattoir that is portable and that may be mounted on a vehicle;
(k) “police officer” means police officer as defined in the Police Act;
(l) “slaughter” means slaughter for the purpose of processing meat from animals into food for human consumption.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s1;1984 cV-3.1 s78;
1992 c1 s5;1994 cG-8.5 s88;1997 c16 s2
Inspectors
2(1) The director may appoint veterinarians registered under the Veterinary Profession Act and other persons as inspectors.
(2) All inspectors who are not employed pursuant to the Public Service Act shall receive such remuneration and expenses as the Minister from time to time determines.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s2;1997 c16 s3
Inspectors
3 All medical officers of health and all executive officers under the Public Health Act and the Regional Health Authorities Act are by virtue of their offices inspectors under this Act within the areas of their jurisdictions.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s3;1984 cP-27.1 s99;1994 cR-9.07 s25(19);1997 c16 s4
Slaughter of animals
4(1) Except as provided in the regulations, no person shall slaughter an animal unless the animal has been inspected by an inspector immediately before the time of slaughter.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a mobile butcher who slaughters or assists in the slaughter of animals the meat from which is to be consumed by the producer of the animal or by the members of the producer’s immediate household.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s4;1992 c1 s5
Sale of meat
5 Except as provided in the regulations, no person shall sell, offer for sale, transport or deliver meat to any person unless
(a) the animal from which the meat was obtained was inspected by an inspector under section 4,
(b) the slaughter of the animal took place at an abattoir or at an establishment,
(c) there was a post-mortem inspection of the carcass of the animal from which the meat was obtained conducted by an inspector immediately after the slaughter of the animal, and
(d) the meat is judged by an inspector to be healthy and fit for human consumption and the meat is stamped with an inspection legend or is labelled, as provided in the regulations.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s5
Condemning meat unfit for food
6 Every carcass or portion of a carcass of an animal or any product from it that is found on inspection to be unhealthy or unfit for food or that contains ingredients or preservatives that may render it unfit for food shall be so marked by an inspector in the prescribed manner and is, on being so marked, deemed to be condemned as unfit for food and shall be disposed of in accordance with the regulations.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s6
Animal inspections
7(1) An operator of an abattoir or of a meat facility other than a mobile butcher may apply to the Director to have ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections of animals conducted.
(2) The Director may approve the application but if the Director is not satisfied by the material filed that the application should be approved the Director shall conduct a hearing in accordance with the regulations and may at the conclusion of the hearing approve or refuse the application.
(3) When an application is refused, a copy of the decision and the reason for it shall, within 10 days, be forwarded to the applicant by registered post.
(4) An applicant whose application has been refused by the Director may appeal to the Minister in accordance with the regulations and the Minister, after hearing the applicant and making any inquiry that the Minister considers necessary, may confirm the decision or may approve the application on any terms or conditions the Minister considers expedient.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s7;1997 c16 s5
Inspection
8(1) The Director, an inspector or a police officer, at any reasonable hour, without a warrant, may enter any facility, premises or building
(a) that is not a private dwelling place, and
(b) that is licensed under this Act or if the Director, inspector or police officer believes on reasonable and
probable grounds that activities are carried on at the facility, premises or building that are the subject-matter of licensing under this Act,
and may inspect the facility, premises or building and inspect and copy any records it contains related to matters regulated by this Act to ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with.
(2) If the Director, an inspector or a police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that a private dwelling place is used for the processing or storing of meat for sale, the Director, inspector or police officer may
(a) in accordance with a warrant from a justice, or
(b) at any reasonable time with the consent of the owner or occupant,
enter the private dwelling place and inspect it and inspect and copy any records it contains related to matters regulated by this Act to ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with.
(3) When it appears to a justice, on information laid before the justice on oath by the Director, an inspector or a police officer, that there are reasonable and probable grounds for believing that a private dwelling place is being used for the processing or storing of meat for sale, the justice may issue a warrant authorizing the Director, inspector or police officer to enter the private dwelling place and inspect the private dwelling place and inspect and copy any records it contains related to matters regulated by this Act to ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with.
(4) While carrying out an inspection, the Director, an inspector or a police officer must on request produce identification and explain the inspection powers and duties under this Act.
(5) To ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with, the Director, an inspector or a police officer may demand from the owner or operator of a facility, premises or building
(a)that is licensed under this Act, or
(b) where the Director, inspector or police officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that activities are carried on that are the subject-matter of licensing under this Act,
the production, within a reasonable time, of records related to matters regulated by this Act and may, on giving a receipt for them, remove them for not more than 48 hours for the purpose of making copies of them.
(6) A person may comply with subsection (5) by providing copies of the records.
(7) If a person on whom a demand is made under subsection (5) refuses or fails to comply, the Director, inspector or police officer may apply to a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench by way of originating notice, and the judge may make any order that the judge considers necessary to enforce compliance with subsection (5).
(8) A copy of the originating notice and a copy of each affidavit in support of it must be served not less than 3 days before the day named in the notice for hearing the application.
(9) No person shall hinder or obstruct the Director or an inspector in the course of the Director’s or inspector’s duties or furnish the Director or inspector with false information, or refuse to furnish the Director or inspector with information.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s8;1997 c16 s6
Proof of appointment
9 The production by an inspector of a certificate of the inspector’s appointment purporting to be signed by the Director shall be admitted in evidence as proof, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, of that appointment without further proof of the signature or authority of the Director.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s9;1992 c1 s5
Offence and penalty
10 A person who contravenes this Act or the regulations under this Act is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $10 000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or to both fine and imprisonment.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s10;1992 c1 s5;1998 c2 s7
Regulations
11 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) providing for the issue, renewal, suspension or revocation of or refusal to issue or renew licences to mobile butchers and to operate abattoirs and meat facilities;
(b)prescribing conditions for licensing;
(c) prescribing the powers and duties of the Director and of inspectors or any class of inspectors;
(d) respecting the facilities and equipment to be provided and maintained at abattoirs and meat facilities and the operation and location of abattoirs and meat facilities;
(e) respecting cleanliness and sanitation at abattoirs and meat facilities;
(f) respecting the facilities and equipment to be provided and maintained by mobile butchers and respecting the cleanliness, sanitation and operation of the facilities and equipment;
(g) requiring and governing the detention and disposal of any animal or meat of any animal and prescribing the procedures for it;
(h) prescribing humane methods of rendering animals unconscious prior to slaughter;
(i) prescribing the records to be made, submitted and kept by operators of abattoirs and of meat facilities and by mobile butchers;
(j) providing for the exemption from this Act or the regulations, or any provision of it or them, of any person or class of persons, or of any animal or class of animals and the meat of any animal or class of animals and prescribing the terms and conditions for the exemption;
(k) prescribing the terms and conditions under which animals and meat may be inspected at any abattoir or meat facility;
(l) governing hearings and appeals on applications for inspections at abattoirs and meat facilities;
(m) providing for the stamping with an inspection legend at an abattoir and meat facility of meat that is fit for human consumption;
(n) providing for the labelling at an abattoir and meat facility of meat that is fit for human consumption;
(o) prescribing forms and providing for their use;
(p) respecting any matter necessary or advisable to carry out effectively the intent and purpose of this Act.
RSA 1980 cM-10 s11;1989 c17 s18;1992 c1 s5;
1997 c16 s7
Fees
12 The Minister may make regulations prescribing the fee payable for a licence to operate an abattoir or meat facility or as a mobile butcher and for any renewal of the licence and the fees payable for inspections of animals or carcasses under this Act.
1989 c17 s18;1992 c1 s5;1997 c16 s8
For more information about this legislation, contact Mr. Cliff Munroe, Director, Regulatory Services Division.
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) welcomes feedback from Albertans relating to AAFRD legislation. A feedback form is available if you wish to submit comments regarding the Meat Inspection Act. A mailing list form is available if you wish to be added to our stakeholder list should legislative review documents be distributed in the future relating to the Meat Inspection Act.
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