Slaughter-houses and Meat Processing Factories Act

(CHAPTER 307)

(Original Enactment: Act 7 of 1965)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act for the control and licensing of slaughter-houses and meat processing factories and matters incidental thereto.

[5th November 1965]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Slaughter-houses and Meat Processing Factories Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Director” has the same meaning as in the Animals and Birds Act [Cap. 7];

“meat” means the edible part of any animal or bird used as food for human beings, including bones, offals, sausages and other meat preparations of cattle, sheep, goats, swine, boars, birds and rabbits, whether fresh, chilled, frozen, pickled, salted, smoked, dried, cooked or canned;

“meat processing factory” means a place where meat is processed or is used in the production of any manufactured meat product or is so processed and used;

“veterinary authority” means the Director, the Deputy Director of Primary Production and any person appointed in writing by the Director to be a veterinary authority under section 3;

“processing” means the canning, cooking, curing, smoking, dehydrating, chilling, freezing or otherwise preparing food for commercial purposes.

Appointment of veterinary authority

3. The Director may, with the approval of the Minister, appoint any public officer, employed in the administration of this Act, to be a veterinary authority who, subject to such limitations as may be prescribed by the Director, may perform all duties imposed and exercise all powers conferred on the Director and the veterinary authority by this Act.

Director may license slaughter-houses

4.—(1) The Director may, after consultation with the Director of Medical Services, license any place as a slaughter-house. Such a licence shall be subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the Director may, in his discretion, impose. The Director may, in his discretion, at any time revoke or suspend the licence.

(2) No place shall be used as a slaughter-house without a licence issued by the Director.

(3) Any person who slaughters any animal or allows any animal to be slaughtered in any slaughter-house without a valid licence, issued by the Director, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 and to a further fine not exceeding $50 for every day during which the default continues.

Power to provide slaughter-houses

5. The Director may, if he thinks fit, provide places which may be used as Government slaughter-houses.

Prohibition of slaughtering elsewhere than at Government or licensed slaughter-houses

6.—(1) No animal intended to be used as human food shall be slaughtered at any place other than at a licensed slaughter-house or at one of the slaughter-houses provided by the Director and no person shall bring into Singapore or have in his possession or sell or expose for sale any meat of such an animal, unless the animal has been slaughtered at a licensed slaughter-house or at one of the Government slaughter-houses.

(2) Any person who slaughters any animal or brings into Singapore or has in his possession or sells or exposes for sale any meat in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

(3) The occupier of any premises in which any animal is slaughtered in contravention of subsection (1) shall be deemed to have slaughtered the animal, until it is proved that it was slaughtered without his knowledge and consent.

(4) Any veterinary authority may at any time enter into, inspect and search any premises in which he has reason to suspect that any animal is being or has been recently slaughtered in contravention of subsection (1).

(5) When provision has been made for the marking of the carcases of animals slaughtered in Government slaughter-houses to denote that the animals have been so slaughtered, any carcase or part of a carcase which does not bear such a slaughter-house mark shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have been slaughtered in contravention of subsection (1).

(6) In any case where any veterinary authority has reasonable cause to believe that an offence has been committed under this section or section 8, he may seize the meat in respect of which the offence is believed to have been committed and may sell or otherwise dispose of it as the Director may think fit and the proceeds of sale, if any, shall be disposed of in such manner as a Magistrate’s Court may direct.

(7) A document purporting to be a certificate under the hand of the Director to the effect that an animal, the meat of which has been seized pursuant to subsection (6), was not slaughtered at a Government slaughter-house or a licensed slaughter-house shall be conclusive evidence of that fact.

(8) In this section “meat” includes the meat of animals slaughtered outside Singapore which is brought into Singapore in a frozen or chilled condition without a licence issued by the appropriate veterinary authority.

Power to refuse slaughter

7. The Director may refuse to allow the slaughter, at a slaughter-house provided by him, of any animal or the dressing of any carcase which is diseased or, by reason of emaciation, is in the opinion of a veterinary authority unfit for human consumption.

Offences as to marks and penalties

8. Any person who —

(a)	marks the carcase or part of the carcase of any animal which was not slaughtered at a Government slaughter-house with any mark with the intention of causing it to be believed that the animal was slaughtered at such a slaughter-house;
(b)	makes or has in his possession any dye, plate or other instrument for the purpose of its being used or knowing or having reason to believe that it is intended to be used for the purpose of counterfeiting a Government slaughter-house mark; or
(c)	sells or exposes for sale or has in his possession for sale the carcase or part of the carcase of any animal bearing a mark intended to represent a Government slaughter-house mark or so marked as to cause it to be believed that the animal was so slaughtered, but which was not slaughtered at a Government slaughter-house, unless he proves that he did not knowingly so sell or expose or have in his possession the carcase or part of a carcase,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

Special licence to slaughter elsewhere

9.—(1) The Director may, upon the written application of any householder, issue a special licence to the householder to slaughter an animal for domestic, ceremonial or sacrificial purpose elsewhere than at a licensed slaughter-house or a Government slaughter-house.

(2) Every such special licence shall specify the time and place where the animal may be slaughtered and shall be issued subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the Director may, in his discretion, impose.

Special licence where animal cannot be taken to slaughter-house

10.—(1) The Director, if he is satisfied that —

(a)	any animal cannot be led, driven or transported to a licensed slaughter-house or Government slaughter-house without danger to the public or to the person in charge of it or to itself; or
(b)	any animal has been so injured as to be incapable of being led, driven or transported to a Government slaughter-house,

may grant a special licence to the person in charge of the animal to slaughter the animal elsewhere than at a licensed slaughter-house or Government slaughter-house.

(2) Before granting such a special licence, the Director may require the animal to be examined at the expense of the person applying for the licence by some person nominated by the Director.

(3) Every such special licence shall specify the time and place where the animal may be slaughtered and shall be subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the Director may, in his discretion, impose.

Licence for meat processing factory

11.—(1) The Director may, after consultation with the Director of Medical Services, license any place as a meat processing factory. Such a licence shall be subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the Director may, in his discretion, impose. The Director may, in his discretion, at any time revoke or suspend the licence.

(2) No person shall operate a meat processing factory without a licence granted by the Director.

(3) No person shall establish a meat processing factory or construct premises for use as a meat processing factory without the prior written approval of the Director.

(4) Any person who operates a meat processing factory in contravention of subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

[S 92/97]

(5) Any person who establishes a meat processing factory or constructs premises for use as a meat processing factory in contravention of subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

[S 92/97]

Power to close meat processing factory

12.—(1) Where the Director finds that any condition in a meat processing factory is or may become dangerous to health or may hinder in any manner the suppression of disease, he may give written directions requiring that the meat processing factory be closed for such time as the Director may determine.

(2) The Director shall, as soon as possible after he has given written directions under subsection (1), inform the operator of the meat processing factory of the reasons why the directions were given.

(3) Any person who fails to comply with the written directions given under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

Powers of veterinary authority

13.—(1) A veterinary authority may at any time enter and examine any land, building or premises for the purpose of ascertaining whether the land, building or premises are being used as a meat processing factory.

(2) A veterinary authority may at any time enter any meat processing factory for the purpose of ascertaining whether any offence under this Act or any rules made thereunder has been or is being committed.

(3) A veterinary authority may take or cause to be taken samples of meat, manufactured meat product or any ingredient used in the manufacture thereof to determine whether it is likely to cause illness or disease or is fit for human consumption.

(4) A veterinary authority may seize any meat, manufactured meat product or ingredient used in the manufacture thereof which, in his opinion, as the result of examination of samples taken under subsection (3), is likely to cause illness or disease or is unfit for human consumption. That meat, manufactured meat product or ingredient shall be destroyed in such manner as the Director may determine.

(5) No compensation shall be payable in respect of any meat, manufactured meat product or ingredient used in the manufacture thereof which has been destroyed under subsection (4).

Rules

14.—(1) The Minister may make rules for or with respect to any purpose that is considered by him necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Act, and for the prescribing of any matter that is authorised or required under this Act to be prescribed.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may by such rules provide for —

(a)	the maintenance and management of slaughter-houses provided by the Government or otherwise;
(b)	the regulation of meat processing factories, including the location, construction, lighting, drainage, slaughter of animals, preparing, processing, packing and transport of meat and meat products and such records as may be required to be kept;
(c)	the manner in which samples shall be taken and the method of analysis of such samples;
(d)	the forms for licences and for other purposes for use in connection with this Act; and
(e)	the prescribing of fees and charges for the purposes of this Act.

(3) Such rules may —

(a)	prescribe that any act or omission in contravention of the provisions of any rule shall be an offence;
(b)	provide for the imposition of penalties, which shall not exceed a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment for a term of one year or both; and
(c)	provide that in addition to such fine and imprisonment, the penalty may extend to the cancellation or suspension of a licence.

(4) The Minister may, in lieu of making any rules prescribing forms which by this Act are required to be or may be prescribed, authorise the Director to prescribe such forms as he thinks fit.

(5) All such rules shall be published in the Gazette and shall be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication.

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