Is your meat chop fit for consumption?

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Meat stalls in public market in the city

Meat being inspected at the Dematagoda slaughter house

Colombo city folk have to be extra vigilant when buying meat from stalls in the public markets, farm shops and supermarket chains in the city just like the way they must be extra careful when consuming cooked meals from city food outlets.

It is the duty of city administrators to give that guarantee to consumers after adopting a long process at the city slaughter house and at public markets.

A very strict safety net is in place in the city to inspect, supervise and monitor the sale of meat to assure consumers that what they buy in stalls in public markets, farm shops and super market chains are fit for consumption.

Colombo city had its slaughter house at No.246 and No.247 Baseline Road, Dematagoda to cater to the beef, pork and mutton demand of city dwellers since 1868- soon after the commencement of the Colombo Municipal Council- the cattle slaughter house at Dematagoda was closed in 1990.

The goat and pig slaughter houses at Dematagoda however continued functioning under the Municipal Veterinary Department of the Colombo Municipal Council.

Butchers Ordinance

According to Dr. S.D. Eleperuma, the Chief Municipal Veterinary Surgeon the centuries-old Butchers Ordinance and the over 75 years old Animals Act are two legal enactments in force to monitor and supervise slaughter of animals for human consumption.

The Butchers Ordinance was passed in the 1800's had its last amendment in 1958 and the Animals Act too had its last amendment in 1958. Some regulations under the Animals Act were passed in the 1980's.

"The Butchers Ordinance has laid down its procedure on the issue of licences, for the establishing of slaughter houses, selling meat and opening meat stalls", Dr. Eleperuma said.

The Animals Act provides for the kind of animals to be slaughtered for the purpose of meat. Cattle, goats and pigs are permitted under the Animals Act as animals that can be slaughtered for meat. "But chicken is not defined by the Act as an animal that can be slaughtered", he said.

Although there are no restrictions imposed on slaughter of pigs and goats for meat, strict conditions have been laid down in the Animals Act on the slaughter of cattle.

According to the Animals Act, male cattle irrespective of age and cows above 12 years are permitted to be slaughtered. Infertile cows and those which cannot be used for agricultural purposes could also be slaughtered for meat.

All animals have to be certified by a qualified government veterinary surgeon before being slaughtered. Whether the animal is over 12 years, infertile or capable of being used for agricultural purposes have to be gone into before permission for slaughter is granted.

In 1978, the Cabinet decided to impose a complete ban on the slaughter of female cattle. The decision was however reversed in 2002.

Dr. Eleperuma said that due to the poor state at the Dematagoda cattle slaughter house cattle slaughtering in Colombo was stopped in 1990.

"The difficulty in transporting animals to Colombo was another reason for this decision", Dr. Eleperuma added.

Although the slaughter of cattle has been stopped the demand for beef increases daily.

"In the early 1980's nearly 125 head of cattle was slaughtered daily except on Poya Days. Apart from this nearly 250 goats and 35 to 40 pigs were also slaughtered daily", Dr. Eleperuma said.

The CMC, however had a very strict methodology in place to supervise and monitor the supply of beef to the Colombo city.

Section 35 of the Municipal by-laws stipulates the procedure for administering, monitoring and supervising of slaughter houses.

The slaughter of animals for meat at the CMC slaughter house has to be carried out under the supervision of the municipal veterinary surgeon.

The meat of the animals which are slaughtered at the slaughter house has to be inspected by the municipal veterinary surgeons and stamped to ensure that the meat has been certified by the veterinary surgeons. They pay the fee determined by the Council and take meat to their stalls when the pass is issued.

"Nobody can carry meat within the city of Colombo without a permit from the slaughter house as it is a legal requirement", Dr. Eleperuma said.

The same chapter of the municipal bylaws clearly states that the Chief Municipal Veterinary Surgeon may permit the sale of meat from any approved slaughter house in the country.

"A licensed butcher has to seek permission from the Veterinary Department to take the meat to the Colombo city.

Once permission is obtained they have to bring the meat from outstations to the Colombo slaughter house for re-inspection", he said.

The meat is brought to Colombo and reinspected by the CMC Veterinary surgeons and the same procedure is repeated.

"The amount charged is 12 cents per kilo for reinspection. Then the carcass is sealed to certify that the meat is fit for human consumption. A pass is issued to take the meat to the stalls", Dr. Eleperuma added.

He said they follow very strict methods to ensure that slaughter houses from where the meat is brought are legal ones maintaining proper standards when slaughtering animals after visiting those places.

"Beef to the city is supplied from the CMC approved slaughter houses in Welisara and Ja-Ela in the Gampaha district and in Kurunegala, Puttalam and Anuradhapura", he said.

When permission is granted to bring beef to the city, the applicant is asked to produce the licence from the slaughter house, a letter from the MOH of the area to prove that the animals which are slaughtered are approved by the PHI of the area.

Seal

They have also been asked to produce ante-mortem and post-mortem reports of the animal slaughtered. The MOH issues a letter to the CMC along with a specimen of the seal which is being used on the meat, the specimen signature of the PHI who signed the fitness certificate plus the rubber stamp.

It is only after receiving all these approvals that the CMC Veterinary Department permits to allow meat to be brought from other slaughter houses.

At the reinspection process at the slaughter house at Dematagoda, the veterinary surgeons there also remove some parts of the meat which are not fit for human consumption.

The veterinary surgeon reinspecting cuts and chops and removes (on daily basis) about 150 kilos that is unhealthy for human consumption.

Only beef

"Only beef comes from outside. But for mutton and pork, animals are slaughtered in the slaughter house at Dematagoda under our supervision", Dr. Eleperuma said.

This has been the practice for the past 20 years and beef is supplied to Colombo from 15 slaughter houses. "By this process an assurance is given that the meat available for sale in the Colombo city is good, clean and healthy", Dr. Eleperuma added.

"At present about 18,000 Kgs of beef is brought to Colombo city and we slaughter on average a 100 head of goats and 50 pigs daily at the slaughter house", Dr. Eleperuma added.

The meat supplied to the city is sold at 123 meat stalls - 63 beef stalls, four pork stalls and 25 mutton stalls at 20 public markets. Chicken is sold at 31 chicken stalls. In addition 30 private meat stalls and over 25 supermarkets also sell meat in the city."Nobody could sell any meat without permission from the Colombo Municipal Council. Even private meat stalls and the supermarkets should obtain a licence from the CMC to sell meat.

The eight veterinary surgeons at the Veterinary Department of the CMC visit the city markets to inspect meat stalls.

"I am very happy that no illegal meat is now brought to the city. We are on the alert and errant butchers are dealt with according to Municipal regulations", he said.

"We take legal action according to the by-laws. Illegal meat detected at the markets will be destroyed at the slaughter house. Where necessary the stall will be ordered to be closed for three days.

"The law applies to all equally. Meat should be supplied to the city from outside only with permission from municipal authorities. Stern action will be taken against defaulters", he said.

Following a tip off the municipal veterinary surgeons seized a consignment of meat worth over Rs. 75,000 from a meat stall in Colombo North recently.

"They brought the beef from an approved slaughter house directly to the stall by-passing the municipal slaughter house at Dematagoda", he said.

Chapter 14 of the Municipal by-laws state that meat which is not processed at a licensed slaughter house is illegal. It should also have been inspected by the authorities which is a legal requirement.

"Unfortunately, chicken is not subjected to this process although we have live poultry stalls and farm stalls to sell chicken in the city. In Colombo's public markets we have 20 live poultry shops", he added.

Farm shops have become attractive business centres. We have nearly 60 approved farm shops in the city. Farm shops are not supposed to sell live birds. They can slaughter live birds elsewhere and bring the meat either in packeted or unpacketed form.

"However, they need to have a chiller or freezer in the farm shop.

They should display and stock the meat in the chiller or freezer. It is a similar process as in the supermarkets. The law does not cover the inspection of chicken", he said.

The CMC has adopted a strict procedure to ensure that the meat products sold within the city are fit for human consumption.