RESULTS OF EVALUATIONS OF MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS IN THE FEDERAL-REPUBLIC-OF-GERMANY BY EC EXPERTS 1992

Based on the evaluation of the authors' official reports a survey is g iven on the hygienic deficiencies as identified 1992 by EC experts dur ing their on-the-spot inspections in 123 German meat processing plants - 67 slaughter plants, 39 meat cutting plants and 17 cold stores. Acc ordingly, 90% of the visited slaughter plants, 71% of the meat cutting plants and 63% of the cold stores did definitely not meet the require ments of the Fresh Meat Directive. In 30% of the slaughter plants hygi enic deficiencies were so severe that the EC inspectors found the meat produced or handled in those plants to be unfit for trade within the Common Market, and that the licence of the plants must be cancelled or at least suspended until those hygienic deficiencies had been mended. The survey claims neither to be complete nor representative for the G erman meat industry. However, the described hygienic deficiencies stre ss the areas in which hygienic shortcomings are predominantly found.