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Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)

Regulations

Regulations regarding Control over the Sale of Poultry Meat

4. Standards for carcasses

[Regulation 4 heading substituted by regulation 4(a) of Notice No. R. 471, GG 39944, dated 22 April 2016]

 

(1) A poultry carcass that is graded as a grade referred to in regulation 3(1), shall comply with the applicable standards specified in columns 2 or 3 of Table 2 opposite the quality factor concerned.

 

(2) A poultry carcass than has been graded as Grade A or Grade B shall, subject to the provisions of subregulations (1), (4) and (8) of regulation 14, contain not more than 7% (QUID) of absorbed moisture, and may then be treated with a formulated solution.

[Regulation 4(2) substituted by regulation 4(b) of Notice No. R. 471, GG 39944, dated 22 April 2016]

 

(3) A carcass that does not comply with the requirements of Grade A or Grade B shall—
(a) be cut into portions, pieces or strips or subjected to further processing; or;

[Regulation 4(3)(a) substituted by regulation 4(c) of Notice No. R. 471, GG 39944, dated 22 April 2016]

(b) if it is sold as a whole carcass, be marked and sold as an Undergrade carcass.

[Regulation 4(3)(b) substituted  by regulation 5(b) of Notice No. R. 988, GG 18155, dated 25 July 1997]

 

(4) A carcass is well-fleshed if—
(a) the flesh over the whole length of the breast reaches the ridge of the breastbone (sternum); and
(b) the leg (tibia) and thigh (femur) at the tibiofemural and the ischio-femural joint is thick and wide, with a plump appearance and fleshiness all the way from the tibio-femural joint up to the tibio-metatarsal joint.

 

(5) A carcass has a good conformation if the breastbone (sternum) is non-prominent, straight, undamaged and without any deformities.

 

(6) The length of cuts and tears in the skin of a Grade B carcass, with the exception of the normal processing cuts, shall be—
(a) not longer than 12 mm on the breast; and
(b) not longer than 25 mm on the rest of the carcass.

 

(7) A carcass has a proper and well distributed fat covering if the legs or back of the carcass does not have a red appearance and no excessive fat is present in the abdominal cavity.

 

(8) Poultry meat may contain food additives in the amounts permissable in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972).

 

(9)

(a) In the case of a Grade A or Grade B carcass which is treated with a formulated solution, the mass increase of the carcass as a result of such treatment shall not be exceed 10% (QUID): Provided that—
(i) subject to the provisions of subregulation (2), the combined percentage of the absorbed moisture and formulated solution shall not exceed 10% (QUID); and
(ii) the concentration of the phosphate and food additives in the formulated solution in the final treated poultry meat shall be within the permissible levels prescribed by the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972).
(b) Records of absorbed moisture after water chilling and mass increase after treatment with a formulated solution shall be kept for a period of at least one year.
(c) A carcass that does not comply with the requirements of subregulation (9)(a)(i) shall be cut into portions, pieces or strips or be subjected to further processing.

[Regulation 4(9) substituted by regulation 4(d) of Notice No. R. 471, GG 39944, dated 22 April 2016]