Meat Control Act (Cap. 356)

LAWS OF KENYA MEAT CONTROL ACT CHAPTER 356 Revised Edition 2012 [1977] Published by the National Council for Law Reporting with the Authority of the Attorney-General www.kenyalaw.org [Rev. 2012] CAP. 356 Meat Control 3 [Issue 1] CHAPTER 356 MEAT CONTROL ACT ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section 1. Short title. 2. Interpretation. 3. Power to make regulations. [Rev. 2012] CAP. 356 Meat Control 5 [Issue 1] CHAPTER 356 MEAT CONTROL ACT [Date of assent: 6th July, 1972.] [Date of commencement: 14th July, 1972.] An Act of Parliament to enable control to be exercised over meat and meat products intended for human consumption, and over slaughterhouses and places where such meat is processed; and to provide for import and export control over such meat and meat products; and for matters incidental to and connected with the foregoing [Act No. 7 of 1972, Act No. 5 of 2007.] 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Meat Control Act. 2. Interpretation In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— “animal” means any mammal or bird declared by the Minister, by notice in the Gazette, to be an animal to which this Act applies; “meat” means any portion of an animal which is intended for human consumption, whether fresh, chilled or frozen or otherwise processed by any means whatsoever or included in any article of food for human consumption; “the Minister” means the Minister for the time being responsible for veterinary services; “slaughterhouse” means any place kept for the purpose of the slaughter of animals for human consumption. 3. Power to make regulations (1) The Minister may make regulations— (a) providing for the licensing, control and regulation of slaughterhouses and of premises where meat is processed in any manner for human consumption, including the maintenance of technical, and in consultation with the Minister for the time being responsible for health, sanitary and hygiene standards in such slaughterhouses and premises; (b) defining areas to be served by specified slaughter houses; (c) specifying standards, in consultation with the Minister for the time being responsible for health, to be observed in respect of the manufacture of meat products, including the name or description, composition, additives or contaminants, labeling and packaging of such products; (d) providing for the inspection of slaughterhouses and premises, and the taking of samples of meat products and food additives or contaminants used in connexion therewith; CAP. 356 [Rev. 2012] Meat Control [Issue 1] 6 (e) specifying the standards to be observed in respect of the storage and transportation of meat, and the transportation of animals intended for slaughter; (f) for the control of imports and exports of meat; (g) for the professional control, supervision and licensing of persons appointed to carry out any inspections in specified areas under the regulations; (h) prescribing forms to be used and fees to be paid in respect of things to be done under the regulations; (i) generally for the purpose of ensuring that meat is wholesome and properly fit for human consumption. (2) Regulations under this section— (a) may be made applicable to the whole or any part of Kenya, and different regulations may be made in respect of different parts of Kenya; (b) may be made applicable to all slaughterhouses or premises used for meat processing, and different regulations may be made in respect of different classes of slaughterhouses or premises; (c) may make such differential provision in respect of other matters as the Minister may consider necessary; (d) may provide for the penalties, not exceeding a fine of ten thousand shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months, or to both such fine and imprisonment, which may be imposed in respect of any breach of the regulations, and may provide for continuing penalties, not exceeding two hundred shillings, in respect of each day during which any such breach continues. [Act No. 5 of 2007, s. 20.]