Meat Inspection Act

MEAT INSPECTION ACT Chapter M‑9 Table of Contents 1 Definitions 2 Inspectors 3.1 Licences 4 Slaughter of animals 5 Sale of meat 6 Condemning meat unfit for food 7 Animal inspections 8 Inspection 9 Proof of appointment 10 Offence and penalty 11 Regulations 12 Fees HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows: Definitions 1 In this Act, (a) “abattoir” means premises, including a multi‑location abattoir, (i) where animals are slaughtered, or (ii) where animals are slaughtered and meat is (A) prepared, (B) packaged, or (C) stored; (b) “animal” means an animal, including a bird, the meat of which is intended to be used for human consumption; (c) “Director” means an employee of the Government who is under the administration of the Minister and designated by the Minister as a Director for the purposes of this Act; (d) “establishment” means an establishment operating under the Meat Inspection Act (Canada); (d.1) “inspection legend” means a mark applied to meat that indicates that the meat has been inspected and is fit for human consumption; (e) “inspector” means an inspector under this Act; (f) “meat” means the flesh of any animal or any product of it intended for human consumption in primary or processed form; (g) “meat facility” means an abattoir, mobile butcher facility, slaughter operation or processing operation and includes any other facility designated as a meat facility by regulation; (h) “Minister” means the Minister determined under section 16 of the Government Organization Act as the Minister responsible for this Act; (i) “mobile butcher” means a person who slaughters an owner’s animal on the owner’s premises or assists an owner in slaughtering the owner’s animal on the owner’s premises and who may transport the carcass to a meat facility or between meat facilities; (i.1) “mobile butcher facility” means premises operated by a mobile butcher for the purpose of preparing, packaging or storing meat from an animal that has been slaughtered on the owner’s premises or in an abattoir or an establishment; (j) “multi‑location abattoir” is an abattoir that is portable and that may be mounted on a vehicle; (k) “peace officer” means a peace officer appointed under the Peace Officer Act ; (l) “slaughter” means slaughter for the purpose of processing meat from animals into food for human consumption. RSA 2000 cM‑9 s1;2008 c35 s2 Inspectors 2 (1) The director may appoint veterinarians registered under the Veterinary Profession Act and other persons as inspectors. (2) All inspectors who are not employed pursuant to the Public Service Act shall receive such remuneration and expenses as the Minister from time to time determines. RSA 1980 cM‑10 s2;1997 c16 s3 3 Repealed 2008 c35 s3. Licences 3.1 Subject to the regulations, (a) no person shall, without a licence, slaughter an animal or process meat from an animal, and (b) every person who slaughters an animal or processes meat from an animal must meet the licensing requirements set out in the regulations. 2008 c35 s4 Slaughter of animals 4 (1) Except as provided in the regulations, no person shall slaughter an animal unless the animal has been inspected by an inspector immediately before the time of slaughter. (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a mobile butcher who slaughters or assists in the slaughter of animals the meat from which is to be consumed by the producer of the animal or by the members of the producer’s immediate household. RSA 1980 cM‑10 s4;1992 c1 s5 Sale of meat 5 Except as provided in the regulations, no person shall sell, offer for sale, transport or deliver meat to any person unless (a) the animal from which the meat was obtained was inspected by an inspector under section 4, (b) the slaughter of the animal took place at an abattoir or at an establishment, (c) there was a post‑mortem inspection of the carcass of the animal from which the meat was obtained conducted by an inspector immediately after the slaughter of the animal, and (d) the meat is judged by an inspector to be fit for human consumption and has an inspection legend applied to it. RSA 2000 cM‑9 s5;2008 c35 s5 Condemning meat unfit for food 6 Every carcass or portion of a carcass of an animal or any product from it that is found on inspection to be unhealthy or unfit for food or that contains ingredients or preservatives that may render it unfit for food shall be so marked by an inspector in the prescribed manner and is, on being so marked, deemed to be condemned as unfit for food and shall be disposed of in accordance with the regulations. RSA 1980 cM‑10 s6 Animal inspections 7 (1) An operator of an abattoir may apply to the Director to have ante‑mortem and post‑mortem inspections of animals conducted. (2) The Director may approve the application but if the Director is not satisfied by the material filed that the application should be approved the Director shall conduct a hearing in accordance with the regulations and may at the conclusion of the hearing approve or refuse the application. (3) When an application is refused, a copy of the decision and the reason for it shall, within 10 days, be forwarded to the applicant by registered post. (4) An applicant whose application has been refused by the Director may appeal to the Minister in accordance with the regulations and the Minister, after hearing the applicant and making any inquiry that the Minister considers necessary, may confirm the decision or may approve the application on any terms or conditions the Minister considers expedient. RSA 2000 cM‑9 s7;2008 c35 s6 Inspection 8 (1) The Director, an inspector or a peace officer, at any reasonable hour, without a warrant, may enter any meat facility, premises or building (a) that is not a private dwelling place, and (b) that is licensed under this Act or if the Director, inspector or peace officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that activities are carried on at the meat facility, premises or building that are the subject‑matter of licensing under this Act, and may inspect the meat facility, premises or building and inspect and copy any records it contains related to matters regulated by this Act to ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with. (2) If the Director, an inspector or a peace officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that a private dwelling place is used for the processing or storing of meat for sale, the Director, inspector or peace officer may (a) in accordance with a warrant from a justice, or (b) at any reasonable time with the consent of the owner or occupant, enter the private dwelling place and inspect it and inspect and copy any records it contains related to matters regulated by this Act to ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with. (3) When it appears to a justice, on information laid before the justice on oath by the Director, an inspector or a peace officer, that there are reasonable and probable grounds for believing that a private dwelling place is being used for the processing or storing of meat for sale, the justice may issue a warrant authorizing the Director, inspector or peace officer to enter the private dwelling place and inspect the private dwelling place and inspect and copy any records it contains related to matters regulated by this Act to ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with. (4) While carrying out an inspection, the Director, an inspector or a peace officer must on request produce identification and explain the inspection powers and duties under this Act. (5) To ensure that the requirements of this Act are complied with, the Director, an inspector or a peace officer may demand from the owner or operator of a meat facility, premises or building (a) that is licensed under this Act, or (b) where the Director, inspector or peace officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that activities are carried on that are the subject‑matter of licensing under this Act, the production, within a reasonable time, of records related to matters regulated by this Act and may, on giving a receipt for them, remove them for not more than 48 hours for the purpose of making copies of them. (6) A person may comply with subsection (5) by providing copies of the records. (7) If a person on whom a demand is made under subsection (5) refuses or fails to comply, the Director, inspector or peace officer may apply to a judge of the Court of King’s Bench and the judge may make any order that the judge considers necessary to enforce compliance with subsection (5). (8) A copy of the application and a copy of each affidavit in support of it must be served not less than 3 days before the day named in the notice for hearing the application. (9) No person shall hinder or obstruct the Director or an inspector in the course of the Director’s or inspector’s duties or furnish the Director or inspector with false information, or refuse to furnish the Director or inspector with information. RSA 2000 cM‑9 s8;2008 c35 s7;2009 c53 s110;AR 217/2022 Proof of appointment 9 The production by an inspector of a certificate of the inspector’s appointment purporting to be signed by the Director shall be admitted in evidence as proof, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, of that appointment without further proof of the signature or authority of the Director. RSA 1980 cM‑10 s9;1992 c1 s5 Offence and penalty 10 (1) A person who contravenes this Act or the regulations under this Act is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $100 000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or to both fine and imprisonment. (2) A prosecution for an offence under this Act may not be commenced more than 2 years after the date on which evidence of the offence first came to the attention of an inspector or a peace officer. RSA 2000 cM-9 s10;2024 c18 s2 Regulations 11 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations (a) providing for the issue, renewal, suspension or revocation of or refusal to issue or renew licences to mobile butchers and to operators of meat facilities; (a.1) designating facilities as meat facilities; (a.2) prescribing classes of licences that may be issued; (a.3) establishing classes of meat facility licences; (b) prescribing conditions for licensing; (c) prescribing the powers and duties of the Director and of inspectors or any class of inspectors; (d) respecting the premises and equipment to be provided and maintained at meat facilities and the operation and location of meat facilities; (e) respecting cleanliness and sanitation at meat facilities; (f) respecting the premises and equipment to be provided and maintained by mobile butchers and respecting the cleanliness, sanitation and operation of the premises and equipment; (g) requiring and governing the detention and disposal of any animal or meat of any animal and prescribing the procedures for it; (h) prescribing humane methods of rendering animals unconscious prior to slaughter; (i) prescribing the records to be made, submitted and kept by operators of meat facilities and by mobile butchers; (j) providing for the exemption from this Act or the regulations, or any provision of it or them, of any person or class of persons, or of any animal or class of animals and the meat of any animal or class of animals and prescribing the terms and conditions for the exemption; (k) prescribing the terms and conditions under which animals and meat may be inspected at any meat facility; (l) governing hearings and appeals on applications for inspections at meat facilities; (m) respecting the application of inspection legends to meat at a meat facility; (n) respecting the type of information to be placed on packaged meat and how that information is to be conveyed to consumers; (o) prescribing forms and providing for their use; (o.1) defining terms not defined in this Act for the purposes of this Act and the regulations; (p) respecting any matter necessary or advisable to carry out effectively the intent and purpose of this Act. RSA 2000 cM‑9 s11;2008 c35 s8 Fees 12 The Minister may make regulations prescribing the fee payable for a licence to operate a meat facility or as a mobile butcher and for any renewal of the licence and the fees payable for inspections of animals, carcasses or premises under this Act. RSA 2000 cM‑9 s12;2008 c35 s9