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Volume 68, No. 14

147/2025

The British Columbia Gazette,

Part II

September 9, 2025

B.C. Reg. 147/2025 , deposited September 8, 2025, under the FOOD SAFETY ACT [section 23]. Order in Council 421/2025, approved and ordered September 8, 2025.

On the recommendation of the undersigned, the Administrator, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, orders that the Meat Inspection Regulation, B.C. Reg. 349/2004, is amended as set out in the attached Schedule.

— S. CHANDRA HERBERT, Presiding Member of the Executive Council .

Schedule

1 The Meat Inspection Regulation, B.C. Reg. 349/2004, is amended by adding the following sections:

Definitions for sections 16.2 to 16.7

16.1 In this

section and sections 16.2 to 16.7:

"executive director" means the person who holds the position of executive director of the Food Safety Inspection Branch of the ministry of the minister;

"exempted holder" means a person within a class of licensees described in an exemption order;

"exemption order" means an order made under

section 16.2 (1);

"provincial inspector" means an inspector who is employed by the government of British Columbia.

Exemption orders

16.2

(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the minister may, by order, exempt holders of abattoir licences and their licensed abattoirs from the application of sections 11 (a), 12, 13.1, 14 (1) (c), (

d) and (2), 14.1 (2) and (3), 15, 20 and 29.1.

(2) The minister may make an exemption order only if the minister has reason to believe that, due to a strike within the meaning of the Labour Relations Code , R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 244, there is not, or will not be, a sufficient number of provincial inspectors available to perform duties under this regulation.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the minister may consider the effects of a strike on provincial inspectors regardless of whether provincial inspectors have themselves ceased, refused or slowed work, or are participating in other strike activity.

(4) In an exemption order, the minister may limit the exemption to holders of abattoir licences whose licensed abattoirs are within a geographic area specified in the order.

(5) The minister must rescind an exemption order as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the strike described in subsection (2).

If exemption order made

16.3 If an exemption order is made,

(

a) an exempted holder is not, despite anything to the contrary in any provision that continues to apply, required to hold an animal for inspection or have a carcass inspected, and

(

b) section 14.1 (1) applies to an animal that is slaughtered and its carcass delivered to the licensed abattoir of an exempted holder as if

(

i) the animal was intended for slaughter after inspection under

section 12, and

(ii) the carcass was delivered to be inspected under

section 15.

Assessment if exemption order made

16.4

(1) If

section 12 would have applied if an exemption order had not been made, an exempted holder must have each animal intended for slaughter assessed before the animal leaves the livestock area to determine whether the animal may be contaminated or otherwise unfit for human or animal consumption.

(2) Despite subsection (1), an assessment of live poultry or rabbits may be completed by assessing only a sample of the poultry or rabbits.

(3) If

section 14 (1) applies, or if

section 15 would have applied if an exemption order had not been made, an exempted holder must have each carcass assessed to determine whether the carcass may be contaminated or otherwise unfit for human or animal consumption.

(4) An exempted holder must ensure that a record is made of each assessment, including whether the animal or carcass is assessed as

(

a) not contaminated and fit for human or animal consumption, or

(

b) contaminated or otherwise unfit for human or animal consumption.

(5) An exempted holder must designate, in writing, one or more employees to complete assessments and make records for the purposes of this section.

If assessed as not contaminated and fit

16.5 An exempted holder may store and sell a carcass, and meat products made from a carcass, that is assessed as not contaminated and fit for human or animal consumption.

If no assessment or assessed as contaminated or unfit

16.6

(1) This

section applies if

(

a) an animal or carcass is not assessed as required under

section 16.4,

(

b) an animal or carcass is assessed as contaminated or otherwise unfit for human or animal consumption, or

(

c) an animal is slaughtered and its carcass delivered as described in

section 16.3 (b).

(2) If this

section applies, an exempted holder must ensure that

(

a) the animal does not enter the slaughter area,

(

b) the animal or carcass is removed to the condemned area for disposal, and

(

c) the carcass or meat products made from the carcass are not sold or stored for the purpose of sale.

Additional duties

16.7

(1) An exempted holder must keep the following records and produce them on request of the executive director:

(

a) the emergency slaughter approval form made with respect to an animal slaughtered under

section 14 (1) (

a) or 14.1 (1) (a);

(

b) the record of assessment made in accordance with

section 16.4 (4).

(2) An exempted holder must immediately notify the executive director of any circumstance at the holder’s licensed abattoir that might pose an immediate or significant risk of contamination of a carcass.

Section 36 is amended by adding the following paragraph:

(e.1) sections 16.4 (1) and (3) to (5), 16.6 (2) and 16.7 [exempted holders] ; .

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