Checks of water absorbed and total water content in chicken carcasses
Article 6
1. Regular checks in accordance with Annex III on the water absorbed shall be carried out in the slaughterhouses, with appropriate frequencies determined in procedures developed in accordance with the HACCP principles pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 6 ) . Where these checks reveal that the amount of water absorbed is greater than the thresholds set out in Annex IX to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/343, the necessary technical adjustments shall be made immediately by the slaughterhouse to the process. 2. Competent authorities shall carry out checks on water content regularly, with appropriate frequencies determined on a risk basis and by sampling, on frozen and quick-frozen chicken carcasses from each slaughterhouse using the method of analysis referred to in Article 5(1). These checks shall not be conducted for carcases in respect of which proof is provided to the competent authority that they are intended exclusively for export. 3. If the result of the checks referred to in paragraph 2 exceed the values referred to in Article 14(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/343, the slaughterhouse concerned may request that a counter-analysis of a batch be carried out in the reference laboratory of the Member State, using a method to be chosen by the competent authority of the Member State. The costs of this counter-analysis shall be borne by the holder of the batch. 4. Where the batch in question is deemed after such counter-analysis not to comply with this Regulation, it shall remain under the supervision of the competent authority until it is dealt with in accordance with paragraphs 5 and 6 or otherwise disposed of. 5. If it is certified to the competent authority that the batch referred to in paragraph 4 is to be exported, the competent authority shall take all necessary measures to prevent the batch in question from being marketed within the Union. 6. The competent authority may authorise the marketing within the Union of the batch in accordance with Article 14(4) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/343. 7. Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 shall apply mutatis mutandis to imported frozen and quick-frozen chicken carcasses at the time of customs clearance.