From a statement issued by the Ministry of Environment (MARN):

Slaughterhouses are the first link in the meat industry, because it is in them that meat for human consumption is obtained, therefore they need to operate using quality standards and all facilities must meet the requirements of proper operation, in order to ensure the health of the population and environmental protection.

The guide arises in order to meet the need to unify and have technical criteria for the design of butchers or slaughterhouses in order to provide guidelines for their siting and construction, wastewater management, management of solid waste which is a byproduct of butchering, and the process to followed for obtaining permits for new projects and / or operational butchers.

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Panama Wants to Export Meat to US and Costa Rica

December 2016

Purchase of equipment for quality testing and adjustments in health checks are part of the plan that Panama will implement in order to start exporting meat.

The Ministry of Agricultural Development's plan involves changes to the health system, incorporating new technology for quality controls. The aim is to deliver, in mid-2017, the equivalency questionnaire to the Food Safety Inspection Services at the US Department of Agriculture.

Panama: New Health Standards for Beef

August 2015

The new regulations on health inspection for beef sets new hygiene standards in slaughterhouses and in vehicles used to transport the product.

From the executive decree published in La Gaceta de Panama:

"... Article 2. The scope of this Regulation is to establish the rules for the health inspection of meat and meat products from cattle in the Republic of Panama so that the inspection of these products ensures hygienic conditions for consumers.

Abattoir Improvements in El Salvador

November 2011

The government of El Salvador will invest $27.3 million in the national sector of municipal slaughterhouses.

In order to improve the quality and hygiene of the abattoirs that operate nationwide, the government will invest resources in building new premises, along with retrofitting and better controls for existing ones.

Guatemala: New Rules for Cattle Slaughterhouses

January 2011

The rules, which apply to private, municipal and state owned cattle slaughterhouses, set new safety standards.

As of January 31, these slaughter houses will have a year to upgrade their establishments. Failure to comply with the requirements after one year will mean the closing of the premises.