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GB/T 9961-2026Fresh and frozen sheep meat (English PDF)

鲜、冻羊肉

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Issued by

SAMR; SAC

Level / Type

National · Recommended

Issue date

February 27, 2026

Implementation date

September 1, 2026

Scope

GB/T 9961-2026 is the English-translated version of 鲜、冻羊肉.

GB/T 9961-2026 is the Chinese national standard for fresh and frozen sheep meat. It sets the product categories, the technical requirements and their test methods, the inspection rules and the labelling, packaging, storage and transport requirements, and it applies to mutton carcasses and to their cuts and products.

It defines hot sheepmeat, meat that has not been artificially cooled, and chilled sheepmeat, whose core temperature is brought to 0 °C - 4 °C and held there through storage and transport; its other terms come from NY/T 1564 and NY/T 3224.

The requirements are read with GB 18393, GB 18394, GB/T 40464 and GB/T 43562, and thawing water loss is measured to NY/T 3905. It replaces GB/T 9961-2008, was issued on 27 February 2026 and has applied since 1 September 2026.

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Document preview — GB/T 9961-2026

National Standard of the People's Republic of China

ICS
67.120.10
Classification
X 22
Replacing
GB/T 9961-2008

Issued by: State Administration for Market Regulation; Standardization Administration of the PRC

Contents

  • Foreword
  • 1 Scope
  • 2 Normative references
  • 3 Terms and Definitions

Foreword

This document complies with the provisions of GB/T 1.1-2020 "Standardization Work Guidelines Part 1: Structure and Drafting Rules of Standardization Documents".

This document replaces GB/T 9961-2008 "Fresh and Frozen Mutton Carcasses". Compared with GB/T 9961-2008, the main differences are structural adjustments and editorial changes.

Aside from the modifications, the main technical changes are as follows.

---The following terms have been removed. "lamb," "fat lamb," "large lamb," "carcass weight," "fat content," "fat thickness," "rib thickness," "muscle density," "physiological maturity," and "meat." The terms and definitions for "fat color," "meat fat firmness," and "carcass mutton"; and the distinction between "fresh carcass mutton," "chilled carcass mutton," and "frozen carcass mutton." Change to "hot fresh mutton", "chilled mutton", and "frozen mutton" (see Chapter 3, Chapter 3 of the 2008 edition);

---The product range has been expanded (see Chapter 4);

---Segmentation technology requirements have been added (see 5.2.2);

---All original physicochemical indicators except moisture content have been removed (see section 4.4 of the 2008 edition);

---The microbiological indicator has been removed (see 4.5 in the 2008 edition);

---Increase the thawing water loss rate (see 5.4.2);

---The hygiene requirements for the production and processing process have been removed (see section 4.7 of the 2008 edition);

---The grading and requirements for sheep carcasses have been removed (see section 4.8.4 of the 2008 version);

---The methods for testing physicochemical indicators have been revised (see 6.3, 5.2~5.18 of the 2008 edition);

---The testing methods for microbiological indicators have been removed (see 5.19~5.24 of the 2008 edition).

1 Scope

This document specifies the product categories, technical requirements, inspection rules, and labeling, packaging, storage, and transportation requirements for fresh and frozen mutton.

This document applies to fresh and frozen mutton carcasses and their cuts/products.

2 Normative references

The contents of the following documents, through normative references within the text, constitute essential provisions of this document. Dated citations are not included.

For references to documents, only the version corresponding to that date applies to this document; for undated references, the latest version (including all amendments) applies to this document.

GB/T 191 Packaging and Storage Graphic Symbols

GB/T 4456 Polyethylene blown film for packaging

GB/T 6388 Transport Packaging Receipt and Delivery Marks

GB/T 6543 Single-wall and double-wall corrugated cardboard boxes for transport packaging

GB 18393 Quality Inspection Procedures for Cattle and Sheep Slaughter Products

GB 18394 Moisture Limits for Livestock and Poultry Meat

GB/T 28640 Technical Specification for Cold Chain Transportation Management of Livestock and Poultry Meat

GB/T 40464 Technical Requirements for Chilled Meat Processing

GB/T 43562 Operating Procedures for Livestock and Poultry Slaughtering (Sheep)

JJF1070 Rules for Measurement and Inspection of Net Content of Prepackaged Commodities

NY/T 1564 Technical Specification for Meat Cutting of Livestock and Poultry. Mutton

NY/T 3224 Terminology for Livestock and Poultry Slaughter

NY/T 3227 Sampling Operation Specifications for Livestock and Poultry and Their Products in Slaughterhouses

NY/T 3383 Packaging and Labelling of Livestock and Poultry Products

NY/T 3905 Determination of water loss rate during thawing of frozen meat

3 Terms and Definitions

The terms and definitions defined in NY/T 1564 and NY/T 3224, as well as the following terms and definitions, apply to this document.

3.1 Hot sheep meat

Fresh mutton carcass and its cuts that have not been artificially cooled.

3.2 Chilled sheep meat

The meat undergoes a cooling process to lower its core temperature to 0°C~4°C, and this temperature is maintained within this range throughout storage and transportation. Lamb carcass and its cuts and products.

......
This preview omits tables, figures, formulas and parts of the technical clauses. The complete document — 17 pages — is available in the English PDF.

Referenced standards

Editions of GB/T 9961

EditionTitleRevisionStatus
GB/T 9961-2026Fresh and frozen sheep meatcurrent editionCurrent
GB/T 9961-2008Fresh and frozen sheep meatprevious editionSuperseded

This page sells the current edition, GB/T 9961-2026. Earlier editions are listed for reference only.

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