Subchapter C. POSTMORTEM INSPECTIONS
Sec.
1.111. Extent and time of inspection.
1.112. Requirement for identification of carcass.
1.113. Procedure for identification.
1.114. Retention of carcass or part.
1.115. Identification of retained carcasses.
1.116. Disposition of condemned carcasses.
1.117. Carcasses passed for cooking.
1.118. Spermatic cords; pizzles; preputial diverticuli.
1.119. Passing and marking of carcasses.
1.120. Carcasses affected with anthrax.
1.121. Cleaning of equipment contaminated with anthrax.
1.122. Sanitation of personnel contaminated with anthrax.
1.123. Carcasses with skin or hide on.
1.124. Cleaning of hog carcasses before incising.
1.125. Sternum; abdominal and thoracic viscera.
1.126. Inflating carcasses and transferring fat prohibited.
1.127. Handling bruised parts.
1.128. Hyperimmune swine.
1.129. Inspection and disposition of lungs; hog lungs.
1.130. Inspection of mammary glands.
1.131. Contamination of carcass or parts.
1.132. Inspection of kidneys.
Cross References This subchapter cited in 7 Pa. Code § 1.195 (relating to marks for postmortem inspections; inspection of unacceptable equipment and facilities).
§ 1.111. Extent and time of inspection.
A careful postmortem examination inspection shall be made of the carcasses and parts thereof of all livestock slaughtered at official establishments. The inspection and examination shall be made at the time of slaughter unless, because of unusual circumstances, prior arrangements acceptable to the Department have been made in specific cases by the veterinary supervisor for making the inspection and examination at a later time.
§ 1.112. Requirement for identification of carcass.
The head, tail, tongue, thymus gland and all viscera of each slaughtered animal, and all blood and other parts of the animal to be used in the preparation of meat food products or medical products shall be handled in such a manner as to identify them with the rest of the carcass and as being derived from the particular animal involved until the postmortem examination of the carcass and parts thereof has been completed. The handling shall include the retention of ear tags, back tags, implants and other identifying devices affixed to the animal, in such a way as to relate them to the carcass.
Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Code § 1.113 (relating to procedure for identification).
§ 1.113. Procedure for identification.
As part of the requirement specified in § 1.112 (relating to requirement for identification of carcass) the following steps shall be taken:
(1) —
(i) The official State-Federal back tag of the carcass shall be removed from the hide or the animal by an establishment employe and placed in a clear plastic bag. The bag containing the tag shall be affixed to the corresponding carcass.
(ii) The bag containing the tag shall be removed from the carcass by an establishment employe and presented with the viscera to the program inspector at the point where the inspector conducts the viscera inspection.
(2) —
(i) Brucellosis and tuberculosis ear tags, herd identification ear tags, sales tags, ear bangles and similar identification devices shall be removed from the animal’s hide or ear of the animal by an establishment employe and shall be placed in a clear plastic bag and affixed to the corresponding carcass.
(ii) The bag containing the tag shall be removed from the carcass by an establishment employe and presented with the viscera to the program inspector at the point where such inspector conducts the viscera inspection.
(3) In cases where both types of devices described in paragraphs (1) and (2) are present on the same animal, both types may be placed in the same plastic bag or in two separate bags.
(4) The veterinary supervisor may allow the use of any alternate method proposed by the operator of an official establishment for handling the type of devices described in paragraph (2) if such alternate method would provide a ready means of identifying a specific carcass with the corresponding devices by a program inspector during the postmortem inspection.
(5) —
(i) The official State-Federal backtags shall be collected by a program inspector and used to obtain traceback information necessary for proper disposition of the animal or carcass and otherwise handled according to instructions issued to the inspectors.
(ii) The devices described in paragraph (2) shall be collected by the program inspector when required to obtain traceback information necessary for proper disposition of the animal or carcass and for controlling the slaughter of reactor animals. Devices not collected for these purposes shall be discarded after the postmortem examination is complete.
(6) Plastic bags used by the establishment for collecting identifying devices will be furnished by the Department.
§ 1.114. Retention of carcass or part.
(a) Each carcass, including all detached organs and other parts, in which any lesion or other condition is found that might render the meat or any part unfit for food purposes, or which is otherwise adulterated and would therefore require a subsequent inspection shall be retained by the program employe at the time of inspection.
(b) The identity of such retained carcass, detached organ or other part shall be maintained until the final inspection has been completed.
(c) Retained carcasses may not be washed or trimmed unless authorized by the program employe.
§ 1.115. Identification of retained carcasses.
The devices and methods as may be approved by the Department may be used for the temporary identification of retained carcasses, organs and other parts. In all cases, the identification shall be further established by affixing ‘‘Pa. Retained’’ tags as soon as practicable and before final inspection. These tags shall not be removed except by a program employe.
§ 1.116. Disposition of condemned carcasses.
(a) Each carcass or part which is found on final inspection to be unsound, unhealthful, unwholesome or otherwise adulterated shall be conspicuously marked on the surface tissues thereof by a program employe at the time of inspection, as ‘‘Pa. Inspected and Condemned.’’
(b) Condemned detached organs and other parts of the character that they cannot be so marked shall be placed immediately in trucks or receptacles which shall be kept plainly marked ‘‘Pa. Condemned,’’ in letters not less than 2 inches high.
(c) All condemned carcasses and parts shall remain in the custody of a program employe and shall be disposed of as required in Subchapter F (relating to disposal of condemned and other inedible products) at or before the close of the day on which they are condemned.
§ 1.117. Carcasses passed for cooking.
Carcasses and parts passed for cooking shall be marked conspicuously on the surface tissues thereof by a program employe at the time of inspection as ‘‘Pa. Passed for Cooking.’’ All the carcasses and parts shall be cooked in accordance with § 1.217 (relating to rendering products passed for cooking; lard, pork fat and tallow) and until so cooked shall remain in the custody of a program employe.
§ 1.118. Spermatic cords; pizzles; preputial diverticuli.
(a) Spermatic cords and pizzles shall be removed from all carcasses.
(b) Preputial diverticuli shall be removed from hog carcasses.
§ 1.119. Passing and marking of carcasses.
(a) Carcasses and parts found to be sound, healthful, wholesome and otherwise not adulterated shall be passed and marked as provided in Subchapter H (relating to marking and labeling).
(b) In all cases where carcasses showing localized lesions are passed for food or for cooking and ‘‘Pa. Retained’’ tags are attached to the carcasses, the affected tissues shall be removed and condemned before the tags are removed. ‘‘Pa. Retained’’ tags shall be removed only by a program employe.
§ 1.120. Carcasses affected with anthrax.
(a) Carcasses found before evisceration to be affected with anthrax shall not be eviscerated but shall be retained, condemned and immediately tanked or otherwise disposed of as provided in Subchapter F (relating to disposal of condemned and other inedible products).
(b) All carcasses and all parts, including hides, hoofs, horns, hair, viscera and contents, blood, and fat of any livestock found to be affected with anthrax shall be condemned and immediately disposed of, except that the blood may be handled through the usual blood cooking and drying equipment.
(c) Any part of any carcass that is contaminated with anthrax-infected material through contact with soiled instruments or otherwise shall be immediately condemned and disposed of as provided in Subchapter F.
§ 1.121. Cleaning of equipment contaminated with anthrax.
(a) The scalding vat water through which hog carcasses affected with anthrax have passed shall be immediately drained into the sewer.
(b) That portion of the slaughtering department, including the bleeding area, scalding vat, gambrelling bench, floors, walls, posts, platforms, saws, cleavers, knives and hooks, as well as boots and aprons of employes, contaminated through contact with anthrax-infected material shall, except as provided in subsection (d), be cleaned immediately and disinfected with one of the following disinfectants:
(1) A 5% solution of sodium hydroxide or commercial lye containing at least 94% of sodium hydroxide. The solution shall be freshly prepared immediately before use by dissolving 2.5 pounds of sodium hydroxide or lye in 5.5 gallons of hot water and shall be applied as near scalding hot as possible to be most effective. (Because of the extremely caustic nature of sodium hydroxide solution, precautionary measures such as the wearing of rubber gloves and boots to protect the hands and feet, and goggles to protect the eyes, should be taken by those engaged in the disinfection process. It is also advisable to have an acid solution, such as vinegar, in readiness in case any of the sodium hydroxide solution should come in contact with any part of the body.)
(2) A solution of sodium hypochlorite containing approximately 0.5% (5,000 parts per million) of available chlorine. The solution shall be freshly prepared.
(3) One of the disinfectants approved specifically for this purpose, a list of which is available upon request from the Technical Services Division, Consumer and Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.
(c) When a disinfectant solution has been applied to equipment which will afterwards contact product, the equipment shall be rinsed with clean water before such contact.
(d) If anthrax infection is found in the hog slaughtering department an immediate preliminary disinfection shall be made from the headdropper’s station to the point where the disease is detected and the affected carcasses shall be cut down from the rail and removed from the room. Upon completion of the slaughtering of the lot of hogs of which the anthrax-infected animals were a part, slaughtering operations shall cease, and a thorough cleanup and disinfection shall be made, as provided in subsection (b). If the slaughter of the lot has not been completed by the close of the day on which anthrax was detected, the cleanup and disinfection shall not be deferred beyond the close of that day.
Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Code § 1.90 (relating to anthrax).
§ 1.122. Sanitation of personnel contaminated with anthrax.
(a) The first and indispensable precautionary step for persons who have handled anthrax material is thorough cleansing of the hands and arms with liquid soap and running hot water. It is important that this step be taken immediately after exposure, before vegetative anthrax organisms have had time to form spores. In the cleansing, a brush or other appropriate appliance shall be used to insure the removal of all contaminating material from under and about the fingernails. This process of cleansing is most effective when performed in repeated cycles of lathering and rinsing rather than in spending the same amount of time in scrubbing with a single lathering. After the hands have been cleansed thoroughly and rinsed free of soap, they may, if desired, be immersed for about one minute in a 1-1,000 solution of bichloride of mercury, followed by thorough rinsing in clean running water. Supplies of bichloride of mercury for this purpose shall be held in the custody of the officer in charge.
(b) As a precautionary measure, all persons exposed to anthrax infection should report promptly any suspicious condition (sore or carbuncle) or symptom to a physician, in order that anti-anthrax serum or other treatment may be administered as indicated.
§ 1.123. Carcasses with skin or hide on.
(a) When a carcass is to be dressed with the skin or hide left on, the skin or hide shall be thoroughly washed and cleaned before any incision is made for the purpose of removing any part thereof or evisceration, except that where calves are slaughtered by the kosher method, the heads shall be removed from the carcasses before washing of the carcasses.
(b) The skin shall be removed at the time of postmortem inspection from any calf carcass infested with the larvae of the ‘‘oxwarble’’ fly (hypoderma lineata and hypoderma bovis), or external parasites, or affected with other pathological skin conditions.
§ 1.124. Cleaning of hog carcasses before incising.
All hair, scurf, dirt, hoofs and claws shall be removed from hog carcasses, and the carcasses shall be thoroughly washed and cleaned before any incision is made for inspection or evisceration.
§ 1.125. Sternum; abdominal and thoracic viscera.
The sternum of each carcass shall be split and the abdominal and thoracic viscera shall be removed at the time of slaughter in order to allow proper inspection.
§ 1.126. Inflating carcasses and transferring fat prohibited.
Carcasses or parts of carcasses may not be inflated with air. Transferring the caul or other fat from a fat to a lean carcass is prohibited.
§ 1.127. Handling bruised parts.
When only a portion of a carcass is to be condemned because of slight bruises, either the bruised portion shall be removed immediately and disposed of in accordance with Subchapter F (relating to disposal of condemned and other inedible products), or the carcass shall be promptly placed in a retaining room and kept until chilled and the bruised portion shall then be removed and disposed of as provided in Subchapter F.
§ 1.128. Hyperimmune swine.
(a) Carcasses of hyperimmune swine which have been given the final bleeding at a serum plant under the supervision of an inspector may be transferred to an official establishment for dressing and postmortem inspection.
(b) The transfer of such carcasses to the official establishment shall be made as promptly as possible and their delivery to the scalding vat shall be accomplished within 1 hour from the time bleeding is completed.
(c) The identity of the carcasses of hyperimmune swine shall be maintained in such manner as to positively identify them and to indicate the time of final bleeding.
§ 1.129. Inspection and disposition of lungs; hog lungs.
(a) All cattle, calf, sheep and equine lungs intended for food purposes shall be inspected to determine whether foreign matter is present in the air passages. The main bronchi and branches shall be slit by employes of the establishment and, if ingesta or other objectionable foreign matter has entered these passages, the lungs shall be condemned.
(b) Hog lungs shall not be saved as edible product.
(c) Livestock lungs shall not be saved for use as human food.
(d) Lungs found to be affected with disease or pathology and lungs found to be adulterated with chemical or biological residue shall be condemned and identified as ‘‘U.S. Inspected and Condemned.’’ Condemned lungs may not be saved for pet food or other nonhuman food purposes. They shall be maintained under inspectional control and disposed of in accordance with this chapter.
(e) Lungs not condemned under subsection (d) may be used in the preparation of pet food or for other nonhuman food purposes at the official establishment, provided they are handled in the manner prescribed in this chapter, or they may be distributed from the establishment in commerce, or otherwise, in accordance with the conditions prescribed in this chapter for nonhuman food purposes or they may be so distributed to pharmaceutical manufacturers for pharmaceutical use in accordance with this chapter if they are labeled as ‘‘Inedible (SPECIES) Lungs—for Pharmaceutical Use Only.’’ Otherwise, they shall be disposed of at the official establishment, in accordance with this chapter.
Source The provisions of this § 1.129 amended September 17, 1971, 1 Pa.B. 1825. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (1242).
Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Code § 1.556 (relating to transportation of certain undenatured lungs or lung lobes from official establishments or in commerce).
§ 1.130. Inspection of mammary glands.
(a) Lactating mammary glands and diseased mammary glands of cattle, sheep, swine and goats shall be removed without opening the milk ducts or sinuses. If pus or other objectionable material is permitted to come in contact with the carcass, the parts of the carcass thus contaminated shall be removed and condemned.
(b) Nonlactating cow udders may be saved for food purposes if suitable facilities for handling and inspecting them are provided. Examination of udders by palpation shall be done by a program employe. When necessary in the judgment of the program employe, the official establishment employes shall incise udders in sections no greater than two inches in thickness. All udders showing disease lesions shall be condemned by a program employe. Each udder shall be properly identified with its respective carcass and kept separate and apart from other udders until its disposal has been accomplished in accordance with Subchapter D (relating to disposal of diseased and otherwise adulterated carcasses).
(c) Lactating mammary glands of cattle, sheep, swine and goats shall not be saved for edible purposes.
(d) The udders from cows officially designated as ‘‘Brucellosis reactors’’ or as ‘‘Mastitis elimination cows’’ shall be condemned.
§ 1.131. Contamination of carcass or parts.
(a) Carcasses, organs and other parts shall be handled in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination with fecal material, urine, bile, hair, dirt, or foreign matter; however, if contamination occurs, it shall be promptly removed in a manner satisfactory to the inspector.
(b) Brains, cheek meat and head trimmings from animals stunned by lead, sponge iron, or frangible bullets shall not be saved for use as human food but shall be handled as prescribed in § 1.201 or § 1.203 (relating to establishments having tanking facilities; and establishments not having tanking facilities).
§ 1.132. Inspection of kidneys.
An employe of the establishment shall open the kidney capsule and expose the kidneys of all livestock at the time of slaughter for the purpose of examination by a program employe.
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Code full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
