Regulatory Watch
FSIS proposes eliminating carcass marking requirement
Rule applies only to carcasses that will be further processed in the same location
The FSIS is proposing an amendment to federal meat inspection regulations to eliminate the requirement that livestock carcasses be marked with the official inspection legend at the time of inspection in a slaughter establishment if the carcasses are to be further processed in the same establishment.
Previously, slaughter establishments would often ship carcasses to other establishments for further processing. The current regulations require carcasses to be stamped with the official mark of inspection at the time of inspection, to prevent uninspected carcasses from being shipped elsewhere. However, carcasses are now often processed further at the slaughter establishment before being shipped elsewhere.
The proposed amendment would remove the stamp requirement at the time of inspection for carcasses that will be processed further at the slaughter establishment. FSIS inspection personnel will continue to verify that establishments have controls in place to ensure that unmarked carcasses are processed further in the slaughter establishment and that carcasses that are not processed further in the slaughter establishment are properly marked. All primals, subprimals, parts and other meat food products will have to be properly labeled and bear the mark of inspection before entering commerce.
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