Meat slaughtered and processed under USDA inspection may be sold as carcasses (or halves, quarters, etc.) or individual retail pieces. Meat sold in restaurants, grocery stores, or farmers` markets must be inspected by the USDA. Farmers who sell individual retail cuts or packages of meat directly to consumers must also be inspected by the USDA, and additional licenses are required in Michigan. All raw or partially cooked cattle must be labelled for safe handling. This label should include instructions on proper storage, handling and cooking of meat to prevent bacterial growth. A country of origin label is also required for imported meat. An expiration date is not required, but is recommended to assist retailers and consumers. NOTE: Exception for beef cattle, see the Whole Animal Sales for Contract Processing fact sheet for more details. You should not label meat as “ground beef” if you add fat, binders, diluents or phosphates. Meat containing any of these additives can only be sold as a “hamburger”. However, you can add spices to minced meat if it only affects the taste of the meat. The fat content of ground beef or hamburgers must not exceed 30 per cent. Imported ground beef must meet U.S.
quality standards before it can be sold domestically. Livestock processing, which includes animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats, is regulated nationally by the Federal Meat Inspection Act and enforced by USDA regulations. Similarly, the processing of poultry, including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, ratites and juveniles, is regulated under the Poultry Products Control Act and Regulations. These laws give USDA-FSIS primary authority to monitor meat products offered for sale. One of the main components of this monitoring is the requirement that the slaughter of livestock and the processing of meat products be subject to constant control by state inspectors. In addition, there are various labelling, hygiene and construction requirements. In addition, there are other requirements based on the Humane Slaughter Act for farms that slaughter and process animals. Farmers who sell meat directly from their farms must comply with the regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). There are two categories into which meat falls when sold directly – USDA inspected and duty-free. You can start by selling a few animals as “frozen meat”. Dr.
Jonathan Campbell is Penn State`s meat specialist when it comes to explaining beef and how to sell it. He has worked with meat packers throughout Pennsylvania in recent years, speaking with the blessing of the USDA and FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) on customs and retail inspection and exemption. In 1906, the Federal Meat Inspection Act was passed. The essence of this law is found in No. 603: Examination of animals before slaughter and use of humane methods. This included examining animals prior to slaughter, with diseased animals to be slaughtered and examined separately. However, if you sell the meat to a wholesaler or if it is resold at a store, restaurant, or other business, your meat warehouse must be registered with the USDA. This registration is FREE. Meat (including poultry) must be stored in a USDA-approved facility and transported by a USDA-registered company or individual.
NOTE: Registration is not required for persons transporting government-controlled meat and/or poultry products, unless the carrier is also the broker, manufacturer, public warehouse or wholesaler. Fill out this form to become a meat warehouse for human consumption: If you sell beef door-to-door, you will need to follow additional regulations. You must store all meat in a refrigerated vehicle that will not let the temperature exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The Federal Trade Commission`s “cooling” rule also applies to all home sales over $25. Customers can cancel the sale within three days. You must inform the customer of the right of withdrawal and provide two copies of the withdrawal form before concluding the sale. If you want to have your own retail business, this requires a license as well as a farmers` market. If you want to sell frozen beef, this is something that has many definitions in the United States. “I would call it frozen pieces of meat,” Campbell said.
“Some people also refer to the sale of the live animal as frozen livestock.” If you want to have a farmer`s market where you sell meat by the cut or pound of a freezer, you can do so, but you will need to apply for a license from your state Department of Agriculture. A local or regional farmer`s market also requires a license from the Department of Agriculture. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets standards for the sale of beef to protect consumers from bacteria and other foodborne pathogens. Certain regulations also apply to meat packaging to prevent contamination and fraudulent labelling. If the USDA determines that your company is violating its laws on the sale of beef, you will be fined and risk losing your ability to sell meat in the United States. Facilities containing vacuum sealing, nitrite, smoke, and/or dewatering for preservation must have a HACCP plan approved by the FDACS. In addition, a person or entity currently registered by the FDACS who also wishes to perform processing as you proceed with meat must submit a HACCP plan with all supporting documentation and obtain approval from the special FDACS process before proceeding. An example would be a retail store that wants to grind individually slaughtered deer or beef at the end of its normal processing day. For a fact sheet on industry guidelines for customs processing approved by the FDACS, see www.fdacs.gov/content/download/92253/file/Custom-Animal-Processing-at-Retail-Industry-Guidance.pdf. If you only sell meat to the end consumer, no USDA registration is required.
A customs exemption from slaughter allows the sale and slaughter of a live animal to a person or group of individuals and to that harvested animal. The carcass is not offered for sale. It is intended exclusively for the use of the owner`s household, his guests and any collaborators. According to the law, items that are not covered by the customs slaughter exemption cannot even be donated or donated.
