[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 9, Volume 2, Parts 200 to end]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 9CFR325.13]

[Page 325-326]
 
                  TITLE 9--ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
 
     CHAPTER III--FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 325--TRANSPORTATION--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 325.13  Denaturing procedures.

    (a) Carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products (other 
than rendered animal fats) that have been treated in accordance with the 
provisions of this paragraph shall be considered denatured for the 
purposes of the regulations in this part, except as otherwise provided 
in part 314 of this subchapter for articles condemned at official 
establishments.
    (1) The following agents are prescribed for denaturing carcasses, 
parts thereof, meat or meat food products which are affected with any 
condition that would result in their condemnation and disposal under 
part 314 of this subchapter if they were at an official establishment: 
Crude carbolic acid; cresylic disinfectant; a formula consisting of 1 
part FD&C green No. 3 coloring, 40 parts water, 40 parts liquid 
detergent, and 40 parts oil of citronella, or other proprietary 
substance approved by the Administrator in specific cases. \3\
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    \3\ Information as to approval of any proprietary denaturing 
substance may be obtained from the Technical Services, Meat and Poultry 
Inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.
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    (2) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(3), (4), and (5) of this 
section, the following agents are prescribed for denaturing other 
carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products, for which 
denaturing is required by this part: FD&C green No. 3 coloring; FD&C 
blue No. 1 coloring; FD&C blue No. 2 coloring; finely powdered charcoal; 
or other proprietary substance approved by the Administrator in specific 
cases. \3\
    (3) Tripe may be denatured by dipping it in a 6 percent solution of 
tannic acid for 1 minute followed by immersion in a water bath, then 
immersing it for 1 minute in a solution of 0.022 percent FD&C yellow No. 
5 coloring;
    (4) Meat may be denatured by dipping it in a solution of 0.0625 
percent tannic acid, followed by immersion in a water bath, then dipping 
it in a solution of 0.0625 percent ferric acid; and
    (5) When meat, meat byproducts, or meat food products are in ground 
form, 4 percent by weight of coarsely ground hard bone, which shall be 
in pieces no smaller than the opening size specified for No. 5 mesh in 
the standards issued by the U.S. Bureau of Standards or 6 percent by 
weight of coarsely ground hard bone, which shall be in pieces no smaller 
than the opening size specified for No. 8 mesh in said Standards, 
uniformly incorporated with the product may be used in lieu of the 
agents prescribed in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
    (6) Before the denaturing agents are applied to articles in pieces 
more than 4 inches in diameter, the pieces shall be freely slashed or 
sectioned. (If the articles are in pieces not more than 4 inches in 
diameter, slashing or sectioning will not be necessary.) The application 
of any of the denaturing agents listed in paragraph (a)(1) or (2)

[[Page 326]]

of this section to the outer surface of molds or blocks of boneless 
meat, meat byproducts, or meat food products shall not be adequate. The 
denaturing agent must be mixed intimately with all of the material to be 
denatured, and must be applied in such quantity and manner that it 
cannot easily and readily be removed by washing or soaking. A sufficient 
amount of the appropriate agent shall be used to give the material a 
distinctive color, odor, or taste so that such material cannot be 
confused with an article of human food.
    (7) Carcasses (other than viscera), parts thereof, cuts of meat, and 
unground pieces of meat darkened by charcoal or other black dyes shall 
be deemed to be denatured pursuant to this section only if they contain 
at least that degree of darkness depicted by diagram 1 of the Meat 
Denaturing Guide (MP Form 91). \1\
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    \1\ Copies of MP Form 91 may be obtained, without charge, by writing 
to the Administrative Operations Branch, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 123 East Grant Street, 
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403. Diagrams 2 and 3 of the Meat Denaturing 
Guide are for comparison purposes only. The Meat Denaturing Guide has 
been approved for incorporation by reference by the Director, Office of 
the Federal Register, and is on file at the Federal Register library.
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    (b) Inedible rendered animal fats shall be denatured by thoroughly 
mixing therein denaturing oil, No. 2 fuel oil, brucine dissolved in a 
mixture of alcohol and pine oil or oil of rosemary, finely powdered 
charcoal, or any proprietary denaturing agent approved for the purpose 
by the Administrator in specific cases. The charcoal shall be used in no 
less quantity than 100 parts per million and shall be of such character 
that it will remain suspended indefinitely in the liquid fat. Sufficient 
of the chosen identifying agents shall be used to give the rendered fat 
so distinctive a color, odor, or taste that it cannot be confused with 
an article of human food.

[35 FR 15605, Oct. 3, 1970, as amended at 41 FR 22930, June 8, 1976; 44 
FR 67626, Nov. 27, 1979]