[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 9, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 9CFR310.13]

[Page 124]
 
                  TITLE 9--ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
 
     CHAPTER III--FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 310_POST-MORTEM INSPECTION--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 310.13  Inflating carcasses or parts thereof; transferring caul 
or other fat.

    (a)(1) Establishments shall not inflate carcasses or parts of 
carcasses with air, except as set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this 
section.
    (2)(i) Any establishment slaughtering livestock that wishes to 
inflate carcasses or parts thereof with air, using procedures other than 
the approved methods listed below, shall submit a request for approval 
for experimental testing to the Administrator. Such a request shall 
include the purpose of the use of air, a detailed description of the 
procedure for injecting the air and evidence that the procedure can be 
performed in a sanitary manner.
    (ii) The Administrator shall evaluate newly submitted procedures for 
the use of air. If the Administrator determines that any such procedure 
will likely result in wholesome, unadulterated meat product, then the 
Administrator shall approve experimental testing of the new procedure. 
In any situation where the Administrator finds a submitted procedure to 
be unlikely to result in wholesome, unadulterated meat product, the 
Administrator shall send written notification to the establishment of 
the denial of such approval. The establishment may re-submit for 
evaluation a testing procedure that has been denied, provided that 
modifications have been made to address the original reason for denial. 
The establishment also shall be afforded an opportunity to submit a 
written statement in response to the notification of denial. In those 
instances where there is a conflict of facts, a hearing, under 
applicable rules of practice, will be held to resolve the conflict.
    (iii) Final approval of an acceptable new proposed method shall be 
effectuated by modifying, through rulemaking procedures, the Federal 
regulations to include the new method.
    (iv) Uses for which approval is granted are:
    (A) Compressed air injection of cattle feet to facilitate removal of 
hair from feet intended for human consumption;
    (B) Compressed air injection under the skin of cattle heads to 
facilitate head skinning;
    (C) Compressed air injection into the skull of all livestock except 
cattle in conjunction with a captive bolt stunner to hold the animal 
still for dressing operations; or
    (D) Compressed air injected into the abdominal cavity of swine to 
facilitate the skinning operation and to minimize the loss of body fat.

The method of compressed air injection shall be a sanitary procedure 
that includes air filtration and injection needle disinfection. Air 
filtration shall consist of not less than two stages. An initial stage 
of filtration shall occur at or near the use point and shall consist of 
an aerosol or coalescing filter, capable of filtration to not more than 
0.75 micron, for the removal of oil and water. A subsequent stage of 
filtration shall occur at or near the point of needle hose attachment to 
the air line and shall be a particulate filter, capable of filtration to 
not more than 0.3 micron. The filters shall be maintained by inspecting 
regularly to assure they are working properly, and cleaned or replaced 
when necessary. The injection needle shall be disinfected by placement 
in water that is not less than 180 [deg]F. for at least 10 seconds 
immediately prior to each injection.
    (b) Transferring the caul or other fat from a fat to a lean carcass 
is prohibited.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
0583-0015)

[54 FR 36756, Sept. 5, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 29565, July 20, 1990; 
69 FR 1891, Jan. 12, 2004]

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