[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 9, Volume 2]

[Revised as of January 1, 2006]

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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