Section 16-19-100. Additional requirements for sanitary operations of custom farm slaughtering.

Mobile custom farm slaughtering units must have:

(1) A van body completely covering the unit, but which may exclude the driver's cab and the hoist. The van body must be made of material that is nonporous and impervious to moisture. Wood may be used only as internal framing or spacing material between double nonwooden walls. The van body must be constructed so that it excludes dust, dirt and insects. The construction must be smooth, durable and easily cleanable inside and out.

(a) All vans must have the joints at junctions of internal facing surfaces and panels sealed and waterproof. Metal joints must be smooth and splatter free. If metal is used, only stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum in good condition or other materials approved by the director may be used. Any insulation used must be of a type that does not absorb water.

(b) Minimum interior dimensions of the van, exclusive of room taken up by tanks and other mounted equipment must be:

(i) Height - Six feet.

(ii) Length - Six feet.

(iii) Width - (When using single center rail for hanging carcass) four feet.

(iv) Width - (When using two rails for hanging carcasses) six feet.

(2) A hoist of 2,000 pound capacity, capable of lifting a beef carcass to a height that enables the carcass to clear the ground for bleeding and evisceration. This hoist must extend outward from the truck body. If a beef spreader is included as part of the equipment it must be of suitable construction.

(3) A sterilizing tank constructed of smooth, cleanable, impervious and durable material, large enough to allow complete sanitizing of tools used in the slaughter operation. This sterilizing unit must be filled during all slaughter operations, with potable water maintained at a temperature of at least 180°F. An approved cold sterilant may be used if sufficient hot water is available for preliminary cleaning of contaminated equipment prior to sterilizing.

(4) A water tank built into the vehicle constructed of smooth, cleanable, impervious and durable material with a minimum capacity of forty gallons. No slaughtering operation may be commenced unless at least twenty gallons is available. Water must be delivered to the outlets at a pressure of at least forty pounds per square inch. One hose connection from tank and hose with nozzle must be provided to wash down carcasses. The water system must be maintained to a sanitary condition and be used only for potable water.

(5) Soap and paper towels must be available for washing hands and equipment.

(6) Outer garments worn by persons handling meat must be clean.

(7) All tools and equipment must be thoroughly washed and sanitized after each day's operation. They must be washed and sanitized if contaminated with viscera contents, abscesses, or foreign material during slaughtering operations.

(8) Meat food animals or meat food bird carcasses must not be transported in the mobile slaughter unit unless each carcass is hung so that it does not touch the floor except for beef carcasses that are dressed with the hide on and are to be delivered to a processing plant within two hours for completion of the dressing procedure. Carcasses with the hide on must be secured and placed in the mobile unit in a manner that prevents contact of hide with bare meat surfaces. Surfaces of the mobile unit that have been contaminated by contact with the hide must be cleaned and sanitized before subsequent carcasses are hauled.

(9) Edible offal must be transported in clean, covered, properly identified containers constructed of approved materials.

(10) No animals other than scalded and dehaired hogs, and defeathered meat food birds, and carcasses exempted under subsection (8) of this section may be dressed and transported with the hide on.

(11) Viscera of all meat food animals and meat food birds must be separated from the carcass at the time of slaughter on the premises where the animal is slaughtered. Feet must be removed from all meat food animals, except hogs, when scalded, and the head shall be removed from beef on the premises where it is slaughtered. Feet and metatarsus must be removed from meat food birds.

(12) All material produced through the slaughter activity, such as inedible offal and hide that may cause the slaughter area to become insanitary, must immediately upon completion of actual slaughter of the animal, be removed from the slaughtering area and disposed of in a sanitary manner. This is the licensee's responsibility.

(13) Meat food birds may be slaughtered by a custom farm slaughterer or custom slaughter establishment but not by a licensed custom poultry processor without prior approval by the director.

(14) Inedible offal may be only transported by a mobile custom slaughtering establishment under the following conditions:

(a) In a covered, watertight trailer constructed of smooth, cleanable, nonpervious material and maintained in a sanitary condition at all times; or

(b) In approved sanitary containers, in a separate compartment, in the van body. The compartment must be metal lined. There must be no openings from this compartment to the portion of the van used to transport edible products. All inedible offal containers, such as barrels or tubs, must be tightly covered and made of smooth, cleanable and nonpervious materials.

(15) A custom farm slaughterer may slaughter his or her own animal for his or her own consumption on any premises, farm or ranch, owned, rented or in any way controlled by him or her. No other animal may be slaughtered by the licensee on the premises, farm or ranch, owned, rented or in any way controlled by him or her or by members of his or her immediate family. Licensees under this section may slaughter more than one animal only if the animals have been in his or her possession more than sixty days.

(16) Whenever a licensee has reason to believe that a meat food animal or meat food product is unwholesome as defined in these rules, he or she must require an examination and declaration of wholesomeness by a licensed veterinarian before proceeding with slaughter or with processing of the carcass.

(17) Meat food birds must be slaughtered in a custom farm slaughterer mobile unit unless they are delivered to a custom slaughtering establishment.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 16.49.680. WSR 99-12-021, § 16-19-100, filed 5/24/99, effective 6/24/99.]

RCW 16.49.680. WSR 99-12-021, § 16-19-100, filed 5/24/99, effective 6/24/99.