9 CFR 310.22 - Specified risk materials from cattle 

and their handling and disposition. ;

 (a) The following materials from cattle are specified risk 

materials, except when they are from cattle from a country that can 

demonstrate that its bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk status 

can reasonably [sic] be expected to provide the same level of protection from 

human exposure to the BSE agent as prohibiting specified risk materials 

for use as human food does in the United States: 

(a)(1) (1) The brain, skull, eyes, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, 

vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse 

processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of 

the sacrum), and dorsal root ganglia from cattle 30 months of age and 

older and 

(a) 

(a)(2) (2) The distal ileum of the small intestine and the tonsils from all cattle. 

(b) (b) Specified risk materials are inedible and prohibited for use as human food. 

(c) (c) Specified risk materials must be removed from the carcasses of cattle, 

segregated from edible materials, and disposed of in accordance with Sec. 314.1 or 

Sec. 314.3 of this subchapter. The spinal cord from cattle 30 months of age and older 

must be removed from the carcass at the establishment where the animal was 

slaughtered. 

 (d) Requirements for use of the small intestine for human food. 

(1) The small intestine from all cattle may be used for human food if: 

(d)(1)(i) (i) It is derived from cattle that were inspected and passed in 

an official establishment in the United States or in a certified 

foreign establishment in a country listed in 9 CFR 327.2(b) as 

eligible to export meat and meat products to the United States 

and it is otherwise eligible for importation under 9 CFR 327.1(b), 

and 

(d)(1)(ii) (ii) The distal ileum is removed by a procedure that removes at 

least 80 inches of the uncoiled and trimmed small intestine as 

measured from the ceco-colic junction and progressing 

proximally towards the jejunum or by a procedure that the 

establishment demonstrates is 

effective in ensuring complete removal of the distal ileum. 

(d)(1) 

(d)(1)(iii) (iii) If the conditions in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) or (ii) of this 

section are not met, the entire small intestine must be removed 

from the carcass, segregated from edible materials, and 

disposed of in accordance with Sec. Sec. 314.1 or 314.3 of this 

subchapter. 

(d) 

(d)(2) (2) The requirements in paragraph (d)(1) of this section do not 

apply to materials from cattle from countries that can demonstrate that 

their BSE risk status can reasonably be expected to provide the same 

level of protection from human exposure to the BSE agent as prohibiting 

specified risk materials for use as human food does in the United States. 

Policy Development Division Page 1 of 4 
9 CFR 310.22 - Specified risk materials from cattle 

and their handling and disposition. ;

 (e) Procedures for the removal, segregation, and disposition of specified risk 

materials.

(e)(1) (1) Establishments that slaughter cattle and establishments that process the 

carcasses or parts of cattle must develop, implement, and maintain 

written procedures for the removal, segregation, and disposition of 

specified risk materials. These procedures must address potential 

contamination of edible materials with specified risk materials before, during, 

and after entry into the establishment. Establishments must incorporate their 

procedures for the removal, segregation, and disposition of specified risk 

materials into their HACCP plans or Sanitation SOPs or other 

prerequisite programs. 

(e)(2) (2) Establishments that slaughter cattle and establishments that 

process the carcasses or parts of cattle must take appropriate 

corrective action when either the establishment or FSIS determines that 

the establishment's procedures for the removal, segregation, and 

disposition of specified risk materials, or the implementation or 

maintenance of these procedures, have failed to ensure that specified 

risk materials are adequately and effectively removed from the carcasses 

of cattle, segregated from edible materials, and disposed of in accordance 

with paragraph (c) of this section. 

(e)(3) (3) Establishments that slaughter cattle and establishments that 

process the carcasses or parts of cattle must routinely evaluate the 

effectiveness of their procedures for the removal, segregation, and 

disposition of specified risk materials in preventing the use of these 

materials for human food and must revise the procedures as necessary 

whenever any changes occur that could affect the removal, segregation, 

and disposition of specified risk materials. 

 (4) Recordkeeping requirements. 

(e)(4)(i) (i) Establishments that slaughter cattle and establishments that 

process the carcasses or parts of cattle must maintain daily 

records sufficient to document the implementation and monitoring 

of the procedures for the removal, segregation, and disposition of 

the materials listed in paragraph (a) of this section, and any 

corrective actions taken. 

 (ii) Records required by this section may be maintained on 

computers provided that the establishment implements appropriate 

controls to ensure the integrity of the electronic data. 

(e) 

(e)(4) 

 (iii) Records required by this section must be retained for at least 

one year and must be accessible to FSIS. All such records must be 

maintained at the official establishment for 48 hours following 

completion, after which they may be maintained off-site provided 

such records can be made available to FSIS within 24 hours of 

request. 

Policy Development Division Page 2 of 4 
9 CFR 310.22 - Specified risk materials from cattle 

and their handling and disposition. ;

 (f) Sanitation of equipment used to cut through specified risk 

materials.

 

 (1) If an establishment that slaughters cattle, or that 

processes the carcasses or parts from cattle, does not segregate the 

carcasses and parts from cattle 30 months of age and older from the 

carcasses and parts from cattle younger than 30 months during processing 

operations it must: 

(f)(1)(i) (i) Use dedicated equipment to cut through specified risk 

materials; 

or 

(f)(1) 

(f)(1)(ii) (ii) Clean and sanitize equipment used to cut through specified 

risk materials before the equipment is used on carcasses or parts 

from cattle younger than 30 months of age. 

(f) 

(f)(2) (2) If an establishments that slaughters cattle, or that process the 

carcasses or parts from cattle, segregates the carcasses and parts of 

cattle 30 months of age and older from cattle younger than 30 months of 

age during processing operations, and processes the carcasses or parts 

from the cattle younger than 30 months first, it may use routine 

operational sanitation procedures on equipment used to cut through 

specified risk materials. 

Policy Development Division Page 3 of 4 
9 CFR 310.22 - Specified risk materials from cattle 

and their handling and disposition. ;

 (g) Slaughter establishments may ship beef carcasses or parts that 

contain vertebral columns from cattle 30 months of age and older to 

another federally-inspected establishment for further processing if the 

establishment shipping these materials: 

(g)(1) (1) Maintains control of the carcasses or parts while they are in 

transit or ensures that the carcasses or parts move under FSIS control; 

(g)(2) (2) Ensures that the carcasses or parts are accompanied by 

documentation that clearly states that the carcasses or parts contain 

vertebral columns from cattle that were 30 months of age and older at 

the time of slaughter; 

(g)(3) (3) Maintains records that identify the official establishment that 

received the carcasses or parts; 

 

(g) 

(g)(4) (4) Maintains records that verify that the official establishment 

that received the carcasses or parts removed the portions of the 

vertebral column designated as specified risk materials in paragraph 

(a)(1) of this section and disposed of them in accordance with Sec. 

314.1 or Sec. 314.3 of this subchapter. 

(h) (h) The materials listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section will be deemed to be from 

cattle 30 months of age and older unless the establishment can demonstrate through 

documentation that the materials are from an animal that was younger than 30 months 

of age at the time of slaughter. 

[72 FR 38729, July 13, 2007] 

 

Policy Development Division Page 4 of 4