Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-06
new RULES FOR
MEAT INSPECTOR
Federal Regulations Revised as
Result of Eight Years
of Experience.
GO INTO EFFECT ON NOV. |
Most important Change Affects Con.
domination of Diseased Animals
Before Slaughter.

Washington, D. c.. Aug. 6.-The new
meat inspection regulations govern
ing the slaughtering of cattle, sheep,
swine and goats, and the preparation
of meat food products in inspected
establishments, were signed by the
secretary of agriculture on July Is,
1914.
All the regulations become effective
November 1, 1914, except these gov
erning imported meats, which go into
effect January l, 1915.
The department of agriculture is
limited by law to jurisdiction over
the slaughtering and packing establish
ments which sell their products in in
terstate or foreign commerce. These
establishments slaughter 60 per cent
of the meat used in the United States
The slaughtering and packing estab-
lishments which sell their product
wholly within the state in which the
animals are slaughtering are beyond
the jurisdiction of the department.
The new regulations, which occupy
81 printed pages, codify the many
amendments and rulings made since
the adoption of the old regulations on
quirements a number of features sug-
gested by eight years experience in
meat inspection and conforming with
recent scientific discoveries.
The more important changes, made
as the result of the development of
veterinary science and practical ex-
perience in meat inspection, are as
follows:
The new regulations provide that in
spectors shall make a rigid ante-mor-
tenn inspection, and if they find clear
evidence in the live animal of the ex-
istence of a disease which units its
meat for food, they shall condemn the
animal and prevent its entry for
slaughter into the food-preparing de-
partments of the establishment. The
animal so condemned must be slaugh-
tered in a separate place and put at
once into the denaturing tank TO be
turned into fertilizer or other noned
ible products. This rule is more
strict than the ante-mortem inspec-
ton prescribed in the old regulations.
Heretofore, animals showing some
evidence of disease on ante-mortem in
spection were slaughtered on the same
killing floors as healthy animals, and
were not finally condemned until they
were subjected to post-mortem ex-
animation.
Under the new rules, where the ante
mortem inspector suspects a live ami
NAL of having a disease which might
render it unfit for food, but is not
certain of this condition he will, as
in the past, mark the animal ~. S.
Suspect" which will make its carcass
subject to special post-mortem exam
ination. The ante-mortem inspector is
also authorized to detain the animal
for further observation and taking of
temperature in cases where that seems
desirable in reaching a decision.
All animals at the time of slaugh-
ter, even though no symptoms of di-
seases are visible on ante-mortem eX-
ihcination are subjected to careful post
mortem examination before the meat
can be marked U. S. Inspected and
Passed" and allowed to leave the es-
adjustment.
Withdrawal of -IrsrSeGtion.
The regulations prescribed hat any
establishment which vAclatesf
any regulation may suffer the peIral-
y of having all inspection withdrawn.
This would mean that such establish
nents could not ship any meat in in
erstate commerce or abroad. This is
designed to strengthen the depart
nent's authority to compel establish
nents to observe sanitary conditions.
In view of the present shortage and |
Ugh prices of meat, and the fact that
very pound of meat that is condemn
ID necessarily adds 10 the cost of pro-
Iucing meat that is passed, the new
equations provide measures where
" the packers can sterili4e and cook |
thoroughly certain classes of meat /
nd sell it in cans or sealed contain |
RS, labeled plainly "Second-class |
'terilized.
This sterilized cooked meat which /
he packers are TO be permitted to !
ell as "Second-class Sterilized" is the /
neat of portions of animals the fat of |
which the old regulations permitted |
he packers to make into edible lard |
nd tallow. The process of rendering |
erved to sterilize the fat and make /
entirely hygienic. The new plan |
Xtends the same principle so as to |
tilize the lean portions of this meat