Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-04


inspection regulations governing the
slaughtering of cattle, sheep, swine
and goats, and the preparation Of
meat food products in inspected es-
Establishments, were signed by the Sec
rotary of Agriculture on July Is, 1914.
All the regulations become effective
November l, 1914. except those 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 estab-
lishments which sell their products
in interstate or foreign commerce.
These establishments slaughter so per
cent of the meat used in the United
States. The Strengthening and pack
ing establishments which sell their
product wholly within the State in
which the animals are slaughtered are
beyond the Jurisdiction of the Depart
ment
The new regulations, which occupy
81 printed pages, codify the many
amendments and rulings made since
the adoption of the old regulations on
April l, 1908, and also add to the re-
quirements 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:
Diseased Animals to be Condemned
Prior to Slaughter
The new regulations provide that
inspectors shall make a rigid ante
mortem inspection, and if they find
clear evidence in the live animal of
the existence of a disease which I'M
fits its meat for food, they shall con-
denim the animal and prevent its en-
try for slaughter into food preparing
departments of the establishment
The animal so condemned must be
slaughtered in a separate place and
put at once into the denaturing tank
to be turned into fertilizer or other
nonedible 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 norton
inspection were slaughtered on the
same killing floors as healthy animals.
and were not finally condemned until
they were subjected to post mortem
examination.
Under the new rules, where the
ante mortem inspector suspects live
animal of having a disease which
hIIf
not certain of this condition he will,
as in the past, mark the animal II.
S. Suspect" which will make its car
cass subject to special post mortem
examination. The ante morton in
spector is also authorized to detain the
animal for further observation and
taking of temperature in cases where
that seems desirable in reaching de-
cision.
All animals at the time of slaughter,
even though no symptoms of disease
are visible on ante-mortem examina
ton. are subject to careful post NOR
TEN examination before the meat can
be marked ~. S. Inspected and
Passed" and allowed to leave the es-
adjustment
WiInQFdWSI OF tHSpSStiOU
The regulations prescribe that any
inspected establishment which vio-
lates any regulation may suffer the
penalty of having all inspection with
drawn This would mean that such
establishments could not ship any
meat in interstate commerce or
abroad This is designed to strength
en- the Departments authority to
compel establishments to observe san
itary conditions.
Packers to be Permitted to Sell Sec
ond Glass Steriized Meat on Plan
Somewhat Similar to That Followed
by the German and Austrian Gov
ernments.
In view of the present shortage and
high prices of meat, and the fact that
every pound of meat that is con-
Gemned necessarily adds to the cost
of producing meat that is passed, the
new regulations provide measures
hereby the packers can sterilize and
cook thoroughly certain classes of
meat and sell it in cans or sealed
containers, labeled plainly Second
class Sterilized."
This sterilized cooked meat which
the packers are to be permitted to sell
as Second class Sterilized" is the
meat of portions of animals the fat
of which the old regulations permit
ted the packers to make into edible
lard and tallow. The process of rem
dering served to sterilized the fat and
make it entirely hygienic. The new
plan extends the same principle so as
% utilize the lean portions of this
meat which heretofore packers have
not been allowed to sell for food pur-
poses.
This action follows scientific inves-
legations made by specialists of the
Department. and by independent vet
erinarians and Psychologists, which
have made 1t clear that large quanti-
ties of meat which are perfectly good
food when thoroughly cooked have
been condemned because of the pres
ence of strictly localized cysts or le-
sions in animals. This meat is Of the
type which the German and Austrian
Governments have long permitted
their packers to sterilize by cooking