The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-23
MEEAT INSPECTION.
How the Government In.
spects Animals Before
STANDARDIZATION
to the Shipper
and Producer.

All 1dIiueTS anu OCnerS VINO falS(
or handle cattle, sheep, hogs, or goat!
which are marketed for food purposes
should know something of the genera
rules under which the department
conducts the inspection of animals tc
be slaughtered.
When such animals are forwarded
to public stockyards or to establish.
ments where Federal meat inspection
is maintained they are inspected
alive. This inspection is known as
the ante mortem inspection and is
done in the stockyards or in the pens
of the establishment. When conduct
ed in the public stockyards the an
te mortem inspection is usually made
at the scales when the animals are
weighed. The chief requirements for
the disposal of animals upon this in
spection are as follows: Those ami
mails which do not plainly show, but
are suspected of being affected with,
disease or condition which may cause
condemnation in whole or in part at
the time of slaughter, are marked
with a serially-numbered metal tag
which bears the legend "U. S. Sus-
pect." All animals which are thus
marked as suspects are held apart
and slaughtered separately from 9th
Ell animals, the only exception to this
rule being those held for advanced
pregnancy or on account of having re-
Gently given birth to young, and
which have not been exposed to any
infections or contagious disease.
Such animals, together with their
young, may be released for breeding
or dairy purposes, and when so re-
leased they must be promptly re-
moved from the stockyards or prem
ises of the establishment where in
spected.
Some animals are condemned out
right upon the -mortem inspec-
tion. For instance, all hogs which
plainly show that they are affected
with either hog cholera or swine
plague are marked "U. S. Condemn
ed" Further, if hog is one of lot
in which there are symptoms of hog
cholera or swine plague and the ami
NAL has temperature of LOG degrees
F. or higher, it is condemned. All
animals thus marked are destroyed.
They can not be taken into the es-
tablishment to be slaughtered or
dressed, but must be disposed of in
tanks so as to prevent their use for
food purposes. In case of doubt as
to the cause of high temperat ture the
animal may be held under the inspec-
tors supervision for further exami-
nation and taking of temperature.
Immature animals offered for ante
mortem inspection at any of the
places specified in the regulation are
required to be condemned outright;
likewise all animals showing symp-
toms of rabies, tetanus, milk fever, or
sickness.
Besides this ante-mortem inspec-
tion, the carcasses are thoroughly in
spected at the time of and after
and the meat and products
are also inspected in the various
stages and processes of preparation.
The losses caused through the con-
demnation of animals which are un-
fit for food affects directly or indi-
rectly the price which the producer
receives for his live stock. The
purchasers of animals for slaughter
not infrequently trace diseased ship |
ments back to their origin where dis {
ease is harbored, and thereafter de- ,
cline to take animals from infected {
farms and localities except under an ,
which will insure them G
against loss. 1t therefore behooves Il
The producer to use every practical ,
Die means to keep his herds and focks !
'ree from disease and to refrain from |
diseased or suspicious an '
mails to market.-Weekly News Let i
,er.