2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 106 - Agriculture › Article 49B - Meat Inspection Requirements; Adulteration and Misbranding. › § 106-549.27 - Exemptions from Article.

§ 106-549.27. Exemptions from Article.
(a) The provisions of this Article requiring inspection of the slaughter of animals and the preparation of the carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products at establishments conducting such operations shall not
(1) Apply to the slaughtering by any person of animals of his own raising, and the preparation by him and transportation in intrastate commerce of the carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products of such animals exclusively for use by him and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees; nor
(2) To the custom slaughter by any person, firm, or corporation of cattle, sheep, swine, fallow deer, red deer, bison, or goats delivered by the owner thereof for such slaughter, and the preparation by such slaughterer and transportation in intrastate commerce of the carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products of such animals, exclusively for use, in the household of such owner, by him, and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees: Provided, that all carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products derived from custom slaughter shall be identified as required by the Commissioner, during all phases of slaughtering, chilling, cooling, freezing, packing, meat canning, rendering, preparation, storage and transportation; provided further, that the custom slaughterer does not engage in the business of buying or selling any carcasses, parts thereof, meat or meat food products of any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, fallow deer, red deer, bison, or equines, capable of use as human food, unless the carcasses, parts thereof, meat or meat food products have been inspected and passed and are identified as having been inspected and passed by the Commissioner or the United States Department of Agriculture.
(b) The provisions of this Article requiring inspection of the slaughter of animals and the preparation of carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products shall not apply to operations of types traditionally and usually conducted at retail stores and restaurants, when conducted at any retail store or restaurant or similar retail-type establishment for sale in normal retail quantities or service of such articles to consumers at such establishments. Meat food products coming under this subsection may be stored, processed, or prepared at any freezer locker plant provided such meat food products are identified and kept separate and apart from other meat food products bearing the official mark of inspection while in the freezer locker plant.
(c) In order to accomplish the objectives of this Article, the Commissioner shall exempt any other operations which the Commissioner shall determine would best be exempted to further the purposes of this Article, to the extent such exemptions conform to the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the regulations thereunder.
(d) The slaughter of animals and preparation of articles referred to in paragraphs (a)(2) and (b) of this section shall be conducted in accordance with such sanitary conditions as the Board may by regulations prescribe. Willful violation of any such regulation is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(e) The adulteration and misbranding provisions of this title, other than the requirement of the inspection legend, shall apply to articles which are not required to be inspected under this section. (1969, c. 893, s. 13; 1971, c. 54, ss. 1, 2; 1991, c. 317, s. 13; 1993, c. 539, s. 799; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1995, c. 194, s. 10; 1997-142, s. 13.)