This section requires the department to inspect certain carcasses and returned meat products, requires inspectors to mark inspected carcasses as passed or condemned, requires condemned carcasses to be destroyed, and lets the executive commissioner adopt entry-limiting rules.
Sec. 433.022. INSPECTION OF CARCASSES. (a) To prevent the use in intrastate commerce of adulterated meat and meat food products, the department shall inspect each livestock carcass or part of a carcass capable of use as human food that is to be prepared at a processing establishment in this state in which those articles are prepared solely for intrastate commerce. If a carcass or part of a carcass is brought into the processing establishment, the inspection shall be made before a carcass or part of a carcass is allowed to enter a department in which it is to be treated and prepared for meat food products. The department shall also inspect products that have left a processing establishment and are returned to a processing establishment in which inspection is maintained. (b) The inspector shall mark, stamp, tag, or label a carcass or part of a carcass found on inspection to be unadulterated as "inspected and passed," and one found adulterated as "inspected and condemned." (c) If an inspector considers a subsequent inspection necessary, the inspector may reinspect any carcass or part of a carcass and condemn it if it has become adulterated. (d) The processing establishment, in the presence of an inspector, shall destroy for food purposes each condemned carcass or part of a carcass. If the establishment fails to destroy a condemned carcass or part of a carcass, the department may remove the inspectors from the establishment. (e) The executive commissioner may adopt rules that limit the entry of carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, or meat food products into an establishment in which inspection under this chapter is maintained to assure that entry of the article into the establishment is consistent with the purposes of this chapter. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1031, eff. April 2, 2015.