001 Statement of Purpose.
The purpose of these regulations is to aid in carrying out the legislative intent and general purposes of those portions of the Nebraska Meat and Poultry Inspection Law (The "Act") applicable to rendering and pet feed manufacturing establishments.

002 Administration.
These regulations will be administered by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry, located on the fourth floor of the State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, Nebraska. The mailing address is P.O. Box 94787, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509. The telephone number is (402) 471-2351.

003 Definitions.
The definitions found at Neb. Rev. Stat. §54-1902 shall apply to the terms used in these regulations. In addition, the following definitions shall apply:

003.01   APPROVED VETERINARIAN shall mean a person who has received a doctor's degree in veterinary medicine from an accredited school of veterinary medicine and who is authorized by the State Veterinarian to perform duties pursuant to these regulations.

003.02   CONSIGNOR shall mean the person named in a shipping document as the person from whom inedible meat and carcass parts have been received for shipment.

003.03   CONSIGNEE shall mean the person named in a shipping document to whom delivery of inedible meat or carcass parts has been promised.

003.04   INEDIBLE MEAT and CARCASS PARTS shall mean any material in the raw or unprocessed state derived from slaughtered animals and not intended for human consumption and material derived from seriously distressed animals or animals dead or dying other than by slaughter, and capable of being processed into pet animal food by a process other than dry rendering.

003.05   METAL NUMBERED SEALS shall mean small individually numbered metal strips constructed in such a manner that the two ends permanently lock together and can only be separated by cutting or other physical breaking, such as those seals approved for this use by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

003.06   SEAL shall mean the physical closing of all of the outer cargo openings of a carrier, by means of one or more metal numbered seals.

003.07   DECHARACTERIZATION shall mean the uniform application of sufficient quantities of dye, charcoal, malodorous fish oil, acid, or any other agent approved by the Bureau, upon and into freely slashed flesh of processed meat as to unequivocally preclude its use for human food.

003.08   APPROVED DECHARACTERIZATION AGENT shall mean a decharacterization agent approved for use as such by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

003.09   DENATURE shall mean the process by which condemned inedible meat and carcass parts are rendered unfit for human consumption.

003.10   APPROVED DENATURING AGENT shall mean a denaturing agent approved for use as such by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

003.11   PROCESSING shall mean a method whereby meat or meat products, poultry or fish products are cut, boned, mixed, blended, canned, cooked, cured or otherwise prepared for purposes other than for human consumption.

003.12   RAW PRODUCT AREA shall mean that area of a plant set aside to receive meat or meat products, poultry or fish products or carcasses of animals, poultry or fish brought or delivered to the plant to be prepared for processing.

003.13   PROCESSING AREA shall mean that area set aside for processing.

003.14   FINISHED PRODUCT AREA shall mean that area to which the finished product is conveyed for storage in bulk, bags or other containers.

004.01   All walls, floors, and equipment shall be of a type that can be readily and easily cleaned and sanitized.

004.02   All floors, walls, ceilings, stairways, handrails, piping, window ledges and other open surfaces shall be kept free of litter, or any other accumulations and shall be routinely cleaned and sanitized.

004.03   All rendering establishments shall have sufficient live steam to properly clean, sanitize and disinfect all areas and equipment. An ample supply of water at not less than 180 degrees Farhrenheit shall be furnished and used for the cleaning of floors, walls, handrails, stairways, equipment and the like.

004.04   All outside areas of the establishment premise shall be kept free from any accumulation of bones, horns, offal, rumen contents, weeds and any other debris that might create a nuisance, contribute to unsanitary conditions or attract vermin, insects or birds. All operations shall be in conformance with local municipal ordinances and county resolutions.

004.05   Persons working in any establishment shall maintain a reasonable personal hygiene.

04.06   All tools and equipment when used in handling or conveying products shall be kept clean and in a sanitary condition.

004.07   All interbuilding connecting walkways or areas between raw product areas and processing or finished product areas shall be kept clean and free from any residue from adjacent areas at all times.

004.08   Signs in large and conspicuous letters shall be posted at all entrances, restricting all unauthorized persons. Unauthorized persons are all those other than employees and management of the establishment, their invited guests, and personnel of the Bureau on official business.

004.09   Hides shall not accumulated past normal working time in the raw product area but shall be stored in a compartment separate from the raw product area. All hides shall be salted or treated prior to storage in the hide storage are, in accordance with sound manufacturing practices.

004.10   Sufficient temperature shall be employed in cooking livestock, poultry, fish or products of the same order to render such products free of any infectious, contagious or otherwise transmissible disease that may have been present in the raw product. A product found to be improperly cooked or to have become contaminated with a pathogenic organism after cooking may be required to be reprocessed or destroyed by burning, or buried at least four (4) feet under the surface of the ground.

004.11   All fluids from the establishment, including washings from trucks, containers and equipment, shall drain into an acceptable sewer, cesspool or lagoon. Lagoons shall be conspicuously posted as containing waste products from the establishment, contaminated, and unfit for human use, and shall be fenced, so as to exclude livestock.

004.12   No animal suspected to have died from toxic substances may be used in pet feed manufacturing or rendering.

004.13   All animal product prepared for use as pet food shall be decharacterized with a decharacterizing agent approved by the bureau.

004.14   Records shall be kept on all products and carcasses received by establishments and shall include numbers, species, the farm or other premise where the product or carcass was picked up and the date when picked up. These records shall be available for examination by any authorized representative of the Bureau and shall be maintained for one year.

004.15   Sampling of any product by an inspector may be a part of any inspection procedure and a reasonable sample may be taken for the purpose of disease or sanitation survey or control at no cost to the Department. In case sizeable samples may be required, the inspector shall pay or offer to pay for such samples.

004.16   Dressing rooms and toilet facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary condition. Such areas shall be separate from all product handling areas of the establishment.

004.17   Each establishment shall provide sufficient natural or artificial light, or both, at all places and at all times of the day, of good quantity and well distributed so as to be adequate for proper conduct of establishment operations. Sufficient ventilation shall be provided for all rooms and compartments so as to insure a sanitary and healthful condition.

004.18   The water supply shall be ample and potable with adequate facilities for distribution throughout the plant. An ample supply of hot water (not less than 105°F.) shall be available for cleaning of equipment, floors, walls, etc. Hot water shall be delivered under pressure to sufficient, convenient outlets to accomplish a thorough cleanup.

004.19   Every practical precaution shall be taken to exclude insects, rodents and other vermin from the facilities.

004.20   The entire area and equipment of the establishment in which carcasses are received and processed shall be thoroughly cleaned after each day's operations.

005.01   All trucks and containers used in transporting products shall be kept in a sanitary condition.

005.02   All trucks and containers during use in transporting carcasses and carcass parts shall be leakproof and constructed so that the load is not visible. Trucks and containers shall be cleaned, sanitized and disinfected following each unloading and before leaving the establishment premises. Such cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting shall include both the interior and exterior of trucks, barrels, or any other containers used to handle products.

005.03   All trucks hauling carcasses or carcass parts shall have the name of the licensee conspicuously displayed on both sides of the vehicle whether the trucks are the property of the establishment or an agent thereof or are leased or rented by either of the aforementioned parties.

005.04.   Drivers of trucks hauling carcasses or carcass parts shall at all times while operating such trucks exercise reasonable precautions to prevent the spred of infectious, contagious or otherwise transmissible diseases from the establishment to and from any premise where livestock is kept.

005.05   Vehicles or containers used to transport carcasses or carcass parts for rendering shall insofar as practical or economically sound not be used for transporting carcasses or carcass parts intended for pet food manufacturing at the same time and shall be completely sanitized and disinfected between shipments.

005.06   Inedible meat and carcass parts transferred into the State of Nebraska must be consigned to an establishment licensed by the Bureau.

005.07   Intrastate transfer of inedible meat and carcass parts shall be restricted to transfers between licensed establishments.

005.08   For the purposes of compliance with the entry requirements of other states, restricting the shipment of inedible meat and carcass parts without inspection and certification by the shipping state, when inedible meat and carcass parts are being transferred out of the State of Nebraska, the State Veterinarian may appoint an approved veterinarian to certify inedible meat and carcass parts in the name of the State Veterinarian, provided, however, that the expense of such certification shall be paid by the person requesting the certification of the appointed veterinarian.

005.09   All inedible meat and carcass parts shall be shipped in containers conspicuously marked with the word "Inedible" except where federal meat inspection regulations provide that certain containers of undenatured lungs or lung lobes shall be identified in two (2) inch lettering with the statement "(SPECIES) Lungs - Not for Human Consumption."

005.10   All carriers transferring processed inedible meat and carcass parts into or within the State of Nebraska must be closed and all outer openings sealed at the point of origin with metal numbered seals under the supervision of the approval veterinarian or a plant employee under his supervision. The number of seals used must be entered on the shipping documents prescribed by the Bureau.

005.11   Shipping documents, completely executed shall accompany all transfer of processed inedible meat and carcass parts intended for pet food moving into or within the State of Nebraska. Shipping documents shall be in the form prescribed by 23 NAC 10-005.12, below. Shipping documents shall be completed and executed in quadruplicate as follows:

005.11A   Date of shipment - Hour shipped.

005.11B   Number of containers of inedible meat and carcass parts shipped.

005.11C   Pounds of inedible meat and carcass parts shipped.

005.11D   Attestation by the approved veterinarian that the inedible meat and carcass parts have been processed in establishments having facilities equal to those required in these rules and regulations, equivalent inspection, sanitation, are adequately decharacterized and have been held within the required temperature range.

005.11E   Name of plant consigning inedible meat and carcass parts.

005.11F   Signature of consignor.

005.11G   Date and hour shipment received by the consignee.

005.11H   Name of plant receiving inedible meat and carcass parts.

005.11I   Signature of consignee.

005.11J   Number of seal or seals used to seal the carrier at point of origin.

005.11K   Number of seal or seals broken at destination by consignee.

005.11L   The consignee is to retain and deliver all broken seals to the Bureau.

005.11M   Number of containers or inedible meat and carcass parts received.

005.11N   Pounds of inedible meat and carcass parts received.

005.12 Shipping Document.

SHIPPING DOCUMENT

1. Date of shipment_____________________ Hour______________________________

2. Number of containers of inedible meat and carcass parts_________________________

3. Pounds of inedible meat and carcass_________________________________________

4. Name of Plant consigning_________________________________________________

5. Signature of consignor____________________________________________________

6. Date shipment was received____________________ Hour_______________________

7. Name of plant receiving inedible meat and carcass parts__________________________

8. Signature of consignee____________________________________________________

9. Number of seal or seals used to seal carrier at point of origin______________________

10. Number of seal or seals broken at destination by consignee_______________________

11. Number of containers of inedible meat and carcass parts received __________________

12. Pounds of inedible meat and carcass parts received______________________________

13. Attestation of approved veterinarian at point of origin of shipment__________________

Signature of approved veterinarian ______________________________________________

005.13   The original copies of shipping documents required under 23 NAC 10-005.11 and .12, above, are to be forwarded to the Bureau within twenty-four (24) hours of commencement of the shipment. Two copies are to accompany the shipment and be delivered to the consignee. The consignee is to sign and forward to the Bureau one of the copies delivered to him by the carrier together with the broken seal or seals which accompanied the shipment within twenty-four (24) hours of delivery. He is to retain the other copy. One copy is to be retained by the consignor.

005.14   All processed inedible meat and carcass parts intended for use as pet food shall be held at a temperature of 40°F. or less until it reaches the final processor.

007 Processing of Fallen or Dead Animals.
Plants may process fallen or dead animals, where animals are recovered and transported to a licensed processing plant within a reasonable time following death before decomposition occurs. If this occurs after normal working hours for the inspector, the animals are to be immediately skinned and eviscerated. The lungs, heart, liver and kidneys of the animals are to be left attached to the carcass. The stomach or stomachs, together with the entire intestinal tract, are to be discarded at the time of evisceration. All carcasses skinned shall be conspicuously stamped with the word "Inedible." The carcasses are to be stored in a chilled room with attached viscera and are to be inspected at the start of the next working day by the approved veterinarian. Condemned carcasses from pet food plants shall be processed only by a licensed rendering plant. All decisions of the approved veterinarian are final.

008 Processing Carcasses.

008.01   Processing facilities shall be in a separate area. The entire area shall be equipped for and used only for the following operations: skinning, eviscerating, deboning, grinding, decharacterizing, packaging and labeling of inedible meat and carcass parts.

008.02   All personnel assigned to these areas shall maintain a reasonable personal hygiene. A change of clean garments shall be worn every day.

008.03   Those carcasses or portions thereof which cannot be processed during the normal working day shall be conspicuously identified as inedible.

010 Annotation.
Neb. Rev. Stat. §§54-1901 to 55-1915.