Overview In many parts of the country, disposal of offal and butcher waste is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, as renderers close down or raise their prices. Composting this waste
FSIS Database of Federally Inspected Plants USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service provides a list, in pdf, of federally inspected processing establishments: FSIS Meat, Poultry, and Egg Product Inspection
To view our meat processing video Part III: From Carcass to Cooler to Cut and Wrap* click here. * (c) Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network 2009 Audio Text In this
To view our meat processing video Part II: Stunning, Bleeding, and Moving the Carcass into the Unit* click here. * (c) Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network 2009 Audio Text This video
To view our meat processing video Part I: The Set-up — the Mobile Unit and the Farm Site* click here. * (c) Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network 2009 Audio TextInterview with
The videos listed here explore and explain a variety of meat and poultry processing aspects. Mobile Slaughter Unit Videos These three short videos show how a USDA-inspected mobile slaughter unit
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2012 Poultry farmer Ed Leonardi originally built this mobile poultry processing unit not only to process his own birds but to rent it out to other farmers, to
Updated March 2018 In January 2012, this unit transitioned to new ownership. After the original operator decided not to renew his lease, the state of Vermont put the unit
Overview Demand for cured meats made without synthetic nitrates/nitrites is rising, and processors are seeking information on safe and effective methods. On this webinar, meat scientists, a processor, and an
HACCP: An Overview The acronym HACCP stands for “Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point” (pronounced ‘hás•sip’). HACCP is a food safety management system that is increasingly utilized in all aspects of
The first USDA-inspected mobile slaughter unit, built and operated by the Island Grown Farmers Cooperative, is 34 feet long. It was designed by Bruce Dunlop, IGFC member, with Featherlite, a
What’s an FSA? A Food Safety Assessment (FSA), done randomly or in response to a problem, is an audit done by FSIS at federally inspected plants to assure that
Last Updated: Feb. 2010 Meat Cutting Instruction Spreadsheets: the Basics These spreadsheets offer a convenient way to keep cutting instructions and invoices in order, if you have a computer in
Introduction A state- or federally-inspected mobile slaughter unit (MSU), like any inspected meat slaughter or processing business, must comply with USDA food safety regulations promulgated and enforced by USDA’s
Introduction This set of model food safety documents for a USDA-inspected mobile slaughter unit includes: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan Sanitary Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) Standard Operating
Mobile Slaughter Units: Reports from the Field and Future Directions Date: September 10, 2013 Duration: 90 minutes Inspected mobile slaughter units for beef, bison, and other red meat species have
Local Meat Buying Guide This easy to use, consumer-oriented guide explains buying pork and beef as whole animals (or portions thereof). The guide explains marketing terms, storage and handling recommendations,
State Listings A number of states provide a list of processors; we have collected these lists here. Some lists are only subsets (e.g. only state-inspected plants, not federal). Formats
Yes, you may sell meats at a farmers market, if the market rules allow it. Tell the Market Manager you want to start selling meats, and ask what kind of
Most farmers transport their frozen meats in chest coolers. Again alternative refrigeration such as ice packs, etc. are highly recommended. The chest coolers must be clean along with the transport
You can ship or mail meats out of the state if your meats are processed in a federally-inspected plant. You cannot ship or mail meats outside the state if your
Yes, legally speaking, “natural” on a meat label only refers to how the meat is processed, not to how the animal was raised. However, some meat companies — starting with
Shipping fresh (not frozen) meat or meat products is never recommended, unless the products are shelf stable (e.g., canned ham, beef jerky). GEL FREEZER PACKS vs. DRY ICE: Regular ice
Currently (2009), the nine states that cooperatively operate under the authority of the Federal State Cooperative Act (Talmadge-Aiken) are Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
The “lip” which is on or off is an extra piece of muscle. Typically, “lip on” is cheaper by the pound, because it hasn’t been trimmed enough and is considered
