§ 3-2044 — Antemortem and postmortem inspection

A. Slaughtering establishments which have state meat inspection service shall have an "antemortem inspection". The inspector assigned to the slaughtering establishment shall examine each animal immediately prior to slaughter for the purpose of eliminating all unfit animals and segregating, for more thorough examination, all animals suspected of being affected with a condition which might influence their disposition on postmortem inspection. The unfit animals shall not be permitted to enter the slaughtering department of the plant, and the suspected animals shall not be permitted to enter the slaughtering department until they have been found by veterinary inspection to be fit for slaughter. The suspected animals that are permitted to be slaughtered shall be handled separate and apart from the regular kill and given a special postmortem examination.

B. Slaughtering establishments which have state meat inspection service shall have a "postmortem inspection". The postmortem examination shall be made at the time the animals are slaughtered. The inspectors shall examine the cervical lymph glands, the skeletal lymph glands, the viscera and organs with their lymph glands, and all exposed surfaces of the carcasses of all cattle, calves, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines. The examination shall be conducted in the slaughtering department of the plant during the slaughtering operations.

C. The chief veterinary meat inspector or any of his deputies shall have a state or federal laboratory make pathogenic examination of animals or parts thereof for completion of antemortem or postmortem inspection.