§ 11-40-104 — Standards for Wyoming lean beef

Wyoming § 11-40-104

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 11: Agriculture, Livestock and Other Animals
• Ch. 40: MARKETING OF WYOMING LEAN BEEF

Text

(a) The committee shall establish quality standards for
Wyoming lean beef in accordance with the following:
(i) Cattle qualifying shall graze the summer before
slaughter in Wyoming. The committee may increase the proportion
of time the cattle must live in Wyoming, specifying that
particular portions of their lives must be spent in Wyoming and
may impose altitude requirements and geographic restrictions in
whole or in part on any time spent outside Wyoming. The
committee shall not impose any altitude requirement on cattle
within Wyoming. For the purposes of these standards, cattle
shall be deemed to be living within Wyoming even though the
pasture where the cattle are grazing is outside Wyoming if those
cattle:
(A) Have free access to land within Wyoming; or
(B) Are in a pasture located not more than
twenty-five (25) miles from the Wyoming border and the owner of
the cattle is a Wyoming resident who physically resides within
Wyoming and has his principal place of business in Wyoming.
(ii) Cattle qualifying shall be primarily grass fed
cattle;
(iii) Cattle shall not be held in close confinement
except for short periods in connection with operations necessary
in the management of the cattle, including but not limited to
calving, branding, vaccinating, weaning, transportation and
slaughter;
(iv) Cattle qualifying shall have a hot carcass
weight of at least four hundred (400) pounds. The committee may
set a lighter minimum weight;
(v) Cattle qualifying shall have an untrimmed fat
depth over the rib eye muscle at the twelfth (12th) rib of less
than or equal to three tenths (0.3) of one inch. The committee
may decrease the amount of fat permitted under this standard and
may establish additional standards for fat. Except for ground
beef, the committee shall not establish any fat standard that
would permit more than three tenths (0.3) of one inch of
untrimmed fat over the rib eye muscle of the twelfth (12th) rib;
(vi) Carcasses shall be electrically stimulated
within one (1) hour after stunning. The committee may permit
other treatments with similar effect in lieu of electrical
stimulation and may eliminate this requirement if it no longer
appears necessary to ensure adequate consumer acceptance;
(vii) Cattle shall not exceed thirty-two (32) months
in age. The committee may vary this standard or prescribe in
its place a maturity level that is to be judged from the
characteristics of the carcass. The committee may also establish
a minimum age;
(viii) Cattle shall not be given any growth promoting
hormone;
(ix) Cattle shall not be given subtherapeutic levels
of any antibiotic. This standard shall not be construed as
prohibiting the use of therapeutic levels of any antibiotic for
therapeutic purposes.
(b) For ground beef the committee shall establish separate
standards which shall:
(i) Provide for a fat content of twenty percent (20%)
or less. The committee may establish a lower fat content
standard;
(ii) Include the same standards as are established
pursuant to paragraphs (a)(i) through (iii), (viii) and (ix) of
this section, but need not be consistent with the standards
established pursuant to the balance of subsection (a) of this
section;
(iii) Provide any other standards that may be
necessary for ground beef.
(c) The committee may establish any additional quality
standard which may be useful in:
(i) Improving the quality of the product;
(ii) Gaining consumer acceptance of the product;
(iii) Assisting in the enforcement of the remaining
standards; and
(iv) Promoting human health and welfare through
improvements in Wyoming lean beef.