USDA/NCDA&CS FACILITY GUIDELINES FOR MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS (10)

Chapter 10 POULTRY SLAUGHTER ESTABLISHMENTS

Although the flesh of healthy living poultry is practically sterile, when the bird is killed many factors can contribute to contamination of the carcass including improperly designed and constructed slaughter facilities. This chapter provides guidelines for facilities for poultry slaughter establishments for you to consider in building or modifying your slaughter facilities. If you slaughter small animals such as rabbits or migratory fow lunder voluntary inspection, use this chapter for guidance. See Chapters 1 through 8 for general information which applies to all official meat and poultry establishments.

1. Holding Sheds or Coops

When building holding sheds or coops for poultry, consider the following guidelines:

• A minimum of 30 foot candles of lighting must be provided to facilitate an temortem inspection.
• The holding sheds should be weather tight.

2. Docks for Receiving and Hanging Live Poultry

<span”> Consider the following guidelines to prevent dust, feathers, and other obnoxious substances from entering areas where edible products are being prepared, handled, or stored:

• The live hanging dock needs to be physically separated from these areas. The separation should be accomplished by full height impervious walls with self-closing impervious doors, and openings limited to that necessary for poultry conveyor systems.

3. Slaughter Area

Consider the following guidelines for the slaughter area to minimize risk of contamination to products:

• The slaughter area (including stunning, bleeding, picking, scalding, and eviscerating operations) should be separated from those areas of the establishment where edible products are prepared or stored to minimize the risk of contamination.
• The blood in the slaughtering area, especially the stunning and bleeding area, should be contained in as small an area as possible.

4. USDA Post-Mortem Inspection Station

There are four systems of post-mortem inspection: Traditional Inspection, the Stream lined Inspection System, the New Line Speed Inspection System, and the New Turkey Inspection System.

Each of the systems has mandatory requirements to minimize the risk of contamination to products and to promote efficient inspection. However, with the exception of the lighting requirements, there are no facilities guidelines for these post-mortem systems.

5. Facility Guidelines for Poultry Inspection Stations

Note: There are no facility guidelines for Traditional Inspection System facilities except for lighting.

TABLE 7.—FACILITY GUIDELINES FOR POULTRY INSPECTION STATIONS