How does one legally identify meat as not for human use?

September 3, 2008 12:44 PM

How does one legally identify meat as not for human use?

My state's Health and Safety Code says the following regarding Meat Inspection, under meat not intended for human use.

(b) A person may not buy, sell, transport, offer for sale or
transportation, or receive for transportation in intrastate
commerce a carcass, part of a carcass, meat, or a meat food product
that is not intended for use as human food unless the article is
naturally inedible by humans, denatured, or identified as required by rule of the commissioner.




I've looked up denature and that would not work in this case, as the meat needs to be edible still, but not for humans. I've been searching for days and I can't find the rule or regulation on how to identify meat as not for human use. Does "identified as required by rule of the commissioner" simply mean to identify it as in label it not for human use? It sounds like there is a specific way you have to do it but I can't find it.

Does anyone know what needs to be done, or where I could find the information on identifying meat as such so it can legally be sold? Specifically looking for Texas law but if I can get more info on any rules regarding this it would help.

I've already emailed the department of agriculture and waiting on a response, I am not sure who to call about this topic.

posted by jesirose to Law & Government (6 answers total)

Perhaps try calling the Meat Safety Assurance Unit of the Texas Department of State Health Services. Looks like they might handle meat labeling issues.
posted by hovizette at 1:44 PM on September 3, 2008

According to this old Slate article, spraying it with green dye.
posted by djb at 2:08 PM on September 3, 2008

Label it Republican!

Or, contact the Texas Department of Agriculture. Todd Staples is the commissioner.
posted by terpia at 2:56 PM on September 3, 2008

Um wikipedia. Try um... Rendering! That's the one.

Certain plants are designated as human consumption grade and then there are... other plants for other things and NEVER the twain shall meet. (On pain of closure and massive fines if I remember correctly.) But yeah I'd started reading about whaling. So the stuff on rendering... and/or whatever else that led me to - would completely answer your questions. (Well almost, but I imagine something like food quality controls and hazard management would be pretty standard. Although that would be common sense so who knows?)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 3:19 PM on September 3, 2008

Thanks for the replies. Spraying it with dye would not work, it needs to be unaltered. And it looks like they did that and tossed it. Rendering sounds like it would also destroy the end product.

Thanks for the links, I'll try calling around to those groups. It looks like this would apply: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/msa/grant.shtm#poultry to exempt from inspections, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with selling the meat as not for humans.
posted by jesirose at 3:38 PM on September 3, 2008

I have a tub of 100% freeze-dried beef liver sold as dog treats. The last line on the label says, An animal food not for human consumption. There's no indication on the liver itself that's it's not human-grade.
posted by acorncup at 6:46 PM on September 4, 2008