Minnesota Administrative Code

1540.3500 DEFROSTING FROZEN PRODUCT. Frozen product may be defrosted in water or pickle in a manner and with the use of facilities which are acceptable to the inspector. Before such product is defrosted, a careful examination shall be made to determine its condition. If necessary…

1540.3520 TAGGING PRODUCTS "MINNESOTA RETAINED" ON REINSPECTION. A "Minnesota retained" tag shall be placed by a department employee at the time of reinspection on all products or the containers thereof which are suspected on reinspection at an official establishment or in the po…

1540.3530 PRODUCT ENTERING OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. Except as provided in parts 1540.2030 and 1540.4455 to 1540.4510, no product shall be brought into an official establishment unless it has been federally inspected, state inspected, or state approved inspected and passed, nor un…

1540.3540 DESIGNATION OF PLACES OF RECEIPT OF RETURNED PRODUCTS FOR REINSPECTION. Every official establishment shall designate, with the approval of the inspector, a dock or place at which returned products shall be received, and such products shall be received only at such docks…

1540.3550 PREPARATION OF PRODUCT IN OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. All processes used in curing, pickling, rendering, canning, or otherwise preparing any product in official establishments shall be supervised by a department employee. No fixtures or appliances, such as tables, trucks, …

1540.3570 DUAL USE OF EQUIPMENT. Equipment may be used interchangeably for the preparation of lard and rendered pork fat which are to be labeled as such. The commissioner may grant permission for the restricted dual use of such equipment for the preparation of other products. The…

1540.3640 SUBSTANCES AND INGREDIENTS USED IN MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF ANY PRODUCT. All substances and ingredients used in the manufacture or preparation of any product shall be clean, sound, healthful, wholesome, and otherwise fit for human food. Statutory Authority: MS s 31…

1540.3760 WHOLESOMENESS. No product shall contain any substance which impairs its wholesomeness or which is not approved by the commissioner. Statutory Authority: MS s 31A.08 Published Electronically: August 28, 2002

1540.3950 SAMPLES TAKEN FOR EXAMINATION. Samples of products, water, chemicals, spices, or other articles in any official establishment shall be taken, without cost to the department, for examination, as often as may be deemed necessary for the efficient conduct of the inspection…

1540.4050 PREPARATION IN EDIBLE PRODUCT DEPARTMENT. When dog food or similar uninspected article is prepared in an edible product department, there shall be sufficient space allotted and adequate equipment provided so that the preparation of the uninspected article in no way inte…

1540.4060 PREPARATION IN OTHER THAN EDIBLE PRODUCT DEPARTMENT. When dog food or similar uninspected article is prepared in a part of an official establishment other than an edible product department, the area in which the dog food is prepared shall be separated from edible produc…

1540.4070 DISTINGUISHING DOG FOOD OR OTHER ANIMAL FOOD FROM HUMAN FOOD. Dog food or other animal food prepared in whole or in part from materials derived from cattle, sheep, swine, goats, or horses, shall be distinguished from articles of human food so as to avoid the distributio…

1540.4090 CONDEMNATION. Any product which has been contaminated by flood water, harbor water, or like polluted water, shall be condemned. Statutory Authority: MS s 31A.08 Published Electronically: August 28, 2002

1540.4100 CLEANSING. After flood water has receded, the establishment shall, under the supervision of a department employee, thoroughly cleanse all walls, ceilings, posts, and floors of the rooms and compartments involved, including the equipment therein. An adequate supply of ho…

1540.4110 HERMETICALLY SEALED CONTAINERS OF PRODUCT. Hermetically sealed containers of product which have been submerged or otherwise contaminated as in part 1540.4090 shall be rehandled promptly under supervision of a department employee as follows: A. Separate and condemn all p…

1540.4120 GLANDS AND ORGANS NOT USED AS FOOD PRODUCTS. Glands and organs which are not used as food products, such as cotyledons, ovaries, prostate glands, tonsils, spinal cords, and detached lymphatic, pineal, pituitary, parathyroid, suprarenal, and thyroid glands, may be saved …

1540.4140 "MINNESOTA RETAINED" TAG. When any chemical, cereal, spice, or other substance is presented for use in an official establishment, it shall be examined by a department employee, and if found to be unfit or otherwise unacceptable for the use intended, or if final decision…

1540.4150 SHIPMENT OR TRANSPORTATION FROM OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. When authorized by the commissioner, product of special type or kind may be shipped or transported from official establishments for educational uses, laboratory examination, and other purposes. Statutory Authority…

1540.4290 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. When necessary to comply with these instructions, the smokehouses, drying rooms, and other compartments used in the treatment of pork to destroy trichinae shall be suitably equipped, by the establishment, with accurate automatic recording thermomet…

1540.4300 DUTIES OF INSPECTORS. To ensure the effective administration of the foregoing, inspectors who supervise the handling and treatment of pork to destroy live trichinae shall: recognize the importance of safeguarding the consumer and follow carefully the instructions concer…

1540.4350 REPORTS ON SANITATION. Reports on sanitation shall be made by the department employees assigned to the various departments of official establishments to the commissioner. Statutory Authority: MS s 31A.08 Published Electronically: August 28, 2002

1540.4360 APPEALS FROM MEAT INSPECTION ACTIONS. When the action of an inspector in condemning any meat or product is questioned, appeal may be made to the commissioner whose decision shall be final. Statutory Authority: MS s 31A.08 Published Electronically: August 28, 2002

1540.4370 COMPLIANCE. Inspected and passed meat and products, like uninspected meat and products, shall comply with the provisions of the Minnesota dairy and food laws in every respect. Statutory Authority: MS s 31A.08 Published Electronically: August 28, 2002

1540.4450 LABELING. Subpart 1. Requirement. Each carcass and all edible parts of custom slaughtered animals shall be clearly marked, tagged, branded, or stamped to include the statement, "Minnesota custom processed," "not for sale," and the establishment number assigned to the es…

1540.4455 IDENTIFICATION OF CARCASS. In state licensed establishments each custom processed carcass must be identified immediately after being slaughtered, eviscerated, and rinsed. Such identification must be made of each carcass and part of carcass prior to being moved from the …

1540.4460 IDENTIFICATION DURING PROCESSING. All product on hand which is being or has been custom processed must be clearly identified during all stages of processing, cooling, packaging, freezing, storage, and shipment. Each batch of custom processed product being ground, choppe…

1540.4470 HANDLING PRODUCT DERIVED FROM FARM SLAUGHTER. All meat products received at a state licensed establishment shall be carefully examined by the plant management and any product showing evidence of spoilage, disease, or filth shall not be accepted into the establishment. A…

1540.4480 IDENTIFYING PRODUCT DERIVED FROM FARM SLAUGHTER. Any product received at a state licensed establishment which does not bear the federal or state meat inspection legend must be immediately identified and kept marked and identified as required by part 1540.4460. Statutory…

1540.4490 PRODUCT DERIVED FROM GAME. Venison and other product derived from game animals received for custom processing or storage at a state licensed establishment must be handled and identified in the same manner as is specified for products under part 1540.4460. Statutory Auth…

1540.4500 CONDEMNED ANIMALS. In a licensed establishment, any animal which has died other than by slaughter or an animal which has been inspected and found to be affected with any condition or disease that would cause the meat derived therefrom to be unfit for human food shall be…

1540.4510 CONDEMNED PRODUCT. In a licensed establishment any carcass or product which is found to be unsound, unhealthful, unwholesome, or otherwise unfit for human food shall be condemned and denatured in a manner approved by the commissioner so as to prevent such product being …

1540.4520 DENATURING CONDEMNED PRODUCT. Condemned product may be denatured by slashing with a knife and adding crude carbolic acid, cresylic disinfectant, or other prescribed agent, or may be destroyed by incineration. Statutory Authority: MS s 31A.08 Published Electronically: Au…

1545.0145 TRANSPORTATION OF MEAT. The following specifications shall apply to all vehicles used to transport meat or meat products for sale unless the vehicle is used to transport meat or meat products which are packaged, protected, and transported as outlined in part 1545.0180. …

1545.0150 MEAT COMPARTMENT. The meat compartment must be completely enclosed and have floors, walls, and ceilings which are constructed of smooth, impervious, tight fitting material that is designed to facilitate cleaning. The meat compartment must be kept in proper sanitary cond…

1545.0160 UNWRAPPED MEAT OR MEAT PRODUCTS. Vehicles which are in compliance with the vehicle requirements of these rules may be used to transport meat or meat products which are not wrapped or packaged provided that the product is properly hung on hooks or is stacked on clean smo…

1545.0170 CARRYING PRODUCT EXPOSED TO ELEMENTS. All meat and meat products must be securely wrapped or packaged if lugged or carried from a vehicle to a destination which necessitates carrying the product exposed to the elements outside of buildings, over public sidewalks, street…

1545.0180 MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. Meat and meat products which are securely wrapped or packaged in a manner which will maintain proper temperature of the product and will provide complete protection of the product against contamination from dust, flies, vermin, and other substan…

1545.0190 REFRIGERATED TEMPERATURE. The refrigerated temperature of meat and meat products being transported must be maintained in accordance with sound operating practices which will maintain proper quality and condition of the product. Statutory Authority: MS s 31.10; 31.101; 3…

1545.0200 USE OF TENDERIZING SOLUTIONS. Meat tenderizing solutions consisting of water, salt, monosodium glutamate, papain, or other ingredients approved by the commissioner of agriculture may be applied or injected into primal cuts or consumer cuts of beef provided all treated b…

1545.0210 USE OF WORD "FRESH" IN PRODUCTS. The word "fresh" shall not be used in selling, advertising, or on labels of any meat product which contains any sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, potassium nitrite, or which has been salted or frozen for preservation. St…

1545.0220 LABELING OF GRADED MEAT. No person, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 31.01, subdivision 2, shall advertise, label, or sell any meat or meat product as "prime," "choice," "select," "commercial," "standard," or "utility" unless the meat or meat product so adverti…

1545.0230 PRIMAL CUTS TERMS ON GROUND OR CHOPPED MEAT PRODUCTS. Terms such as "ground chuck," "chopped chuck," "ground round," "chopped round," "ground sirloin," "chopped sirloin," and similar terms which indicate that ground or chopped meat product is derived from a primal cut o…

1545.0250 HANDLING OF INEDIBLE PRODUCTS. Inedible products including but not limited to hides, pelts, animal food, game heads, feathered game, or poultry shall not be placed in or stored in the same cooler or freezer room with any meat product intended for human consumption unles…

1545.0260 RESTRICTED USE OF SEASONINGS IN MEAT PRODUCTS. Soluble seasonings consisting of spice extractives having a distinct red color (principally those including extract of paprika) shall not be used in fresh or frozen meat products including but not limited to hamburger, grou…

1545.0270 FAT LIMIT IN SAUSAGE. "Frankfurters," "wieners," "vienna," "bologna," "garlic bologna," "knockwurst," and similar sausages which are prepared from one or more kinds of meat, meat by-products, poultry products, and other permitted ingredients shall not contain more than …

1545.0280 SAMPLES TAKEN FOR EXAMINATION. Samples of meat or meat products or the ingredients of meat products which are manufactured or prepared in any licensed establishment may be taken for examination as often as and in the amounts deemed reasonably necessary by the department…

1545.0290 MEAT, POULTRY, AND FISH PRODUCTS SOLD BY WEIGHT. Except for immediate consumption on the premises where sold or as one of several elements comprising a ready-to-eat meal sold as a unit for consumption elsewhere than on the premises where sold, all meat, meat products, p…