Section 125.270  Entry into Official Establishment; Reinspection and Preparation of Product

a)         The Department incorporates by reference 9 CFR 318.1(c) through 318.6, 318.9, 318.14 through 318.20, 318.22, 318.23, 318.24 (2007; 76 FR 82077, effective December 30, 2011; 78 FR 66826, effective January 6, 2014).

b)         No meat or meat product shall be brought into an official establishment unless it is inspected or has been prepared in an official establishment or in a federally licensed establishment and is identified by an official inspection legend as set forth in Section 125.90, a federal inspection legend, or is exempt from inspection as stated in Section 125.110.  Meat and meat products received in an official establishment during the absence of the inspector shall be identified as set forth in Section 125.200 and, unless exempt from inspection, shall not be used or prepared until they have been reinspected.  Any meat and meat product originally prepared at any official establishment may not be returned to any part of that establishment other than the receiving area until it has been reinspected by the inspector and passed.  Wild game carcasses shall comply with Section 5(B)(4) of the Act.  The official establishment shall maintain an inventory of non-meat items (e.g., spices, preservatives) that are received at the official establishment.  Any product that is brought on the premises of an official establishment contrary to the provisions of this Section shall be removed immediately from the establishment by the operator of the establishment.

c)         Reinspections of meat and/or meat products within the official establishment shall be performed through the use of a random digit table.

d)         Docks and receiving rooms for meat and/or meat products or other articles used by the establishment in the preparation of meat products entering an official establishment shall be approved by the inspector if the location of the docks or receiving rooms will not permit the product or article to pass through rooms containing inspected and passed products.

e)         The manner of defrosting frozen products and methods of treating to preserve products shall be in accordance with procedures as set forth in the USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection Manual as adopted in Section 125.20.

f)         Casings or weasand shall be inspected and passed if it is in compliance with the specific provisions as stated in 9 CFR 318.5(i) for passage of those articles.

g)         The Department does not approve new substances to be used on meat or in meat products, their uses or the levels of use of an approved substance.  These substances will be permitted to be used and artificial flavorings may be used if they do not adulterate the meat and/or meat product in accordance with Section 2.11 of the Act and are in compliance with the provisions of this Section.

h)         References to exemptions from slaughter and custom slaughter shall mean those exemptions set forth in Section 125.110.

i)          References, within the federal regulations incorporated by reference in subsection (a), to the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act of 1957 (21 USC 456), to sections 7 and 403 of that federal Act, and to 9 CFR 303 shall be interpreted to comport with the Illinois Meat and Poultry Inspection Act and this Part.

j)          The Department does not approve thermometers for use in smokehouses, dry rooms and other compartments that are used in the treatment of pork.

k)         Disinfectants shall be those as set forth in Section 125.180.

l)          Adequate vacuum shall be determined through the use of vacuum gauges.

m)        The Department incorporates by reference the Thermally Processed, Commercially Sterile Products provisions of 9 CFR 431 and 431.1 through 431.12 (2018; 83 FR 25302, effective July 30, 2018).

n)         The standards and procedures for determining when ingredients of finished products are in compliance with this Section shall be as set forth in the USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection Manual.

(Source:  Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 3202, effective February 25, 2019)