3-2123. Slaughterhouses and processing houses; separation from other meat handling; inspection; hearing; revocation of license; exemption of retailers

A. The slaughtering of horses and preparation, processing, packing and storing of horsemeat and horsemeat products shall be conducted in a house or establishment separate from a house or establishment in which cattle, sheep, swine or goats are slaughtered or prepared, or any meat or meat food products thereof are prepared or handled.

B. Establishments for the slaughter of horses or the preparation and processing of horsemeat and horsemeat products shall at all times, whether in operation or not, be subject to and accessible for inspection by inspectors of the division for the purpose of ascertaining the sanitary condition thereof.

C. The premises of a slaughterhouse or establishment shall be kept in a sanitary condition. If the sanitary conditions of such an establishment are such that the horsemeat or horsemeat food products handled therein are rendered unclean, unsound, unhealthful, unwholesome or unfit for human food, the examining inspector shall refuse to allow the horsemeat or horsemeat food products to be labeled, marked or stamped as inspected and passed.

D. An operator of a slaughterhouse or establishment who fails to keep it in a sanitary condition or to comply with the rules of the director or the orders issued by an inspector of the department shall be reported, and the associate director may, in his discretion, revoke the license of the offending operator, subject to the right to a hearing pursuant to title 41, chapter 6, article 10.

E. Nothing in subsections A and B shall be construed to prevent a person or establishment engaged in the selling of meat to the ultimate consumer exclusively at retail from storing, cutting, slicing, grinding, trimming or boning horsemeat in preparation for sale at retail in such establishment.