1. (a) Licensed Livestock Meat Inspectors and Licensed Processing Inspectors shall inspect slaughter and processing operations in official establishments to ensure that meat and poultry products are produced in compliance with applicable requirements of Chapter 4 (commencing with section 18650) or Chapter 4.1 (commencing with section 18940) of Part 3, Division 9, of the Food and Agricultural Code, and this subchapter.
2. (b) Licensed Livestock Meat Inspectors and Licensed Processing Inspectors shall inspect official establishments to ensure they conduct operations that require state inspection on days and during hours specified on each establishment's current MPES Form 79-038 (Rev. 10/11), Schedule of Operations, unless different days or hours are approved in advance by the Department.
3. (c) When, during an in-depth review for a product, the Licensed Processing Inspector finds any deviation(s) from the requirements of Chapter 4 (commencing with section 18650) or Chapter 4.1 (commencing with section 18940) of Part 3, Division 9, of the Food and Agricultural Code, this subchapter, and the approved MPES Form 79-080 (Rev. 10/11), Label and Formulation Approval, for the product, the Licensed Processing Inspector shall place a California Retained tag on the involved lot of product and immediately contact the Department. An MPES Inspector shall determine the disposition of the product and shall require the official establishment to take corrective measures, if necessary, to assure that the product conforms to its standard of identity and is wholesome and unadulterated before it is presented for sale. If the official establishment does not or cannot correct the deviation(s), the product shall be condemned and disposed of in accordance with section 907 of this subchapter.
4. (d) The Licensed Processing Inspector shall review all labels and product formulations with the MPES Inspector before sending them, with a completed MPES Form 79-080 (Rev. 10/11), Label and Formulation Approval, to the Department for approval.
5. (e) A Licensed Processing Inspector shall record the temperature of each lot of smoked product on MPES Form 79-086 (Rev. 10/11), Smokehouse Chart, and shall complete all items on a line on the smokehouse chart at least once a month.
6. (f) A Licensed Processing Inspector shall notify the Department when the official establishment makes a change in product formulation or in product manufacturing procedures.

7. (g) A Licensed Processing Inspector shall inspect the processing of each cured pork or cured beef product produced by the establishment at least once a month, using the following procedure:

   1. (1) Mark one or more pieces of uncured meat with its weight. This is called the green weight of the product.
   2. (2) Determine the weight of the cured product before it is cooked/smoked. This is called the pumped weight of the product. Check the pumped weight against the green weight to determine compliance with procedures in the approved MPES Form 79-080 (Rev. 10/11), Label and Formulation Approval, for the product.
   3. (3) Plant management shall notify the Licensed Processing Inspector of the time the establishment plans to cure or pump product. This is to provide opportunity for the Licensed Processing Inspector to record the green weight of the meat and the amount of curing solution uptake during processing.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 407, 18693, 18735, 18960, 18961 and 19014, Food and Agricultural Code. Reference: Sections 18991, 19000, 19001 and 19012, Food and Agricultural Code.

History

1. New section filed 5-31-2007; operative 6-30-2007 (Register 2007, No. 22).

2. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (b)-(f) and (h)(2) filed 4-2-2012 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2012, No. 14).

3. Amendment filed 9-25-2025; operative 1-1-2026 (Register 2025, No. 39).