REGULATORY SERVICES
Slaughter/processing facilities - slaughter animals and produce a finished product in the same establishment
Processing facilities - receive inspected meat/poultry which is further processed into inspected products for either wholesale or direct sale to consumers
Custom exempt - slaughter/process privately owned animals for personal consumption - meat is stamped "not for sale" - facility inspected by OMPS, but not the meat
Poultry exempt - more than 1000 or less than 20,000 birds may be produced and slaughtered by the operator for sale in intrastate commerce operators must apply to OMPS to be granted an exemption
Interstate shipments - products shipped across state lines
Intrastate shipments - products sold only within the boundaries of the state where produced
Federal plant - may be located in Virginia, but inspected by FSIS personnel - allowed to ship in interstate commerce and export
Talmadge/Aiken plant - inspected by OMPS personnel - allowed to ship interstate and export
State plant - inspected by OMPS personnel - only sells intrastate
Amenable species - cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, poultry - plants processing these species receive free inspection Non-amenable species - buffalo, ratites, rabbits, and all other animals not included in the amenable species - plants charged for inspectors' time/mileage to slaughter/process these animals - referred to as "voluntary inspection "
Legend - the mark on a carcass, product, or label containing the plant number - signifies that the plant and its products are under USDA or Virginia state inspection
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) - a system in which points in a process are identified and controls are put in place to ensure that food safety hazards are eliminated - each plant must have an HACCP plan for each class of product(s) produced
SSOP - Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures - written procedures describing the plant's cleaning and daily sanitation procedures that are performed to prevent direct product contamination