In this article, I will show you How to become USDA certified meat processor
Small-scale rabbit and poultry processing:
Idaho Code requires that all meat and other meat products be procured from licensed meat processing establishments that have been examined to ensure wholesomeness as part of an approved regulatory scheme. It is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a requirement for inspections of poultry in accordance with 9CFR381 However, the code permits an exemption for those who produce less than 10,000 birds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency as responsible agency for processing rabbits, however, it gives authority to the state to handle intrastate processing and sales. This means that when all sales and processing occur within Idaho the health district is the regulatory authority. If you’re looking to process poultry, read these Idaho Poultry Processing Guidelines and then contact the local health district inspector for any questions. If you’re looking to process rabbits, read the Idaho Rabbit Processing Guidelines and then contact your local Eastern Idaho Public Health (EIPH) inspector with any concerns.
If you plan to process any food item to resell that contains 3 percent or more of meat products (by weight) then you are within USDA inspection. It is required to be able to provide a complete HACCP plan as well as an FSIS inspector present on-site during the processing. For questions about USDA requirements, contact the Small Plant Help Desk at 1-877-374-7435 or email [email protected]
If you plan to process pork, beef chicken, lamb, goats, sheep, equines the process must be carried out in accordance with USDA inspection.
If you plan to sell these items for retail sale, you need to purchase the products from a USDA-certified processing plant and also obtain an official retail food license from EIPH.
The Idaho Department of Agriculture has released a fantastic guide for anyone wanting to establish a Specialty Food Business in Idaho. The booklet is packed with information on everything from food safety, marketing your business, as well as tax details. I strongly recommend reading this guidebook regardless of the kind of food-related business you would like to establish.
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