NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1981 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 376

HOUSE BILL 851

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND THE NORTH CAROLINA COMPULSORY MEAT INSPECTION LAW TO CONFORM TO CHANGES IN FEDERAL LAW REQUIRING CERTAIN HUMANE METHODS OF SLAUGHTER AS A CONDITION OF GRANTING MEAT INSPECTION.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. G.S. 106-549.17 is amended by inserting "(a)" at the beginning and by adding two new subsections at the end to read:

"(b)      For the purpose of preventing the inhumane slaughtering of livestock, the Commissioner shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed for that purpose, an examination and inspection of the method by which cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines are slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in the slaughtering establishments inspected under this law. The Commissioner may refuse to provide inspection to a new slaughtering establishment or may cause inspection to be temporarily suspended at a slaughtering establishment if the Commissioner finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines have been slaughtered or handled in connection with slaughter at such establishment by any method not in accordance with subsection (c) of this section until the establishment furnishes assurances satisfactory to the Commissioner that all slaughtering and handling in connection with slaughter of livestock shall be in accordance with such a method.

(c)        Either of the following two methods of slaughtering of livestock and handling of livestock in connection with slaughter are found to be humane:

(1)        In the case of cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock, all animals are rendered insensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical, or other means that is rapid and effective, before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut; or

(2)        By slaughtering in accordance with the ritual requirements of the Jewish faith or any other religious faith that prescribes a method of slaughter whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument and handling in connection with such slaughtering."

Sec. 2. G.S. 106-549.23 is rewritten to read:

"§ 106-549.23. Prohibited slaughter, sale and transportation. - No person, firm, or corporation shall, with respect to any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, or any carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food products of any such animals:

(1)        Slaughter any of these animals or prepare any of these articles which are capable of use as human food, at any establishment preparing any such articles for intrastate commerce except in compliance with the requirements of this and the subsequent Article;

(2)        Slaughter, or handle in connection with slaughter, any such animals in any manner not in accordance with G.S. 106-549.17(c) of this Article;

(3)        Sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation, in intrastate commerce:

a.         Any of these articles which (i) are capable of use as human food and (ii) are adulterated or misbranded at the time of sale, transportation, offer for sale or transportation, or receipt for transportation; or

b.         Any articles required to be inspected under this Article unless they have been so inspected and passed; or

(4)        Do, with respect to any of these articles which are capable of use as human food, any act while they are being transported in intrastate commerce or held for sale after such transportation, which is intended to cause or has the effect of causing the articles to be adulterated or misbranded."

Sec. 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 1981.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 13th day of May, 1981.