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 - operators must apply to OMPS to be issued a custom permit of exemption
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 issued a permit of 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 commerce and export
State plant - inspected by OMPS personnel - only sells intrastate
Amenable species - cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, poultry (includes ratites) - plants processing these species receive free inspection Non-amenable species - buffalo, 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