<< Back This manual offers comprehensive guidance for anyone interested in building and/or operating an inspected mobile slaughter unit (MSU) based upon on the experiences and expertise of several USDA-inspected MSUs in operation. Last update: June 2011 The manual has eight parts: 1. MSU Model HACCP plan, SSOPs, and SOPs 2. What does an MSU […]
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Introduction All labels on meat and poultry products must be pre-approved (before sale of product) by either USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (for federally-inspected products) or the state inspection agency (for state-inspected products). Here we overview the federal label approval process. (State inspection programs may vary in their process; contact the inspection agency directly
The first USDA-inspected mobile slaughter unit, built and operated by the Island Grown Farmers Cooperative, is 34 feet long. It was designed by Bruce Dunlop, IGFC member, with Featherlite, a trailer company. These photos show the unit’s interior: MPU Interior The photo on the left shows the MSU skinning and evisceration area as seen from
What’s an FSA? A Food Safety Assessment (FSA), done randomly or in response to a problem, is an audit done by FSIS at federally inspected plants to assure that food safety procedures are effective. According to FSIS, a central goal of the FSA process is to “reduce recalls and enforcement actions by providing valuable
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Updated March 2018 In January 2012, this unit transitioned to new ownership. After the original operator decided not to renew his lease, the state of Vermont put the unit up for auction. It was purchased by Tangletown Farm, in Middlesex, VT. The new owners developed an operational plan with the help of the Vermont
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<< Back These three short videos show how a USDA-inspected mobile slaughter unit works. Although USDA-FSIS requirements are the same nationwide, some states and localities differ in their regulations, for example, about waste water and offal disposal. Please consult directly with your local authorities. Part I: The Set-Up – the Mobile Unit and the Farm
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To view our meat processing video Part III: From Carcass to Cooler to Cut and Wrap* click here. * (c) Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network 2009 Audio Text In this video, you’ll see how the two mobile slaughter unit butchers clean and prepare a carcass neatly and efficiently. First, they remove the head, saving out
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To view our meat processing video Part II: Stunning, Bleeding, and Moving the Carcass into the Unit* click here. * (c) Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network 2009 Audio Text This video shows the process from stunning and initial bleed-out to moving the carcasses into the unit. Cattle can be stunned in a trailer, as is done
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To view our meat processing video Part I: The Set-up — the Mobile Unit and the Farm Site* click here. * (c) Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network 2009 Audio TextInterview with the farmer: “My name is Bruce Dunlop, I raise pigs and sheep here on this farm. We’ve been making use of having our co-op, which
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The videos listed here explore and explain a variety of meat and poultry processing aspects. Mobile Slaughter Unit Videos These three short videos show how a USDA-inspected mobile slaughter unit works, from the set-up of the unit and farm site, through the slaughter and cleaning process, including waste disposal, and ending with final transfer to
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