§ 106-549.17. Inspection of animals before slaughter; humane methods of slaughtering.
§ 106‑549.17. Inspection of animals before slaughter; humane methods of slaughtering.
(a) For the purpose of preventing the use in intrastatecommerce, as hereinafter provided, of meat and meat food products which areadulterated, the Commissioner shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointedfor that purpose, an examination and inspection of all cattle, sheep, swine,goats, fallow deer, red deer, bison, horses, mules, and other equines beforethey shall be allowed to enter into any slaughtering, packing, meat‑canning,rendering, or similar establishment in this State in which slaughtering andpreparation of meat and meat food products of such animals are conducted forintrastate commerce; and all cattle, sheep, swine, goats, fallow deer, reddeer, bison, horses, mules, and other equines found on such inspection to showsymptoms of disease shall be set apart and slaughtered separately from allother cattle, sheep, swine, goats, fallow deer, red deer, bison, horses, mules,or other equines, and when so slaughtered, the carcasses of said cattle, sheep,swine, goats, fallow deer, red deer, bison, horses, mules, or other equinesshall be subject to a careful examination and inspection, all as provided bythe rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Board as herein provided for.
(b) For the purpose of preventing the inhumane slaughtering oflivestock, the Commissioner shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed forthat purpose, an examination and inspection of the method by which cattle,sheep, swine, goats, fallow deer, red deer, bison, horses, mules, and otherequines are slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in theslaughtering establishments inspected under this law. The Commissioner mayrefuse to provide inspection to a new slaughtering establishment or may causeinspection to be temporarily suspended at a slaughtering establishment if theCommissioner finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, fallow deer, red deer,bison, horses, mules, or other equines have been slaughtered or handled inconnection with slaughter at such establishment by any method not in accordancewith subsection (c) of this section until the establishment furnishesassurances satisfactory to the Commissioner that all slaughtering and handlingin connection with slaughter of livestock shall be in accordance with such amethod.
(c) Either of the following two methods of slaughtering oflivestock and handling of livestock in connection with slaughter are found tobe humane:
(1) In the case of cattle, calves, fallow deer, red deer, bison,horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock, all animals are renderedinsensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical, orother means that is rapid and effective, before being shackled, hoisted, thrown,cast, or cut; or
(2) By slaughtering in accordance with the ritual requirementsof the Jewish faith or any other religious faith that prescribes a method ofslaughter whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of thebrain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotidarteries with a sharp instrument and handling in connection with suchslaughtering. (1969, c. 893, s.3; 1981, c. 376, s. 1; 1991, c. 317, s. 6; 1995, c. 194, s. 3; 1997‑142,s. 6.)