Arizona § 3-2088 - Requirements for processed, blended or prepared meat and meat food products; violation; classification

§ 3-2088. Requirements for processed, blended or prepared meat and meat food products; violation; classification

A. The director shall adopt rules fixing and establishing the contents of processed meats and meat food products including the percentage of meats and nonmeat ingredients which may be contained in processed meats, but the percentage of meats prescribed by rule to be contained in processed meats and meat food products shall not exceed the maximum percentages prescribed by the United States department of agriculture. A processed meat product fabricated from two or more ingredients shall bear a list of the ingredients giving the common or usual names of the ingredients arranged in the order of their predominance. A person who violates a rule adopted under this subsection is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.

B. The director may prescribe by rule conditions under which carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat and meat food products of any livestock that are capable for use as human food shall be stored or otherwise handled by a person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, freezing, storing or transporting such articles if the director deems the action to be necessary to assure that the articles will not be adulterated or misbranded when delivered to the consumer.

C. All processed, blended or otherwise prepared meat or meat food products which are packed in any can, pot, tin, box, canvas or other receptacle or covering constituting an immediate or true container, shall be labeled. Plain wrappings used solely to protect the product against spoiling during delivery and storage need not bear a label. Labels shall contain, prominently and informatively, the following:

1. The true name of the product.

2. The word "ingredients" followed by a list of the ingredients when the product is fabricated from two or more different types of meat or meat food products.

3. The name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor.

4. An accurate statement of the quantity of contents.

5. The inspection number and stamp of the slaughtering establishment operating under state meat inspection service or the inspection number and stamp of the meat processor operating with an assigned establishment number.

D. There shall be no preservatives used in any meat or meat food products unless such preservatives have been approved by the United States department of agriculture. Specifically, all sulfates and sulfites are prohibited from use in any meat or meat food products.

E. Any artificial coloring which is used by a processor of any meat or meat food product shall have been approved by the United States department of agriculture.

F. Meats and meat food products shall not be adulterated or misbranded.

G. No meat or meat food product which has not been inspected shall be mixed in any way with any meat or meat food product which has been inspected when such meats or meat food products are offered for sale.

H. The provisions of this section shall apply to any person who slaughters, mixes, blends, cans, cures or otherwise prepares meat or meat food products. It shall include slaughterers, meat processors, wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, lockerplants, peddlers and sausage makers.