On July 13, 2007, FSIS published a final rule, “Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non- Ambulatory Disabled Cattle; Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used to Immobilize Cattle During Slaughter,” (72 FR 3870).
See SRM Final Rule.
This final rule (referred to as “the SRM final rule”) makes permanent, with certain changes, interim regulations that FSIS issued in January 2004 to prevent potential human exposure to the BSE agent. Like the interim regulations, the SRM final rule prescribes requirements for the handling and disposition of SRMs, requires that all non-ambulatory disabled cattle that are offered for slaughter be condemned, prohibits the use of air-injection stunning devices on cattle, and prohibits Mechanically Separated (beef) for human food. These regulations became effective on October 1, 2007.