License Application & Information

Program Manager: Lucy Severs
Phone: (360) 902-1876 or Click here for more information

The WSDA Custom Meat Program licenses persons that slaughter or process uninspected meat food animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and swine for the sole consumption of the owner. The license categories are: Custom Meat Facility, Custom Slaughtering Establishment & Custom Farm Slaughterer.

Contents

1. Steps to Take
2. Custom Meat Facility
3. Custom Slaughtering Establishment
4. Custom Farm Slaughterer
5. Custom Slaughtering Pre-Inspection General Checklist
6. License Application
7. Custom Slaughter Beef Tags

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STEPS TO TAKE

Review Chapter 69.04 RCW - Intrastate Commerce in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics (formerly: Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act).

Review Chapter 16-19 WAC - Custom Slaughterer-Handling of Custom Meat Food Animal Carcasses at Meat.

Review Chapter 16.49 RCW - Custom Slaughtering.

Review the requirements for sanitary operations of custom meat facilities, custom farm slaughtering and custom slaughtering establishments as found in Title 21 CFR Part 110-Current good manufacturing practice

All zoning, sanitation, water, building permits and physical plant requirement must be met before granting a license. Check with your local county health department.

Complete the application and send it with the required license fee to the Olympia office. (Once the application and license fee have been received a Food Safety Officer will contact you and set up a date and inspection). If you are not approved for licensing we will refund your licensing fee.

The license is non-transferable. Therefore if you sell your business the new owners must pass a licensing inspection and obtain a new license, if you move to a new location you must pass a licensing inspection to obtain a new license for the new location,

Custom Slaughter Licenses expire June 30th each year, regardless of the date the original license was issued.

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Custom Meat Facility Requirements

Custom Meat Facility means the facility operated by any person licensed by WSDA who engages in the business of preparing uninspected meat for the sole consumption of the owner.

• The custom meat facility must meet the requirements for sanitary operations under the provisions of Chapter 16-19-300 WAC.
• Before issuing any license to operate as a custom meat facility, the department must inspect the applicant's premises and slaughtering equipment to determination that the facility is properly constructed, has the proper sanitary and mechanical equipment, and is capable of being maintained in a sanitary manner as required.
• Custom Meat Facility must obtain WSDA approved Beef Tags for carcass identification See Custom Beef Tags for information

All zoning, sanitation, water, building permits and physical plant requirement must be met before granting a license. Check with your local county health department.

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Custom Slaughtering Establishment Requirements

Custom Slaughtering Establishment means the facility operated by any person licensed by WSDA who may engage in the business of slaughtering meat food animals only for the consumption of the owner at a fixed location.

• The custom slaughtering establishment must meet the requirements for sanitary operations under the provisions of Chapter 16-19-200 WAC.
• Upon receipt of application, the director will provide for a hearing to be held in the area where the applicant intends to operate a custom slaughtering establishment.
• No person shall operate a custom slaughtering establishment without first establishing the need for such an establishment (chapter 16.49.454 RCW).
• Additional information required with your application at time of submission:
  • The location of the facility to be used.
  • The day or days of planned operation.
  • The distance to the closest official slaughtering establishment (USDA/WSDA).
  • Whether the facility already exists or is to be constructed.
  • Floor plan and elevation drawing of existing or proposed facility.
  • Statement as to "WHAT IS THE NEED".
• Before issuing any license to operate as a custom meat facility, the department must inspect the applicant's premises and slaughtering equipment to determination that the facility is properly constructed, has the proper sanitary and mechanical equipment, and is capable of being maintained in a sanitary manner as required.
• Custom Meat Establishment must obtain WSDA approved Beef Tags for carcass identification See Custom Beef Slaughter Tags for information.

All zoning, sanitation, water, building permits and physical plant requirement must be met before granting a license. Check with your local county health department.

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Custom Farm Slaughterer Requirements

Custom Farm Slaughterer means any person licensed by WSDA to engage in the business of slaughtering meat food animals only for the consumption of the owner through the use of an approved mobile unit.

• The mobile custom farm slaughtering units must meet the requirements for sanitary operations under the provisions of Chapter 16-19-100 WAC.
• Mobile custom farm slaughtering units must have:
  • A van body completely covering the unit, but which may exclude the driver's cab and the hoist. The van body must be made of material that is nonporous and impervious to moisture.
  • A hoist of 2,000 pound capacity, capable of lifting a beef carcass to a height that enables the carcass to clear the ground for bleeding and evisceration.
  • A sterilizing tank constructed of smooth, cleanable, impervious and durable material, large enough to allow complete sanitizing of tools used in the slaughtering operation.
  • A water tank built into the vehicle constructed of smooth, cleanable, impervious and durable material with a minimum capacity of forty gallons.
• Custom farm slaughtering-Identification of carcass and parts of carcasses. Each operator must obtain from WSDA prior to slaughtering an animal, an approved tagging device for identifying each carcass slaughtered (Chapter 16-19-130 WAC). See Custom Beef Slaughter Tags for information.

Before issuing any license to operate as a custom farm slaughterer, the department must inspect the applicant's mobile unit and slaughtering equipment to determination that the mobile unit is properly constructed, has the proper sanitary and mechanical equipment, and is capable of being maintained in a sanitary manner as required.

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Custom Slaughtering Pre-inspection General Checklist

Building & Grounds

• Are outside premises free from spillage, trash, etc., which may attract or harbor rodents or other pests?
• Is adequate drainage provided to avoid contamination of facilities and products?
• Is the building of suitable construction and generally in good physical repair?
• Are floors, walls and ceiling constructed of easily cleanable materials and kept clean and in good repair?
• Are contact surfaces protected from contamination from pipes, etc., over working areas?
• Are processing areas effectively separated from other operations that may cause contamination?
• Are doors, windows and other openings protected to eliminate entry by insects, rodents and other pests?
• Are open windows screened and are loading doors kept closed when not in use?
• Is interior lighting sufficient to allow adequate inspection and cleaning of premises?
• Are processing areas protected against contamination from breakage of light bulbs and other glass fixtures?
• Is all refuse properly stored and protected where necessary from insects, rodents and other pests and disposed of in an adequate manner?
• Does firm have a scheduled cleaning and pest control program, including at least weekly inspections by qualified employees?

Equipment & Utensils

• Are all utensils and equipment constructed of adequately cleanable materials and suitable for their intended uses?
• Are all utensils and equipment cleaned and sanitized at intervals frequent enough to avoid contamination?
• Are utensils and portable equipment stored so as to protect them from splash, dust and other contamination?

Sanitary Operations

• Is cleaning of facilities done in such a manner as to avoid contamination of food products?
• Are detergents, sanitizers, hazardous materials and other supplies used in a safe and effective manner?
• Are cleaning compounds and hazardous materials kept in original containers, stored separate from food products?
• Are the processing areas maintained free of insects, rodents and other pests?
• Is processing conducted in a manner as to prevent contamination and minimize harmful microbiological growth?

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Custom Beef Slaughter Tags

WAC 16-620-240 Slaughter Tag.

Any person licensed as a custom farm slaughterer shall, in lieu of mandatory brand inspection, complete and attach an official department of agriculture paper slaughter tag to each of the four quarters of all slaughtered cattle handled by that slaughterer. These tags must remain on the quarters until the quarters are cut and wrapped. The department will maintain a surveillance and enforcement program to assure compliance with these regulations.

WAC 16-620-250 Brand identification on slaughtered cattle by owner.

Any person slaughtering his own cattle shall, in lieu of brand inspection prior to slaughter, make the same identification as required of a licensed slaughterer under WAC 16-620-230 on a certificate of permit as prescribed in RCW 16.57.275 if the carcass is to be transported to a custom cutting and wrapping facility. No custom cutting and wrapping facility may receive a carcass from other than a custom farm slaughterer mobile or fixed location or an officially inspected slaughterhouse unless it is accompanied by the certificate of permit. Such custom cutting and wrapping facility shall, when the carcass is accompanied by a certificate of permit, place an official Washington slaughter tag on each quarter of the carcass. These tags must remain on the quarters, for identification, until processing.

Beef Tag Order Form (PDF 11 KB)

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