The directive provides instructions to Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) personnel on how to inspect livestock after slaughter (post-mortem). and officially overwrites the previous sections covering post- mortem inspection in Meat and Poultry Inspection Manual (Sub-parts 9A and 9B).


The new Directive also updates all relevant information and also instructs Public Health Veterinarians (PHVs) on how to make dispositions for livestock post-mortem and how to document the findings.

Key points covered by the new rules include:

• Inspecting livestock post-mortem
• Making dispositions
• Documenting post-mortem findings

Inspection program personnel, under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), examine and inspect carcases, and parts of carcases, post-mortem during the slaughter process. Identification and inspection of the carcass includes the head, tail, tongue, thymus gland, and all viscera of each animal slaughtered.

FSIS personnel inspecting carcases will determine whether carcases are fit for consumption. Product that is wholesome and not adulterated, and passes inspection criteria, are marked as certified.

Further Reading

- You can view full details of the Directive by clicking here.