Code of Maine Rules
01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY
001 - AGRICULTURE - GENERAL
Chapter 332 - RABBIT PROCESSING
Section 001-332-1 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Adequate" means that which is needed to accomplish the intended purpose in keeping with good public health practice.

B. "Ante-Mortem Inspection" means the inspection of live rabbits prior to being slaughtered for sickness or disease.

C. "Captive Bolt Apparatus" means a pistol or gun (also known as a, stun bolt gun, bolt gun, or stunner) device used for stunning live rabbits rendering them unconscious prior to slaughter.

D. "Carcass" means any domestic rabbit carcass.

E. "Cervical Dislocation Method" means a technique used in physical euthanasia of live rabbits by applying pressure to the neck and dislocating the spinal column from the skull or brain.

F. "Corrosion Resistant Material" means those materials that maintain their original surface characteristics under prolonged contact with organic material, the normal use of cleaning compounds and bactericidal solutions, and other conditions of the environment.

G. Department" means the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF).

H. "Easily Cleanable" means readily accessible and of such material and finish and so fabricated, that residues may be completely removed by usual cleaning methods.

I. "Establishment" means the building or buildings or parts thereof, used for or in connection with, the manufacturing, processing, packaging, labeling or holding of human food.

J. "Exsanguination" means the incision made to the carotid artery sufficient to a degree to cause death by blood loss.

K. "Giblets" means the liver from which the bile sac has been removed and the heart which has been removed from the pericardial sac.

L. "Heat-Treated" means the application of heat to a food to destroy micro organisms of public health significance.

M. Post Mortem Inspection "means" the inspection of rabbit organs and tissue for evidence of disease which would make the meat unsuitable for human food.

N. "Potentially Hazardous Food" means an animal food or any food that consists in whole, or in part, of milk or milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, fish, edible crustacea, or their ingredients, including synthetic ingredients that is raw or heat-treated; a plant Food that is heat-treated or consists of raw seed sprouts, cut melons, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes or mixtures of cut tomatoes that are not modified in a way so that they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation, or garlic-in-oil mixtures that are not modified in a way so that they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.

O. "Rabbit" means any domesticated rabbit, whether live or dead.

P. "Ready-to-Cook Rabbit" means any domestic rabbit which has been slaughtered for human food, from which the head, heart, kidneys, blood, skin, feet, and inedible viscera have been removed and that is ready to cook without need of further processing. Ready-to-cook rabbit also means any cut-up or disjointed portion of rabbit or any edible part.

Q. "Sanitary" means that all buildings, equipment, and utensils shall be suitable for their intended use, so designed and of such material and workmanship as to be adequately cleanable and properly maintained.

R. "Wholesome" means food in sound condition, clean, free from adulteration and otherwise suitable for human consumption.