(a) A person commits an offense if the person slaughters or causes to be slaughtered any animal intended for consumption by the person or the person’s household, nonpaying guests or employees.
(b) A person commits an offense if the person erects, maintains or uses any structure, enclosure or other place as a slaughterhouse for the purpose of slaughtering animals intended for human consumption.
(c) Exception: in a prosecution of subsection (a) or (b) above, it is an exception that the slaughter was performed on nonresidential premises which had at the time of the slaughter a current, valid permit issued by the United States Department of Agriculture or the Texas department of health to slaughter animals for human consumption.
(d) Exemption: fish and other seafood products that are intended for human consumption are exempt from subsections (a) and (b) above.
(e) Meat, poultry, fish and seafood shall not be refrigerated on undrained ice.
(f) From the time it is shipped until the time it is sold, fish and seafood intended for human consumption shall be refrigerated to a temperature of 34°F or less.
(g) The processing and packaging of meat or poultry shall be conducted in a refrigerated room:
(1) Where the temperature is kept at 50°F or less; or
(2) Which, along with processing equipment, undergoes a midshift cleanup after four hours of operation.
(h) A person commits an offense if the person owns or operates a food establishment that is in violation of subsection (e), (f) or (g) of this section.
(Ord. 12553, § 1, passed 6-18-1996)