Okla. Admin. Code § 35:37-9-56

Current through Vol. 42, No. 8, January 2, 2025

Section 35:37-9-56 - Temperatures and cooling and freezing procedures

Temperatures and procedures that are necessary for cooling and freezing of rabbits in accordance with sound commercial practice shall be maintained in the coolers and freezers, and chilling temperatures and procedures shall also be in accordance with sound commercial practice.

(1) Cooling. Immediately after evisceration and washing of the carcass, it shall be placed in a cooling tank containing running cold tap water to remove the animal heat from the carcass. Carcasses shall not be allowed to remain in the cooling tank for longer than 1 hour. The internal temperature of the carcass shall be brought down to a temperature of 40 degrees F. within 4 hours.

(2) Freezing.

(A) When ready-to-cook rabbits are packaged in bulk or shipping containers, the carcasses should be individually wrapped or packaged in water-vapor resistant paper to assure adequate overlapping of the lining to completely surround the carcasses and to permit unsealed closure or sealing in a manner that water-vapor loss from the product is considerably retarded or prevented. The rabbit carcasses should receive an initial rapid freezing under the packaging, temperature, air circulation, and stacking conditions that will result in freezing the carcasses solid in less than 48 hours.

(B) Frozen ready-to-cook rabbits shall be held under conditions that will maintain the product in a solidly frozen state with temperature maintained as constant as possible.

Okla. Admin. Code § 35:37-9-56

Added at 21 Ok Reg 1181, eff 5-27-04; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 2310, eff 7-11-05