Ontario Meat Plant Inedible Materials: Handling, Storage, and Records

Inedible material must be kept separate from edible product and managed under written procedures. Ontario requirements appear in O. Reg. 31/05 and MPG Part 9 — including prompt removal from edible areas, designated storage, and temperature limits when material remains on site.

What needs to happen operationally

• Promptly remove inedible material from areas where carcasses, parts, or meat products are handled or stored.
• Convey material to the designated inedible room or area without contaminating edible product.
• Store inedible material at 10 °C or less when it remains at the plant for more than 48 hours unless an inspector directs otherwise with recorded conditions (O. Reg. 31/05 s. 86(4)).
• Follow additional requirements for condemned product, SRM, and approved uses such as animal food or pet food where they apply to your plant.

What belongs in the record

When something goes wrong

Document delayed removal, storage above temperature limits, commingling risk, or missing approvals. Immediate correction may include moving material, adjusting storage, or stopping a disposition path. Corrective action may be required when the issue indicates a program gap — for example repeated late removal from a production area.

What an inspector may ask for later

Inedible material records for the period under review, evidence of prompt removal from edible areas, storage temperature logs when material remained on site beyond 48 hours, disposition documentation, and any corrective follow-up linked to inedible handling deviations.