(a) The commissioner shall, by regulation and under conditions as to labeling, and sanitary standards, practices, and procedures that the commissioner may prescribe, exempt from specific provisions of this part:
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 53-7-209
Agriculture: means :(i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Commissioner: means the commissioner of agriculture, or any person authorized to act in the commissioner's stead. See Tennessee Code 53-7-202
Meat: means the edible part of the muscle of cattle, deer, sheep, swine or goats that is skeletal or that is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus, with or without the accompanying and overlying fat, and the portions of bone, skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels that normally accompany the muscle tissue and that are not separated from it in the process of dressing. See Tennessee Code 53-7-202
Person: means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or any other business entity. See Tennessee Code 53-7-202
(1)Livestock producers and poultry producers with respect to livestock and poultry carcasses and parts of livestock and poultry carcasses, meat food products, and poultry products, processed by them from livestock or poultry of their own raising on their own farms, for their own consumption, the excess of which may be sold directly to consumers;(2) Retail dealers with respect to meat and meat food products sold directly to consumers in individual retail stores; and retail dealers with respect to poultry products sold directly to consumers in individual retail stores, if the only processing operation performed by the retail dealers with respect to poultry is the cutting up of poultry products on the premises where the sales to consumers are made;(3) Any person engaged in slaughtering livestock or poultry or processing livestock or poultry carcasses or parts of livestock or poultry carcasses, meat food products, or poultry products for intrastate commerce, and the articles so processed by the person, whenever the commissioner determines that it would be impracticable to provide inspection and the exemption will aid in the effective administration of this part;(4) Persons slaughtering livestock or poultry or otherwise processing or handling livestock or poultry carcasses or parts of livestock or poultry carcasses, meat food products, or poultry products, that have been or are to be processed as required by recognized religious dietary laws, to the extent that the commissioner determines is necessary to avoid conflict with the requirements while still effectuating the purposes of this part;(5)Poultry producers and growers acting in compliance with exemptions established in the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 451 et seq.); and(6) Livestock producers acting in compliance with exemptions established in the federal Meat Inspection Act. The department of agriculture shall maintain on its website information for livestock producers concerning the federal exemptions for livestock slaughter and processing to provide guidance as to the requirements for each federal exemption and its limitations.(b) The commissioner may by order suspend or terminate any exemption under this section with respect to any person whenever the commissioner finds that the suspension or termination will aid in effectuating the purposes of this part.(c) This part shall not apply to or affect the slaughter of swine or cattle or the processing of swine, deer, or cattle by or for individuals for their consumption at custom processing plants.(d) The department of agriculture shall maintain on the website of the department information for poultry producers and growers concerning the federal exemptions for poultry slaughter and processing. Such information shall provide guidance as to the requirements for each exemption and the limitations thereto.
