Chapter 97

97.33 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. ATCP 75, Wis. adm. code.

97.34 97.34 Bottled drinking water and soda water beverage; standards; sampling and analysis.

97.34(1) (1) In this section:

97.34(1)(a) (a) “Bottled drinking water” means all water packaged in bottles or similar containers and sold or distributed for drinking purposes. This term includes distilled water, artesian water, spring water and mineral water, whether carbonated or uncarbonated.

97.34(1)(b) (b) “Soda water beverage” means and includes all beverages commonly known as soft drinks or soda water, whether carbonated, uncarbonated, sweetened or flavored. This term does not include alcohol beverages.

97.34(2) (2) 

97.34(2)(a) (a) The department shall promulgate by rule standards of purity for all ingredients used in the manufacture or bottling of soda water beverages or bottled drinking water which ensure a pure and unadulterated product.

97.34(2)(b) (b) No person may manufacture or bottle bottled drinking water for sale or distribution in this state unless the bottled drinking water complies with state drinking water standards adopted by the department of natural resources under s. 280.11, 281.15 or 281.17 (8) and with health-related enforcement standards adopted by the department of natural resources under ch. 160.

97.34(2)(c) (c) The department may require testing of bottled drinking water for substances subject to any standard under par. (b) and for any other substance if the department determines that the water system used as the source of the bottled drinking water has a potential of being contaminated, based on contamination of other water systems or groundwater in the vicinity. The department shall adopt by rule requirements for periodic sampling and analysis for the purposes of this subsection. The department shall require all analyses to be conducted by a laboratory certified under s. 299.11.

97.34(2)(d) (d) No person may manufacture or bottle bottled drinking water for sale or distribution in this state unless the water system used by the manufacturer or bottler complies with ch. 280 and rules promulgated by the department of natural resources under that chapter.

97.34(2)(e) (e) The department shall publish an annual report summarizing the results of bottled drinking water sampling and analysis.

97.34 History History: 1973 c. 126; 1981 c. 79 s. 17; 1983 a. 410; 1987 a. 27, 399; 1995 a. 227, 378; 1997 a. 35.

97.41 97.41 Retail food: agent status for local health departments.

97.41(1) (1) In this section:

97.41(1)(a) (a) “Local board of health” has the meaning given in s. 250.01 (3).

97.41(1)(b) (b) “Local health department” has the meaning given in s. 250.01 (4).

97.41(1m) (1m) In the administration of this chapter, the department may enter into a written agreement with a local health department, if the jurisdictional area of the local health department has a population greater than 5,000, which designates the local health department as the agent of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection for issuing licenses to and making investigations or inspections of retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c). When the designation is made, no license other than the license issued by the local health department under this section may be required by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection or the local health department for the same operations. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall oversee the designation of agents under this section to ensure that, to the extent feasible, the same local health department is granted agent status under this section and under s. 97.615 (2). Except as otherwise provided by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, a local health department granted agent status shall regulate all types of establishments for which this subsection permits the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection to delegate regulatory authority.

97.41(2) (2) A local health department granted agent status under this section shall meet standards adopted, by rule, by the department. The department shall annually evaluate the licensing, investigation and inspection program of each local health department granted agent status. If, at any time, a local health department granted agent status fails to meet the standards, the department may revoke its agent status.

97.41(3) (3) The department shall provide education and training to agents designated under this section to ensure uniformity in the enforcement of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter.

97.41(4) (4) 

97.41(4)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a local health department granted agent status under this section shall establish and collect the license fee for retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c). The local health department may establish separate fees for pre-licensing inspections of new establishments, for pre-licensing inspections of existing establishments for which a person intends to be the new operator or for the issuance of duplicate licenses. No fee may exceed the local health department’s reasonable costs of issuing licenses to, making investigations and inspections of, and providing education, training and technical assistance to the establishments, plus the state fee established under sub. (5). A local health department which is granted agent status under this section or under s. 97.615 may issue a single license and establish and collect a single fee which authorizes the operation on the same premises of more than one type of establishment with respect to which it is granted agent status under this section or under s. 97.615 (2). This paragraph does not apply to retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c), that are micro markets.

97.41(4)(am) (am)

97.41(4)(am)1. 1.

97.41(4)(am)1.a. a. Within 2 business days after an applicant submits an application to a local health department granted agent status under this section for a license to operate a new retail food establishment, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c), that is a micro market, the local health department may inspect the applicant’s new retail food establishment that is a micro market for the purposes provided in s. 97.30 (2) (d).

97.41(4)(am)1.b. b. If a local health department granted agent status under this section conducts under subd. 1. a. an inspection of a new retail food establishment, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c), before issuing a license, the local health department may establish and collect from the applicant a pre-licensing inspection fee of $40 if the applicant will operate one micro market located within a single building or $60 if the applicant will operate 2 or more micro markets located in the same building.

97.41(4)(am)1.c. c. Notwithstanding subd. 2., a local health department that collects a fee from an applicant under this subdivision may not collect a fee under subd. 2. for an annual license from the applicant.

97.41(4)(am)2. 2. If a local health department granted agent status under this section does not under subd. 1. a. conduct a pre-licensing inspection of an applicant’s new retail food establishment, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c), that is a micro market, the local health department shall issue a retail food establishment license to the applicant and before one year after the date that the license is issued the local health department shall inspect the applicant’s new retail food establishment that is a micro market for the purposes provided in s. 97.30 (2) (d). A local health department granted agent status under this section shall collect the license fees under s. 97.30 (3s) for retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c), that are micro markets.

97.41(4)(b) (b) A local health department granted agent status under this section may contract with the department for the department to collect fees and issue licenses. The department shall collect from the local health department the actual and reasonable cost of providing the services.

97.41(5) (5) The department shall establish state fees for its costs related to setting standards for retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c), setting standards for agents under this section and monitoring and evaluating the activities of, and providing education and training to, agent local health departments. Agent local health departments shall include the state fees in the license fees established under sub. (4) (a) or (am), collect the state fees, and reimburse the department for the state fees collected. The state fee may not exceed 20 percent of the license fee charged under s. 97.30 (3), or for a retail food establishment that is a micro market, 20 percent of the license fee charged under s. 97.30 (3s), for a license issued by the department.

97.41(6) (6) If, under this section, a local health department becomes an agent or its agent status is discontinued during a licensee’s license year, the department and the local health department shall divide any license fee paid for that license year according to the proportions of the license year occurring before and after the local health department’s agent status is granted or discontinued. No additional fee may be required during the license year due to the change in agent status.

97.41(7) (7) A local board of health may adopt and impose regulations on licensees and premises for which the local health department is the designated agent under this section, which are stricter than this chapter or rules promulgated by the department under this chapter. No such regulation may conflict with this chapter or rules promulgated by the department.

97.41(8) (8) This section does not limit the authority of the department to inspect establishments in jurisdictional areas of local health departments where agent status is granted if it inspects in response to an emergency, for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the local health department’s licensing, inspection and enforcement program or at the request of the local health department.

97.41(9) (9) The department shall hold a hearing under ch. 227 if any interested person, in lieu of proceeding under ch. 68, appeals to the department alleging any of the following:

97.41(9)(a) (a) A permit fee established by a local health department granted agent status exceeds the reasonable costs described under sub. (4) (a).

97.41(9)(b) (b) The person issuing, refusing to issue, suspending or revoking a permit or making an investigation or inspection of the appellant has a financial interest in a regulated establishment which may interfere with his or her ability to properly take that action.

97.41(9)(c) (c) That a license fee for a retail food establishment license issued by an agent local health department under this section exceeds the reasonable costs of that agent local health department for issuing the license, investigating and inspecting the establishment, and providing education, training and technical assistance to the establishment.

97.41 History History: 1983 a. 203; 1985 a. 29 ss. 1643y to 1645, 3202 (3); 1987 a. 27 ss. 1693hL, 3200 (4); 1987 a. 399, 403; 1989 a. 56; 1993 a. 27; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 225; 2019 a. 51.

97.42 97.42 Compulsory inspection of livestock or poultry, and meat or poultry products.

97.42(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

97.42(1)(b) (b) “Capable of use as human food” applies to any meat or poultry product unless it is denatured, identified as unfit for human consumption as required by department rules, or is naturally inedible by humans.

97.42(1)(bg) (bg) “Captive game animal” means an animal of a normally wild type that is produced in captivity for slaughter and consumption. “Captive game animal” does not include a farm-raised deer, ratite, captive game bird, fish, or an animal that is kept solely for hunting purposes at a hunting preserve.

97.42(1)(br) (br) “Captive game bird” means a bird of a normally wild type that is produced in captivity for slaughter and consumption, including a pheasant, quail, wild turkey, migratory wildfowl, or other bird that the department designates as a captive game bird by rule. “Captive game bird” does not include poultry, ratites, or birds kept solely for hunting purposes at a hunting preserve.

97.42(1)(cm) (cm) “Denature” means to intentionally make an item unfit for human consumption by adding a substance to it to alter the item’s appearance or other natural characteristics.

97.42(1)(d) (d) “Establishment” means a plant or premises, including retail premises, where livestock or poultry are slaughtered for human consumption, or where meat or poultry products are processed, but does not include any of the following:

97.42(1)(d)1. 1. Establishments subject to 21 USC 451 to 695.

97.42(1)(d)3. 3. Premises of a person who is the owner of the livestock or poultry to be slaughtered or of the meat or poultry products to be processed, if the resulting product is for exclusive use by the owner, members of the owner’s household, or the owner’s nonpaying guests and employees.

97.42(1)(dm) (dm) “Farm-raised deer” has the meaning given in s. 95.001 (1) (ag).

97.42(1)(e) (e) “Inspector” means any person employed or authorized by the department to do any work or perform any duty in connection with the department’s meat and poultry inspection program.

97.42(1)(em) (em) “Livestock” means cattle, sheep, swine, goats, farm-raised deer, alpacas, llamas, bison, ratites, rabbits, and other species that the department designates as livestock by rule.

97.42(1)(f) (f) “Meat broker” means any person engaged in the business of buying or selling meat or poultry products on commission, or otherwise negotiating purchases or sales of meat or poultry products other than for the person’s own account or as an employee of another person.

97.42(1)(fm) (fm) “Meat distributor” means a person who is engaged in the business of distributing in this state meat or poultry products at wholesale.

97.42(1)(h) (h) “Meat or poultry products” means any parts, including the viscera, of slaughtered livestock or poultry that are capable of use as human food.

97.42(1)(i) (i) “Mobile processor” means a person, other than the owner of the livestock or poultry being slaughtered or the meat or poultry products being processed, who slaughters livestock or poultry or processes meat or poultry products for the general public for compensation other than the trading of services on an exchange basis, and conducts the slaughtering or processing at the premises of the owner of the livestock or poultry being slaughtered or the meat or poultry products being processed.

97.42(1)(k) (k) “Official inspection mark” means the symbol formulated under the rules of the department to indicate that the meat or poultry product was inspected pursuant to the department’s rules.

97.42(1)(L) (L) “Poultry” means any domesticated birds, including chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, or guineas, but does not include captive game birds or ratites.

97.42(1)(n) (n) “Veterinarian” means a graduate veterinarian of an accredited school of veterinary medicine who is qualified on the basis of training and experience, as determined by the department.

97.42(2) (2) License; certificate of registration.

97.42(2)(a) (a) Subject to pars. (b) and (bg), no person may operate an establishment without a valid license issued by the department. That license expires on June 30 annually, except that a license issued for a new establishment on or after March 30 but before July 1 expires on June 30 of the following year. No license may be issued unless the applicant has complied with the requirements of this section. The department shall establish by rule the annual license fees for establishments, not to exceed $200, based on the type of mandatory inspection required to be performed at the establishment. The department shall establish a reduced annual license fee for those establishments engaged only in slaughtering uninspected livestock or poultry or processing uninspected meat or poultry products as a custom service, but not for other operations for which a license under this section is required. No person may be required to obtain a license under s. 97.29 or 97.30 for activities licensed under this section or for establishments inspected under 21 USC 451 to 472 and 601 to 695.

97.42(2)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to any person operating an establishment that only processes meat or poultry products for sale directly to consumers at retail on the premises where the products were processed, if only inspected meat or poultry products are permitted on the premises and sales to hotels, restaurants, and institutions are restricted to 25 percent of the gross annual value of meat or poultry product sales or the adjusted dollar limitation published by the federal department of agriculture under 9 CFR 303.1 (d) (2) (iii) (b), whichever is less. No person exempt from licensure under this paragraph may sell any cured, smoked, canned, or cooked meat or poultry products produced by that person to hotels, restaurants, or institutions.

97.42(2)(bg) (bg) Paragraph (a) does not apply to any person operating an establishment that meets the requirements under 9 CFR 303.1 (d) (2) (iv) (c) or (e) (1), or 381.10 (d) (2) (iv) (c) or (e) (1).

97.42(2)(c) (c) No person may operate as a mobile processor without an annual registration certificate issued by the department, except that no registration certificate is required for a mobile processor who holds a license issued under par. (a). A registration certificate expires on June 30, annually. An application for an annual registration certificate shall be submitted on a form provided by the department and shall include information reasonably required by the department for registration purposes. The department shall promulgate rules regulating mobile processors, including rules related to facilities, sanitation, identification of carcasses, and record keeping.

97.42(2)(d) (d) No person may operate as a meat broker or meat distributor without an annual registration certificate issued by the department, except that no registration certificate is required for a meat broker or a meat distributor who holds a license issued under par. (a). A registration certificate expires on June 30, annually. An application for an annual registration certificate shall be made on a form provided by the department and shall include information reasonably required by the department for registration purposes.

97.42(3) (3) State inspection.

97.42(3)(a) (a) Examination before slaughter. For the purpose of preventing the sale and use in this state of meat or poultry products that are adulterated or otherwise not capable of use as human food, the department shall cause to be made, by inspectors who may be veterinarians on either a full-time or part-time basis, under supervision of the department, an examination and inspection of all livestock and poultry before they are slaughtered in any establishment, except as provided in pars. (d) and (em). All livestock and poultry found to show symptoms of disease shall be condemned or set apart and slaughtered separately from all other livestock and poultry, and when so slaughtered the meat or poultry products thereof shall be subject to careful examination, inspection, and disposition, in accordance with rules issued by the department.

97.42(3)(b) (b) Examination after slaughter. For the purpose stated in par. (a), the department shall cause to be made, by inspectors who may be veterinarians on either a full-time or part-time basis, under supervision of the department, an examination and inspection of the meat or poultry products of all livestock and poultry slaughtered at any establishment, except as provided in pars. (d) and (em). Meat or poultry products found to be not adulterated and capable of use as human food shall be marked, stamped, tagged, or labeled by inspectors as “Wis. inspected and passed”. Inspectors shall mark, stamp, tag, or label as “Wis. inspected and condemned” all meat or poultry products found to be adulterated or otherwise not capable of use as human food, and all meat or poultry products so inspected and condemned shall be destroyed, in accordance with rules issued by the department. Inspection marks, stamps, tags, and labels shall be prescribed by the department and shall include thereon the identification number of the establishment assigned by the department.

97.42(3)(c) (c) Reexaminations. Inspectors shall, when deemed advisable, reinspect meat or poultry products to determine whether they have become adulterated or otherwise not capable of use as human food. If any meat or poultry products, upon a reexamination, are found to be adulterated or otherwise not capable of use as human food, they shall be destroyed, in accordance with rules issued by the department.

97.42(3)(cm) (cm) Voluntary reimbursable inspection services. The department shall provide slaughter inspection services for licensed establishments for certain captive game animals and captive game birds, and shall designate by rule the species of captive game animals and captive game birds for which these services may be provided. The establishment requesting these services shall reimburse the department for the actual cost of providing the services at rates established by rule by the department.

97.42(3)(d) (d) Custom service slaughtering. This subsection does not apply to livestock and poultry slaughtered as a custom service for the owner of the livestock or poultry exclusively for use by the owner, members of the owner’s household, and the owner’s nonpaying guests and employees, unless department inspection is specifically requested and performed at establishments where examinations before and after slaughter are otherwise required. The rules of the department shall make provision for the furnishing of this inspection service, subject to availability of inspector personnel, and for the identification of all livestock and poultry custom slaughtered for the owners thereof without department inspection.

97.42(3)(e) (e) Periodic inspections. The department shall make periodic inspections of construction, operation, facilities, equipment, labeling, sanitation, and practices for ensuring meat or poultry products are not adulterated, at establishments or any other premises, including vehicles engaged in transportation of meat or poultry products. Inspection of products and plant operations shall cover operations such as cutting and boning, curing and smoking, grinding and fabrication, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, storage and transportation. Periodic inspections of processing operations shall be conducted as uniformly as possible among establishments subject to overtime inspection under sub. (4) (f) to avoid the imposition of undue inspection fees against any establishment. Inspections at overtime rates shall only be held where necessary to assure the safety of products for human consumption and compliance with the requirements of this section and rules of the department.

97.42(3)(em) (em) Slaughter of farm-raised deer. The requirements of pars. (a) and (b) do not apply to the slaughter of a farm-raised deer if its meat products are not sold by an operator of a retail food establishment, as defined under s. 97.30 (1) (c). The operator of an establishment in which farm-raised deer or their meat products are examined and inspected under this subsection shall pay the department for the cost of the department’s examination and inspection.

97.42(3)(f) (f) Label requirements. In addition to label requirements otherwise provided by law, meat or poultry products shall bear a label, stamp, mark or tag including thereon the official inspection mark and identification number of the establishment where processed. Meat or poultry products processed and sold at retail to household consumers on the premises do not require official inspection marks and identification numbers.

97.42(4) (4) Rules. The department may issue reasonable rules requiring or prescribing any of the following:

97.42(4)(a) (a) The inspection before and after slaughter of all livestock and poultry killed or dressed for human consumption at any establishment.

97.42(4)(b) (b) The inspection and marking of meat or poultry products intended for human consumption, and prohibiting the unauthorized use of any official inspection mark or simulation or counterfeit thereof.

97.42(4)(d) (d) The seizure, retention, and destruction of any livestock or poultry or meat or poultry products which have not been inspected or passed or are adulterated or misbranded, for the purpose of preventing human consumption.

97.42(4)(e) (e) The hours and days in each week when slaughtering or processing may be conducted in any establishment subject to a license under sub. (2). The schedules so fixed shall be as nearly as possible in accord with existing industry standards of establishments subject to inspection. However, in order to avoid excessive costs for inspection and stay within the limit of appropriations, the schedules may require that:

97.42(4)(e)1. 1. Slaughtering or processing be conducted continuously during successive days and hours of the regular workweek for state employees;

97.42(4)(e)2. 2. The rate of slaughter for the different classes of livestock and poultry conform to reasonable minimum levels per hour;

97.42(4)(e)3. 3. Inspection of livestock and poultry slaughtered as a custom service be restricted to the time of the regular slaughter schedule fixed for the establishment. When inspection is provided for custom slaughtering and custom processing the inspection shall be conducted in accordance with sub. (3) (a) to (c) and rules prescribed under this subsection; and

97.42(4)(e)4. 4. The department be notified a reasonable time in advance of any deviation from existing schedules or when slaughtering or processing is to be conducted at times other than those specified under regularly established schedules.

97.42(4)(em) (em) The rate at which an operator of an establishment that slaughters farm-raised deer or processes the meat products of farm-raised deer shall pay the costs of examination and inspection under sub. (3) (em) and the manner in which the department shall collect those amounts.

97.42(4)(f) (f) Overtime agreements with the department whereby the operator of any establishment subject to a license under sub. (2) agrees to pay the cost for salaries, at overtime rates, and other expenses of department inspectors whenever slaughtering, carcass preparation, or the processing of meat or poultry products is conducted beyond hours or days limited under par. (e), or on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays for state employees under s. 230.35 (4), or before 6 a.m. or after 6 p.m., or in excess of 40 hours in any week. Overtime charges for periodic inspections under sub. (3) (e) shall, insofar as possible, be limited to the minimum number of hours reasonably required for conducting those inspections. The department may assess overtime charges under this paragraph even though the department provides compensatory time in lieu of overtime compensation under s. 103.025.

97.42(4)(g) (g) Specifications and standards for location, construction, operation, facilities, equipment, and sanitation for any premises, establishment, or mobile facility where slaughter or processing is carried on, including custom slaughtering of livestock or poultry and custom or retail processing of meat or poultry products.

97.42(4)(h) (h) Conditions of sanitation under which meat or poultry products shall be stored, transported, or otherwise handled by any person engaged in the business of buying, selling, freezing, storing, transporting, or processing meat or poultry products.

97.42(4)(i) (i) Record-keeping requirements for persons engaged in slaughtering or processing operations, or in the storage or transportation of meat or poultry products, including record-keeping requirements for meat brokers and the registration of meat brokers with the department.

97.42(4)(j) (j) Any other rules reasonably necessary to the administration and enforcement of this section.

97.42(4m) (4m) Federal requirements. The operator of an establishment that is required to be licensed under this section shall comply with federal requirements as provided in rules promulgated by the department.

97.42(6) (6) Prohibitions.

97.42(6)(a) (a) No person may slaughter any livestock or poultry for the purpose of selling the meat or poultry products thereof for human food, or sell, offer for sale, or have in his or her possession with intent to sell any meat or poultry products for human food, unless the livestock or poultry and the meat or poultry products thereof have been first inspected and approved as provided by any of the following: