Chapter 97

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:

97.42(6)(a)1. 1. This section and the rules issued thereunder.

97.42(6)(a)2. 2. The federal meat inspection act.

97.42(6)(a)3. 3. The federal poultry products inspection act.

97.42(6)(b) (b) No person may sell, offer for sale, or have in his or her possession with intent to sell any meat or poultry products unless those products have been processed in accordance with this section or the federal meat inspection act.

97.42(6)(c) (c) No person may slaughter horses, mules, or other equines or process equine carcasses or meat at establishments where livestock or poultry are slaughtered or where meat or poultry products are processed.

97.42(6)(d) (d) No county or municipality may prohibit the sale of any meat or poultry products if the meat or poultry products are inspected and passed by the department or by the federal department of agriculture, provided the meat or poultry products are not adulterated or misbranded at the time of sale.

97.42(7) (7) Right of access. No person may prevent or attempt to prevent an inspector or other officer or agent of the department from entering, at any time, any establishment or any other place where meat or poultry products are processed, sold, or held for sale, for the purpose of any examination, inquiry, or inspection in connection with the administration and enforcement of this section. The examination, inquiry, or inspection may include taking samples, pictures, and documentary and physical evidence pertinent to enforcement of this section.

97.42(8) (8) Interference with inspection. Any person who forcibly assaults, threatens, obstructs, impedes, intimidates or interferes with any person while engaged in the performance of his or her official duties under this section shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned in the county jail not to exceed one year or both.

97.42(9) (9) Tagging of facilities, equipment and product.

97.42(9)(a) (a) When in the opinion of the department, the use of any equipment, utensil, container, compartment, room, or facility which is unclean or unsanitary or improperly constructed could lead to contamination of a meat or poultry product, the department may attach a “Rejected” tag to the item, room, or facility. No equipment, utensil, container, compartment, room, or facility so tagged may be used until made acceptable and released by a department representative, or until that item, room, or facility is replaced with an acceptable item, room, or facility.

97.42(9)(b) (b)

97.42(9)(b)1. 1. When in the opinion of the department any meat or poultry product, or supplies or ingredients used in the processing thereof, may be adulterated or misbranded, or otherwise fail to meet standards or requirements of this section or rules adopted under this section, the department may tag the product, supplies, or ingredients with a “Retained” tag to hold them for further inspection, analysis, or examination. No meat or poultry product, supplies, or ingredients so tagged may be used, removed from the premises, or otherwise disposed of unless released by a department representative. A tagged item may not be retained for more than 30 days without prior notice to the owner or custodian and the right to an immediate hearing.

97.42(9)(b)2. 2. When in the opinion of the department any meat or poultry product, or supplies or ingredients used in the processing thereof, is adulterated or misbranded, or otherwise fails to meet standards or requirements of this section or rules adopted under this section, the department may tag the product, supplies, or ingredients with a “Detained” tag to hold them for destruction or other disposition. No meat or poultry product, supplies, or ingredients so tagged may be used, removed from the premises, or otherwise disposed of unless released by a department representative. A tagged item may not be destroyed or detained for more than 30 days without prior notice to the owner or custodian and the right to an immediate hearing.

97.42(9)(c) (c) No person may alter, deface or remove any tag from facilities, equipment, products or supplies to which it has been attached by a department inspector without the express consent or approval of the inspector or other department representative.

97.42(10) (10) Suspension. The department may, upon written notice, summarily suspend the operations in whole or in part at any establishment for substantial violations of this section or rules issued hereunder when, in the opinion of the department, a continuation of the operation would constitute an imminent danger to public health. The department may, upon written notice, summarily suspend inspection at any establishment for acts punishable under sub. (8) where those acts substantially impair an inspector’s ability to conduct an orderly inspection. Upon suspension of operations or inspection, the operator of the establishment may demand a hearing to determine whether the suspension should be vacated. The department shall, within 5 days after receipt of the demand, hold a hearing and adjudicate the issues as provided in ch. 227. A demand for hearing does not operate to stay the suspension pending the hearing.

97.42(11) (11) Exemption. This section does not apply to owners of poultry with respect to poultry produced on the owner’s farm, provided his or her sales do not exceed 1,000 birds annually, and the birds are labeled and tagged to identify the name and address of the producer and are marked “NOT INSPECTED”. Persons processing more than 1,000 birds but less than 20,000 birds shall be fully subject to the provisions of this section relating to licensing, sanitation, facilities, and practices for ensuring product is not adulterated, except that, if the department determines that the protection of consumers from adulterated poultry products will not be impaired, it may exempt these persons from sub. (3) (a) and (b) provided the birds are labeled or tagged to identify the name and address of the producer and are marked “NOT INSPECTED”.

97.42(12) (12) Substantial or repeated violations. The department may deny, revoke or suspend the license of any person for substantial or repeated violations of this section.

97.42 History History: 1971 c. 270 s. 104; 1973 c. 206; 1975 c. 308, 421; 1977 c. 196 s. 131; 1977 c. 216, 365; 1979 c. 110, 154; 1981 c. 314; 1983 a. 189, 261; 1983 a. 500 s. 44; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 174; 1991 a. 39, 175, 269; 1993 a. 16, 27, 144, 492; 1995 a. 79, 225; 1999 a. 9, 185; 2001 a. 56; 2013 a. 302; 2015 a. 55, 243; 2017 a. 365.

97.42 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. ATCP 55 and 57, Wis. adm. code.

97.43 97.43 Meat from dead or diseased animals.

97.43(1) (1) No meat from any diseased animal, or any dead animal as defined under s. 95.72 (1) (c), may be sold or used for human consumption, or dismembered or stored at premises where other food is sold or prepared for sale.

97.43(2) (2) No carcass meat or other part of any animal shall be fed to food-producing animals or to animals used for human consumption unless it has been thoroughly rendered or cooked.

97.43(3) (3) Subsection (1) shall not apply to meat from animals affected by any disease which does not ordinarily render such meat unfit for human consumption, provided the animals so affected have been slaughtered in establishments where meat inspection is maintained under s. 97.42 or the federal meat inspection act.

97.43(4) (4) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a Class H felony.

97.43 History History: 1971 c. 40 s. 93; 1979 c. 129 s. 6; Stats. 1979 s. 97.43; 1981 c. 66; 1985 a. 229; 1997 a. 283; 2001 a. 109.

97.43 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. ATCP 55, Wis. adm. code.

97.43 Annotation This section is not unconstitutionally vague. State v. Ehlenfeldt, 94 Wis. 2d 347, 288 N.W.2d 786 (1980).

97.44 97.44 Identification of meat for animal feed; registration and records of buyers.

97.44(1) (1) No person shall buy, sell or transport any carcasses, parts thereof or meat or meat food products of any animals which are not intended for use as human food, unless they are denatured or otherwise identified as required by rules of the department or are naturally inedible by humans.

97.44(2) (2) Animal feed manufacturers and operators of fur farms, exempt from s. 95.72, shall register their names and business locations with the department if they engage in slaughtering animals or in buying dead animals or parts of the carcasses of such animals. The department, by rule, may require that they keep records of their purchase and disposition of such animals and carcass parts.

97.44(3) (3) As used in this section, “animals” means cattle, sheep, goats, swine, equines, farm-raised deer, as defined in s. 95.001 (1) (ag), and poultry, except in the phrase “animal feed manufacturers”.

97.44 History History: 1975 c. 308; 1995 a. 79; 2001 a. 56.

97.44 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. ATCP 57, Wis. adm. code.

97.56 97.56 Kosher meat.

97.56(1) (1) Under this section “kosher” means prepared in accordance with the Jewish ritual and sanctioned by Hebrew orthodox religious requirements.

97.56(2) (2) No person may, with intent to defraud, do any of the following:

97.56(2)(a) (a) Sell or expose for sale any meat or meat preparation, whether raw or prepared for human consumption, and falsely represent the meat or meat preparation to be kosher, and as having been prepared under and of a product or products sanctioned by the orthodox Hebrew religious requirements.

97.56(2)(b) (b) Falsely represent any food product or the contents of any package or container to be kosher and as having been prepared under and of a product or products sanctioned by the orthodox Hebrew religious requirements, by having or permitting to be inscribed on the package or container the word “kosher” in any language.

97.56(2)(c) (c) Sell or expose for sale in the same place of business both kosher and nonkosher meat or meat preparations, either raw or prepared for human consumption, unless all of that person’s window signs and display advertising indicate, in block letters at least 4 inches in height, “Kosher and Nonkosher Meat Sold Here”.

97.56(2)(d) (d) Expose for sale in any show window or place of business both kosher and nonkosher meat or meat preparations, either raw or prepared for human consumption, unless the person displays over each kind of meat or meat preparation so exposed a sign in block letters at least 4 inches in height reading “Kosher Meat”, or “Nonkosher Meat”, as the case may be.

97.56(3) (3) No person, with intent to defraud, may do any of the following:

97.56(3)(a) (a) Sell or expose for sale in any such restaurant or other place where food products are sold for consumption on the premises, any article of food or food preparations that is falsely represented to be kosher and as having been prepared in accordance with the orthodox Hebrew religious requirements.

97.56(3)(b) (b) Sell or expose for sale in any restaurant or other place both kosher and nonkosher food or food preparations for consumption on the premises when not prepared in accordance with the Jewish ritual and not sanctioned by the Hebrew orthodox religious requirements, unless the person’s window signs and display advertising state, in block letters at least 4 inches in height, “Kosher and Nonkosher Food Served Here”.

97.56 History History: 1993 a. 492; 1997 a. 253.

97.57 97.57 Planted or cultivated rice.

97.57(1) (1) In this section:

97.57(1)(a) (a) “Paddy-grown rice” means rice which is mechanically planted, mechanically harvested or cultivated with the use of chemical fertilizers or herbicides.

97.57(1)(b) (b) “Wild rice” means rice which is not mechanically harvested and which is cultivated without the use of any chemical fertilizer or herbicide.

97.57(2) (2) Any wholesaler or supplier who sells or offers for sale any paddy-grown rice which is not blended with any other rice may not label that paddy-grown rice “wild rice” unless he or she includes on the label, immediately before, after or above the largest words “wild rice”, the word “paddy-grown” in legible, boldface print or type which is in distinct contrast to all other printed or graphic material on the label and in a type or print size which is not less than one-half the size of the largest type or print used in the words “wild rice” with which the word “paddy-grown” appears.

97.57(3) (3) No wholesaler or supplier may sell or offer for sale any rice labeled “100 percent natural wild rice” unless that rice is wild rice which is not blended with any other rice.

97.57 History History: 1987 a. 375.

97.59 97.59 Handling foods. No person in charge of any public eating place or other establishment where food products to be consumed by others are handled may knowingly employ any person handling food products who has a disease in a form that is communicable by food handling. If required by the local health officer or any officer of the department for the purposes of an investigation, any person who is employed in the handling of foods or is suspected of having a disease in a form that is communicable by food handling shall submit to an examination by the officer or by a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber designated by the officer. The expense of the examination, if any, shall be paid by the person examined. Any person knowingly infected with a disease in a form that is communicable by food handling who handles food products to be consumed by others and any persons knowingly employing or permitting such a person to handle food products to be consumed by others shall be punished as provided by s. 97.72.

97.59 History History: 1981 c. 291; 1993 a. 27 s. 298; Stats. 1993 s. 252.18; 2005 a. 187; 2011 a. 161; 2015 a. 55 s. 4040; Stats. 2015 s. 97.59.

97.60 97.60 Coordination; certification.

97.60(1) (1) The department shall enter into memoranda of understanding with other state agencies to establish food protection measures.

97.60(2) (2) The department shall promulgate rules that establish a food sanitation manager certification program.

97.60(3) (3) The department shall accept relevant education, training, instruction, or other experience that an applicant has obtained in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), to count toward satisfying any education, training, instruction, or other experience requirement in the food sanitation manager certification program established under sub. (2) if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the education, training, instruction, or other experience that the applicant obtained in connection with his or her military service is substantially equivalent to the education, training, instruction, or other experience that is required to obtain an initial certificate under the food sanitation manager certification program.

97.60 History History: 1993 a. 27; 2011 a. 120; 2015 a. 55 s. 4078; Stats. 2015 s. 97.60.

subch. III of ch. 97 SUBCHAPTER III

LODGING AND VENDING MACHINES

97.603 97.603 Motels. Upon the written request of the hotel operator made on forms furnished by the department, the department may classify a hotel as a “motel”, if the operator of the hotel furnishes on-premises parking facilities for the motor vehicles of the hotel guests as a part of the room charge, without extra cost.

97.603 History History: 1983 a. 203 ss. 3, 5; 1983 a. 538 s. 67; 1993 a. 27 s. 66; Stats. 1993 s. 254.63; 2015 a. 55 s. 4079; Stats. 2015 s. 97.603.

97.605 97.605 Lodging and vending licenses.

97.605(1) (1) 

97.605(1)(a) (a) No person may conduct, maintain, manage or operate a hotel, tourist rooming house, vending machine commissary or vending machine if the person has not been issued an annual license by the department or by a local health department that is granted agent status under s. 97.615 (2).

97.605(1)(b) (b) No person may maintain, manage or operate a bed and breakfast establishment for more than 10 nights in a year without having first obtained an annual license from the department.

97.605(1)(c) (c) Except as provided in s. 93.135, no license may be issued under this section until all applicable fees have been paid. If the payment is by check or other draft drawn upon an account containing insufficient funds, the license applicant shall, within 15 days after receipt of notice from the department of the insufficiency, pay by cashier’s check or other certified draft, money order or cash the fees, late fees and processing charges that are specified by rules promulgated by the department. If the license applicant fails to pay all applicable fees, late fees and processing charges within 15 days after the applicant receives notice of the insufficiency, the license is void. In an appeal concerning voiding of a license under this paragraph, the burden is on the license applicant to show that the entire applicable fees, late fees and processing charges have been paid. During any appeal process concerning payment dispute, operation of the establishment in question is deemed to be operation without a license.

97.605(1)(d) (d) If a person or establishment otherwise licensed under this chapter is incidentally engaged in an activity for which a license is required under this section, the department may, by rule, exempt the person or establishment from the license requirement under this section.

97.605(1m) (1m) No county, city, village or town may require any license of, or impose any license or inspection fee on, a vending machine operator, vending machine commissary or vending machine licensed under this chapter.

97.605(1p) (1p) Except as provided in s. 93.135, the department may condition the initial issuance, renewal or continued validity of a license issued under this section on correction by the licensee of a violation of this subchapter, rules promulgated by the department under this subchapter or ordinances or regulations adopted under s. 97.615 (2) (g), within a specified period of time. If the licensee fails to meet the condition within the specified period of time, the license is void.

97.605(2) (2) Except as provided in sub. (3), a separate license is required for each hotel, tourist rooming house, bed and breakfast establishment, or vending machine commissary.

97.605(3) (3)