[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-138]
Pork and pork products that require treatment to kill trichinae prior to preparation, processing and sale to the ultimate consumer includes all pork and pork products which:
a. 
Appear cooked due to a partial heat treatment but not heated to the temperature of safety, or 137° F.;
b. 
Appear cooked due to the smoking process or by the addition of dark colored spices, herbs and flavorings, or;
c. 
Products that are normally and usually eaten by the consumer as purchased, without further cooking, regardless of the fact that the product contains raw pork.
[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-139]
Any product which meets any of the situations referred to in the preceding Section 13:7-138 must be prepared only from pork or pork products which have been treated by one of the following outlined methods known to kill trichinae, namely: a. heating, b. freezing, or c. curing.
[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-140]
All parts of the pork muscle tissue shall be heated to a temperature not lower than 137° F., and the method used shall be one known to ensure such a result. On account of differences in methods of heating and in weights of products undergoing treatment it is impracticable to specify details of procedures for all cases.
Procedures which ensure the proper heating of all parts of the product shall be adopted. It is important that each piece of sausage, each ham and other products treated by heating in water be kept entirely submerged throughout the heating period; and that the largest pieces in a lot, the innermost links of bunched sausage or other massed items, and pieces placed in the coolest part of a heating cabinet or compartment or vat, be included in the temperature tests.
[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-141]
a. 
At any stage of preparation and after preparatory chilling to a temperature of not above 40° F., or preparatory freezing, all parts of the muscle tissue of pork or product containing such tissue shall be subjected continuously to a temperature not higher than one of those specified in the following table, the duration of such refrigeration at the specified temperature being dependent on the thickness of the meat or inside dimensions of the containers.
Table
Required Period of Freezing at Temperature Indicated
Temperature
Group 1
Group 2
5° F.
20 Days
30 Days
-10° F.
10 Days
20 Days
-20° F.
6 Days
12 Days
Note:
Group 1 comprises products in separate pieces not exceeding 6 inches in thickness, or arranged on separate racks with the layers not exceeding 6 inches in depth, or stored in crates or boxes not exceeding 6 inches in depth, or stored as solidly frozen blocks not exceeding 6 inches in thickness.
Group 2 comprises products in pieces, layers or within containers, the thickness of which exceeds six inches but does not exceed 27 inches, and products in containers including tierces, barrels, kegs and cartons having a thickness not exceeding 27 inches.
b. 
The product undergoing such refrigeration or the containers thereof shall be so spaced while in the freezer as to ensure a free circulation of air between the pieces of meat, layers, blocks, boxes, barrels and tierces in order that the temperature of the meat throughout will be promptly reduced to not higher than 5° F., -10° F., or -20° F., as the case may be.
During the period of refrigeration, the product or lot thereof must be kept separate from other products. Rooms or compartments equipped for being made secure with lock or seal should be provided. The rooms or compartments containing products undergoing freezing must be equipped with accurate thermometers, placed at or above the highest level at which the product undergoing treatment is stored, and away from refrigerating coils. After the prescribed freezing has been finished, the product must be kept under close supervision until it is prepared in finished form. Accurate dating of products and identity as to temperatures must accompany each frozen lot as follows:
"Pork Product" _____ Degrees F. _____ Days' Refrigeration."
[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-142]
a. 
Pork Sausage. Sausage may be stuffed in animal casings, hydrocellulose casings or cloth bags. During any stage of treating the sausage for the destruction of live trichinae, except as provided in "Method No. 5" of this paragraph a., these coverings shall not be coated with paraffin or like substance, nor shall any sausage be washed during any prescribed period of drying. In the preparation of sausage, one of the following methods may be used:
Method No. 1. The meat shall be ground or chopped into pieces not exceeding 3/4 of an inch in diameter. A dry-curing mixture containing not less than 3 1/3 pounds of salt to each hundredweight of the unstuffed sausage shall be thoroughly mixed with the ground or chopped meat. After being stuffed, sausage having a diameter not exceeding 3 1/2 inches, measured at the time of stuffing, shall be held in a drying room not less than 20 days at a temperature not lower than 45° F., except that in sausage of the variety known as pepperoni, if in casings not exceeding 1 3/8 inches in diameter measured at the time of stuffing, the period of drying may be reduced to 15 days. In no case, however, shall the sausage be released from the drying room in less than 25 days from the time the curing materials are added, except that sausage of the variety known as pepperoni, if in casings not exceeding the size specified, may be released at the expiration of 20 days from the time the curing materials are added. Sausage in casings exceeding 3 1/2 inches, but not exceeding four inches in diameter at the time of stuffing, shall be held in a drying room not less than 35 days at a temperature not lower than 45° F., and in no case shall the sausage be released from the drying room in less than 40 days from the time the curing materials are added to the meat.
Method No. 2. The meat shall be ground or chopped into pieces not exceeding 3/4 of an inch in diameter. A dry-curing mixture containing not less than 3 1/3 pounds of salt to each hundredweight of the unstuffed sausage shall be thoroughly mixed with the ground or chopped meat. After being stuffed, sausage having a diameter not exceeding 3 1/2 inches, measured at the time of stuffing, shall be smoked not less than 40 hours at a temperature not lower than 80° F., and finally held in a drying room not less than 10 days at a temperature not lower than 45° F. In no case, however, shall the sausage be released from the drying room in less than 18 days from the time the curing materials are added to the meat. Sausage exceeding 3 1/2 inches, but not exceeding four inches in diameter at the time of stuffing, shall be held in a drying room, following smoking as above indicated, not less than 25 days at a temperature not lower than 45° F. In no case, however, shall the sausage be released from the drying room in less than 18 days from the time the curing materials are added to the meat. Sausage exceeding three and one-half inches, but not exceeding four inches in diameter at the time of stuffing, shall be held in a drying room following smoking as above indicated, not less than 25 days at a temperature not lower than 45°F, and in no case shall the sausage be released from the drying room in less than 33 days from the time the curing materials are added to the meat.
Method No. 3. The meat shall be ground or chopped into pieces not exceeding 3/4 of an inch in diameter. A dry-curing mixture containing not less than three and one-third pounds of salt to each hundredweight of the unstuffed sausage shall be thoroughly mixed with the ground or chopped meat. After admixture with the salt and other curing materials and before stuffing, the ground or chopped meat shall be held at a temperature not lower than 34°F for not less than 36 hours. After being stuffed the sausage shall be held at a temperature not lower than 34°F for an additional period of time sufficient to make a total of not less than 144 hours from the time the curing materials are added to the meat, or the sausage shall be held for the time specified in a pickle-curing medium of not less than 50 strength (salimeter reading) at a temperature not lower than 44°F. Finally, the sausage having a diameter not exceeding three and one­ half inches, measured at the time of stuffing, shall be smoked for not less than 12 hours. The temperature of the smokehouse during this period at no time shall be lower than 90°F, and for four consecutive hours of this period the smokehouse shall be maintained at a temperature not lower than 128°F. In regulating the temperature of the smokehouse for the treatment of sausage under this method, the temperature of 128°F shall be attained gradually during a period of not less than four hours.
Method No. 4. The meat shall be ground or chopped into pieces not exceeding 1/4 of an inch in diameter. A dry-curing mixture containing not less than two and one-half pounds of salt to each hundredweight of the unstuffed sausage shall be thoroughly mixed with the ground or chopped meat. After admixture with the salt and other curing materials and before stuffing, the ground or chopped sausage shall be held as a compact mass, not more than six inches in depth, at a temperature not lower than 36°F for not less than 10 days. At the termination of the holding period, the sausage shall be stuffed in casings or cloth bags not exceeding three and one­ half inches in diameter, measured at the time of stuffing. After being stuffed, the sausage shall be held in a drying room at a temperature not lower than 45°F for the remainder of a 35 day period, measured from the time the curing materials are added to the meat. At any time after stuffing, if an establishment deems it desirable, the product may be heated in a water bath for a period not to exceed three hours at a temperature not lower than 80°F, or subjected to smoking at a temperature not lower than 80°F, or the product may be both heated and smoked as specified. The time consumed in heating and smoking, however, shall be in addition to the 35 day holding period specified.
Method No. 5. The meat shall be ground or chopped into pieces not exceeding 3/4 of an inch in diameter. A dry-curing mixture containing not less than three and one-third pounds of salt to each hundredweight of the unstuffed sausage shall be thoroughly mixed with the ground or chopped meat. After being stuffed the sausage shall be held for not less than 65 days at a temperature not lower than 45°F. The coverings for sausage prepared according to this method may be coated at any stage of the preparation before or during the holding period with paraffin or other substance approved by the Health Officer.
b. 
Capocollo (capicola, capacola). Boneless pork butts for capocollo shall be cured in a dry­ curing mixture containing not less than four and one-half pounds of salt per hundredweight of meat for a period of not less than 25 days at a temperature not lower than 36°F. If the curing materials are applied to the butts by the process known as churning, a small quantity of pickle may be added. During the curing period the butts may be overhauled according to any of the usual processes of overhauling including the addition of pickle or dry salt if desired. The butts shall not be subjected during or after curing to any treatment designed to remove salt from the meat, except that superficial washing may be allowed. After being stuffed, the product shall be smoked for a period of not less than 30 hours at a temperature not lower than 80°F, and shall finally be held in a drying room not less than 20 days at a temperature not lower than 45°F.
c. 
Coppa. Boneless pork butts for coppa shall be cured in a dry-curing mixture containing not less than four and one-half pounds of salt per hundredweight of meat for a period of not less than 18 days at a temperature not lower than 36°F. If the curing mixture is applied to the butts by the process known as churning, a small quantity of pickle may be added. During the curing period the butts may be overhauled according to any of the usual processes of overhauling, including the addition of pickle or dry salt if desired. The butts shall not be subjected during or after curing to any treatment designed to remove salt from the meat, except that superficial washing may be allowed.
After being stuffed, the product shall be held in a drying room not less than 35 days at a temperature not lower than 45°F.
d. 
Hams. In the curing of hams either of the following methods may be used:
Method No. 1. The hams shall be cured by a dry-salt curing process not less than 40 days at a temperature not lower than 36°F. The hams shall be laid down in salt, not less than four pounds to each hundredweight of hams, the salt being applied in a thorough manner to the lean meat of each ham. When placed in cure the hams may be pumped with pickle if desired. At least once during the curing process the hams shall be overhauled and additional salt applied, if necessary, so that the lean meat of each ham is thoroughly covered. After removal from cure the hams may be soaked in water at a temperature not higher than 70°F for not more than 15 hours, during which time the water may be changed once; but they shall not be subjected to any other treatment designed to remove salt from the meat, except that superficial washing may be allowed. The hams shall finally be dried or smoked not less than 10 days at a temperature not lower than 95°F.
Method No. 2. The hams shall be cured by a dry-salt curing process at a temperature not lower than 36°F for a period of not less than three days for each pound of weight (green) of the individual ham . The time of cure of each lot of hams placed m cure should be calculated on a basis of the weight of the heaviest ham of the lot. Hams cured by this method, before they are placed in cure, shall be pumped with pickle solution of not less than 100° strength (salimeter), about four ounces of the solution being injected into the shank and a like quantity along the flank side of the body bone (femur). The hams shall be laid down in salt, not less than four pounds of salt to each hundredweight of hams, the salt being applied in a thorough manner to the lean meat of each ham. At least once during the curing process the hams shall be overhauled and additional salt applied, if necessary, so that the lean meat of each ham is thoroughly covered. After removal from the cure the hams may be soaked in water at a temperature not higher than 70° F. for not more than four hours, but shall not be subjected to any other treatment designed to remove salt from the meat, except that superficial washing may be allowed. The hams shall then be dried or smoked not less than 48 hours at a temperature not lower than 80° F., and finally shall be held in a drying room not less than 20 days at a temperature not lower than 45° F.
e. 
Boneless Pork Loins and Loin Ends. In lieu of heating or refrigerating to destroy trichinae in boneless loins, the loins shall be cured for a period of not less than 25 days at a temperature not lower than 36° F. by the use of one of the following methods:
Method No. 1. A dry-salt curing mixture containing not less than five pounds of salt to each hundredweight of meat.
Method No. 2. A pickle solution of not less than 80° strength (salimeter) on the basis of not less than 60 pounds of pickle to each hundredweight of meat.
Method No. 3. A pickle solution added to the approved dry-salt cure provided the pickle solution is not less than 80° strength (salimeter).
After removal from cure, the loins may be soaked in water for not more than one hour at a temperature not higher than 70° F. or washed under a spray but shall not be subjected, during or after the curing process, to any other treatment designed to remove salt.
Following curing, the loins shall be smoked for not less than 12 hours. The minimum temperature of the smokehouse during this period at no time shall be lower than 100° F., and for four consecutive hours of this period the smokehouse shall be maintained at a temperature not lower than 125° F.
Finally, the product shall be held in a drying room for a period of not less than 12 days at a temperature not lower than 45° F.
[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-143]
When necessary to comply with this Article, the smokehouses, drying rooms and other compartments used in the treatment of pork to destroy trichinae shall be suitably equipped, by the establishment, with accurate automatic recording thermometers. Inspectors in charge are authorized to approve for use in sausage smokehouses, drying rooms and other compartments, such automatic recording thermometers as are found to give satisfactory service.
[R.O. 1966 § 12:7-144]
To ensure the effective administration of this Article, inspectors who supervise the handling and treatment of pork to destroy live trichinae shall:
a. 
Recognize the importance of safeguarding the consumer and follow carefully the instructions concerning the treatment of pork to destroy trichinae.
b. 
Check the internal temperature, with the thermometers described in Section 13:7-143, of all products subjected to the heating method.
c. 
Test frequently, with the thermometers, the reliability of establishment thermometers (including automatic recording thermometers) and reject for use any found to be inaccurate and unreliable.
d. 
Observe the thermometers carefully in order that none be used which have become defective or of questionable accuracy.
e. 
Supervise in a methodical manner the handling, in drying, refrigerating and curing departments, of pork products under treatment for the destruction of live trichinae, and keep conveniently available, at the official establishment for Division of Health use, such records as may be necessary and informative of each lot of product under treatment.