11-40-104. Standards for Wyoming lean beef.
(a) The committee shall establish quality standards for Wyoming lean beef in accordance with the following:
(i) Cattle qualifying shall graze the summer before slaughter in Wyoming. The committee may increase the proportion of time the cattle must live in Wyoming, specifying that particular portions of their lives must be spent in Wyoming and may impose altitude requirements and geographic restrictions in whole or in part on any time spent outside Wyoming. The committee shall not impose any altitude requirement on cattle within Wyoming. For the purposes of these standards, cattle shall be deemed to be living within Wyoming even though the pasture where the cattle are grazing is outside Wyoming if those cattle:
(A) Have free access to land within Wyoming; or
(B) Are in a pasture located not more than twenty-five (25) miles from the Wyoming border and the owner of the cattle is a Wyoming resident who physically resides within Wyoming and has his principal place of business in Wyoming.
(ii) Cattle qualifying shall be primarily grass fed cattle;
(iii) Cattle shall not be held in close confinement except for short periods in connection with operations necessary in the management of the cattle, including but not limited to calving, branding, vaccinating, weaning, transportation and slaughter;
(iv) Cattle qualifying shall have a hot carcass weight of at least four hundred (400) pounds. The committee may set a lighter minimum weight;
(v) Cattle qualifying shall have an untrimmed fat depth over the rib eye muscle at the twelfth (12th) rib of less than or equal to three tenths (0.3) of one inch. The committee may decrease the amount of fat permitted under this standard and may establish additional standards for fat. Except for ground beef, the committee shall not establish any fat standard that would permit more than three tenths (0.3) of one inch of untrimmed fat over the rib eye muscle of the twelfth (12th) rib;
(vi) Carcasses shall be electrically stimulated within one (1) hour after stunning. The committee may permit other treatments with similar effect in lieu of electrical stimulation and may eliminate this requirement if it no longer appears necessary to ensure adequate consumer acceptance;
(vii) Cattle shall not exceed thirty-two (32) months in age. The committee may vary this standard or prescribe in its place a maturity level that is to be judged from the characteristics of the carcass. The committee may also establish a minimum age;
(viii) Cattle shall not be given any growth promoting hormone;
(ix) Cattle shall not be given subtherapeutic levels of any antibiotic. This standard shall not be construed as prohibiting the use of therapeutic levels of any antibiotic for therapeutic purposes.
(b) For ground beef the committee shall establish separate standards which shall:
(i) Provide for a fat content of twenty percent (20%) or less. The committee may establish a lower fat content standard;
(ii) Include the same standards as are established pursuant to paragraphs (a)(i) through (iii), (viii) and (ix) of this section, but need not be consistent with the standards established pursuant to the balance of subsection (a) of this section;
(iii) Provide any other standards that may be necessary for ground beef.
(c) The committee may establish any additional quality standard which may be useful in:
(i) Improving the quality of the product;
(ii) Gaining consumer acceptance of the product;
(iii) Assisting in the enforcement of the remaining standards; and
(iv) Promoting human health and welfare through improvements in Wyoming lean beef.