Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

21 U.S.C. § 610

Prohibited acts

No person, firm, or corporation shall, with respect to any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, or any carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food products of any such animals—
(a)

Slaughtering animals or preparation of articles capable of use as human food

slaughter any such animals or prepare any such articles which are capable of use as human food at any establishment preparing any such articles for commerce, except in compliance with the requirements of this chapter;

(b)

Humane methods of slaughter

72 Stat. 8627 U.S.C. 1901–190slaughter or handle in connection with slaughter any such animals in any manner not in accordance with the Act of (; 6);

(c)

Sales, transportation, and other transactions

sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation, in commerce, (1) any such articles which (A) are capable of use as human food and (B) are adulterated or misbranded at the time of such sale, transportation, offer for sale or transportation, or receipt for transportation; or (2) any articles required to be inspected under this subchapter unless they have been so inspected and passed;

(d)

Adulteration or misbranding

do, with respect to any such articles which are capable of use as human food, any act while they are being transported in commerce or held for sale after such transportation, which is intended to cause or has the effect of causing such articles to be adulterated or misbranded.

Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 290734 Stat. 1262Pub. L. 90–20181 Stat. 584Pub. L. 95–445, § 392 Stat. 1069(, title I, § 10, formerly 8th par., ; renumbered § 10 and amended , §§ 1, 7, , , 589; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 85–76572 Stat. 862Act of , referred to in subsec. (b), is , , , which is classified generally to chapter 48 (§ 1901 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Pub. L. 95–445, § 5(b)92 Stat. 1069section 7 of Pub. L. 95–445section 603 of this titleSections 1903 and 1905 of Title 7, included within reference to Act of , were repealed by , , , effective as set forth in , set out as an Effective Date of 1978 Amendment note under .

Codification

section 78 of this titleSection was formerly classified to .

Amendments

Pub. L. 95–4451978—Subsecs. (b) to (d). added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively.

Pub. L. 90–201, § 71967—, included the list of animals and prohibited, except in compliance with requirements of this chapter, slaughtering animals or preparation of articles capable of use as human food, sales, transportation, and other transactions, and acts of adulteration or misbranding, incorporating in subsec. (b)(2) existing prohibition on distributions in interstate or foreign commerce of noninspected articles.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Pub. L. 95–445section 7 of Pub. L. 95–445section 603 of this titleAmendment by effective one year after , and an additional eighteen month period thereafter in hardship cases, see , set out as an Effective Date of 1978 Amendment note under .

Effective Date of 1967 Amendment

Pub. L. 90–201section 20(a) of Pub. L. 90–201section 601 of this titleAmendment by effective , except that subsecs. (b)(1) and (c) of this section effective upon expiration of sixty days after , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .