Title 21 — Food and DrugsRelease 119-73
§621 Inspectors to make examinations provided for; appointment; duties; regulations
Title 21 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - MEAT INSPECTION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS; ADULTERATION AND MISBRANDING › § 621
Summary
The Secretary must hire inspectors to check animals covered by this law, their carcasses and meat products, and the cleanliness of places where those meats are made. Inspectors must not stamp, mark, tag, or label any carcass, part, or meat product until they have actually inspected it and found it not contaminated. Inspectors must do other jobs required by this law and by the rules the Secretary creates. All inspections must follow those rules and must not conflict with the law.
Full Legal Text
Title 21, §621
Food and Drugs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Secretary shall appoint from time to time inspectors to make examination and inspection of all amenable species, inspection of which is hereby provided for and of all carcasses and parts thereof, and of all meats and meat food products thereof, and of the sanitary conditions of all establishments in which such meat and meat food products hereinbefore described are prepared; and said inspectors shall refuse to stamp, mark, tag, or label any carcass or any part thereof, or meat food product therefrom, prepared in any establishment hereinbefore mentioned, until the same shall have actually been inspected and found to be not adulterated; and shall perform such other duties as are provided by this chapter and by the rules and regulations to be prescribed by said Secretary; and said Secretary shall, from time to time, make such rules and regulations as are necessary for the efficient execution of the provisions of this chapter, and all inspections and examinations made under this chapter, shall be such and made in such manner as described in the rules and regulations prescribed by said Secretary not inconsistent with provisions of this chapter.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was formerly classified to section 89 of this title.
Amendments
2005—Pub. L. 109–97 substituted “amenable species” for “cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines”. 1986—Pub. L. 99–641 temporarily substituted “thereof, and of meat food products” for “and meat food products”, which substitution was made for the first such reference as the probable intent of Congress. See Effective and Termination Dates of 1986 Amendment note below. 1967—Pub. L. 90–201, §§ 3(b), 12(a), (i), struck out “of Agriculture” after “Secretary” in four places, included horses, mules, and other equines in the list of animals, and substituted “not adulterated” for “sound, healthful, wholesome, and fit for human food, and to contain no dyes, chemicals, preservatives, or ingredients which render such meat food product unsound, unhealthful, unwholesome, or unfit for human food; and to have been prepared under proper sanitary conditions, hereinbefore provided for”, respectively.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2005 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–97 effective the day after 120 days after Nov. 10, 2005, see section 798(b) of Pub. L. 109–97, set out as a note under section 601 of this title. Effective and Termination Dates of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–641, title IV, § 403(d)(2), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3570, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective only during the 6-year period beginning on Nov. 10, 1986. Amendment by Pub. L. 99–641 effective Nov. 10, 1986, except that this section as in effect immediately before Nov. 10, 1986, applies with respect to establishments until the Secretary of Agriculture first issues
Rules and Regulations
to implement the
Amendments
made by section 403(a) of Pub. L. 99–641 to section 606 of this title, see section 408 of Pub. L. 99–641, set out as a note under section 609 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1967 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 90–201 effective Dec. 15, 1967, except that with respect to equines (other than horses) and their carcasses and parts thereof, meat, and meat food products thereof, amendment effective upon expiration of sixty days after Dec. 15, 1967, see section 20(b) of Pub. L. 90–201, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 601 of this title.
Construction
and Effect of
Amendments
by Pub. L. 99–641For provisions relating to
Construction
and effect of temporary
Amendments
by section 403 of Pub. L. 99–641, see section 403(e) and 404 of Pub. L. 99–641, set out as notes entitled “Inspection Services for Establishments Not Participating in Total Plant Quality-Control Program” and “
Savings Provision
”, respectively, under section 609 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
21 U.S.C. § 621
Title 21 — Food and Drugs
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73