Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-102
§153 Inspection of Imports; Denial of Entry and Destruction
Title 21 › CHAPTER 5 — VIRUSES, SERUMS, TOXINS, ANTITOXINS, AND ANALOGOUS PRODUCTS › § 153
Summary
The Secretary of Agriculture can have the Bureau of Animal Industry inspect imported viruses, serums, toxins, and similar products meant to treat domestic animals. If any are found worthless, contaminated, dangerous, or harmful, they must be denied entry and destroyed or returned at the owner's or importer's cost.
Full Legal Text
Title 21, §153
Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to cause the Bureau of Animal Industry to examine and inspect all viruses, serums, toxins, and analogous products, for use in the treatment of domestic animals, which are being imported or offered for importation into the United States, to determine whether such viruses, serums, toxins, and analogous products are worthless, contaminated, dangerous, or harmful, and if it shall appear that any such virus, serum, toxin, or analogous product, for use in the treatment of domestic animals, is worthless, contaminated, dangerous, or harmful, the same shall be denied entry and shall be destroyed or returned at the expense of the owner or importer.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification See note set out under section 151 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
For
Transfer of Functions
of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to agricultural import and entry inspection activities under this chapter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 231, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
21 U.S.C. § 153
Title 21, Food and Drugs
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102