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Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-102

§605 Examination of Carcasses Brought Into Slaughtering or Packing Establishments, and of Meat Food Products Issued From and Returned Thereto; Conditions for Entry

Title 21 › CHAPTER 12 — MEAT INSPECTION › SUBCHAPTER I — INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS; ADULTERATION AND MISBRANDING › § 605

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

All carcasses, parts of carcasses, and meat products of animals covered by the law that are brought into slaughtering, canning, salting, packing, rendering, or similar plants must be inspected before they go into any area for processing. The rule also covers meat products that leave a plant and are later returned to the same or a similar inspected plant. The Secretary can limit what animals, meat, or other materials may enter an inspected plant and set conditions to make sure entry fits the law’s purposes.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §605

Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The foregoing provisions shall apply to all carcasses or parts of carcasses of amenable species or the meat or meat products thereof which may be brought into any slaughtering, meat-canning, salting, packing, rendering, or similar establishment, and such examination and inspection shall be had before the said carcasses or parts thereof shall be allowed to enter into any department wherein the same are to be treated and prepared for meat food products; and the foregoing provisions shall also apply to all such products, which, after having been issued from any slaughtering, meat-canning, salting, packing, rendering, or similar establishment, shall be returned to the same or to any similar establishment where such inspection is maintained. The Secretary may limit the entry of carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat and meat food products, and other materials into any establishment at which inspection under this subchapter is maintained, under such conditions as he may prescribe to assure that allowing the entry of such articles into such inspected establishments will be consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 73 of this title.

Amendments

2005—Pub. L. 109–97 substituted “amenable species” for “cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines”. 1967—Pub. L. 90–201, §§ 5, 12(a), limited entry of articles into establishments under such prescribed conditions as would be consistent with the purpose of this chapter and included horses, mules, and other equines in the list of animals, 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 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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 605

Title 21, Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102