Title 21 — Food and DrugsRelease 119-73not60
§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
Summary
All carcasses, carcass parts, and meat from animals covered by the law must be inspected before they enter any meat-processing plant, and the same rule applies if those products are later returned to an inspected plant. The Secretary may limit what animals, meat, and other materials can enter inspected plants and set conditions so 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
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60