Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-110

§642 Recordkeeping Requirements

Title 21 › CHAPTER 12 — MEAT INSPECTION › SUBCHAPTER II — MEAT PROCESSORS AND RELATED INDUSTRIES › § 642

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Keep full and accurate records of all transactions if your business handles animal carcasses or their parts. At reasonable times, after notice from an authorized representative of the Secretary, you must let that person into your business to inspect facilities, inventory, and records, allow copying of records, and permit taking reasonable samples of inventory if you are paid the fair market value. The rule covers three kinds of businesses: those that slaughter or prepare carcasses for human or animal food; those that buy, sell, transport, store, or import carcasses or their parts; and renderers or businesses that deal with animals that died other than by slaughter or parts of those carcasses. Records must be kept for the time period the Secretary sets by regulation.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §642

Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Classes of persons bound; scope of disclosure; access to places of business; examination of records, facilities, and inventories; copies; samples

The following classes of persons, firms, and corporations shall keep such records as will fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in their businesses; and all persons, firms, and corporations subject to such requirements shall, at all reasonable times upon notice by a duly authorized representative of the Secretary, afford such representative access to their places of business and opportunity to examine the facilities, inventory, and records thereof, to copy all such records, and to take reasonable samples of their inventory upon payment of the fair market value therefor— (1)

(2)Any persons, firms, or corporations that engage in the business of buying or selling (as meat brokers, wholesalers or otherwise), or transporting in commerce, or storing in or for commerce, or importing, any carcasses, or parts or products of carcasses, of any such animals;

(3)Any persons, firms, or corporations that engage in business, in or for commerce, as renderers, or engage in the business of buying, selling, or transporting, in commerce, or importing, any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, or parts of the carcasses of any such animals that died otherwise than by slaughter.

(b)Period of maintenance

Any record required to be maintained by this section shall be maintained for such period of time as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 642

Title 21, Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110