Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-102
§644 Regulation of Transactions, Transportation, or Importation of 4–d Animals to Prevent Use as Human Food
Title 21 › CHAPTER 12 — MEAT INSPECTION › SUBCHAPTER II — MEAT PROCESSORS AND RELATED INDUSTRIES › § 644
Summary
People or businesses in the business of buying, selling, transporting, or importing animals may not handle dead, dying, injured, or sick cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines—or parts of their carcasses—unless they follow rules the Secretary creates to keep them out of the human food supply.
Full Legal Text
Title 21, §644
Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
No person, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, or transporting in commerce, or importing, dead, dying, disabled, or diseased animals, or any parts of the carcasses of any animals that died otherwise than by slaughter, shall buy, sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation, in commerce, or import, 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, unless such transaction, transportation or importation is made in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe to assure that such animals, or the unwholesome parts or products thereof, will be prevented from being used for human food purposes.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
21 U.S.C. § 644
Title 21, Food and Drugs
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102