7 U.S.C. § 1902: Humane methods

Summary

Slaughtering and any handling tied to slaughter must be humane to meet U.S. public policy. Either animals like cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock are made unconscious quickly and effectively by a single blow, gunshot, or a fast electrical, chemical, or other method before being shackled or cut; or the slaughter follows Jewish or another faith’s ritual where a sharp cut severs the carotid arteries at once, causing instant loss of consciousness from the brain losing blood, and the handling related to that ritual.

Title 7, §1902

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

No method of slaughtering or handling in connection with slaughtering shall be deemed to comply with the public policy of the United States unless it is humane. Either of the following two methods of slaughtering and handling are hereby found to be humane:

(a)in the case of cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock, all animals are rendered insensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical or other means that is rapid and effective, before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut; or

(b)by slaughtering in accordance with the ritual requirements of the Jewish faith or any other religious faith that prescribes a method of slaughter whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument and handling in connection with such slaughtering.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1978—Par. (b). Pub. L. 95–445 inserted “and handling in connection with such slaughtering” at end.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–445 effective one year after Oct. 10, 1978, and nonapplicability during not to exceed additional 18 months in hardship cases, see sec. 7 of Pub. L. 95–445 set out as a note under section 603 of Title 21, Food and Drugs.

§1902 Humane Methods