<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>73972</law_id><section_number>3.2-5404</section_number><catch_line>Duties of the Board</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>3.2-5402</reference><reference>3.2-5405</reference><reference>3.2-5407</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="3.2">Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Food and Drink; Weights and Measures</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="54">Slaughterhouses, Meat, and Dressed Poultry</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>In <span class="dictionary">order</span> to accomplish the objective stated in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Department to cooperate with U.S. Department of Agriculture" href="/3.2-5403/">3.2-5403</a>, the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Shall, by regulations, require antemortem and postmortem inspections, quarantine, segregation and reinspections with respect to the slaughter of livestock and poultry and the preparation of <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> and <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> at all establishments in the Commonwealth, except those exempted by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> pursuant to subdivision 9 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Powers of Commissioner" href="/3.2-5405/">3.2-5405</a>, at which livestock or poultry are slaughtered or <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> or <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> are <span class="dictionary">prepared</span> for human food solely for distribution in intrastate commerce; <a id="paragraph-266044" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Shall, by regulations, require the identification of livestock and poultry for inspection purposes and the marking and <span class="dictionary">labeling</span> of <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> or <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> or their <span class="dictionary">containers</span>, or both, as &#x201C;Virginia Inspected and Passed&#x201D; if the products are found upon inspection to be not adulterated and as &#x201C;Virginia Inspected and Condemned&#x201D; if they are found upon inspection to be adulterated, and the destruction for food purposes of all such condemned products under the supervision of an <span class="dictionary">inspector</span>; <a id="paragraph-266045" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Shall prohibit the entry into <span class="dictionary">official establishments</span> of <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> and <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> not <span class="dictionary">prepared</span> under federal inspection or inspection pursuant to this article and further limit the entry of such articles and other <span class="dictionary">materials</span> into such establishments under such conditions as it deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article; <a id="paragraph-266046" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Shall, by regulations, require that when <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> and <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> leave <span class="dictionary">official establishments</span> they shall bear directly thereon or on their <span class="dictionary">containers</span>, or both, as it may require, all information required under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Misbranded livestock product or poultry product" href="/3.2-5402/">3.2-5402</a>; and require approval of all <span class="dictionary">labeling</span> and <span class="dictionary">containers</span> to be used for such products when sold or transported in intrastate commerce to assure that they comply with the requirements of this article; <a id="paragraph-266047" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Shall require the investigation of the sanitary conditions of each establishment within subdivision 1 of this section and require the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> to withdraw or otherwise refuse to provide inspection service at any such establishment where the sanitary conditions are such as to <span class="dictionary">render</span> adulterated any <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> or <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> <span class="dictionary">prepared</span> or handled thereat; <a id="paragraph-266048" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="6"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> Shall prescribe regulations relating to sanitation for all establishments required to have inspection under subdivision 1 of this section; <a id="paragraph-266049" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="7"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> Shall, by regulations, require that the following classes of persons shall keep such records and for such periods as are specified in the regulations to fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in their business, and afford to the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> access to such places of business, an opportunity, at all reasonable times, to examine the facilities, inventory and records thereof, to copy the records, and to take reasonable samples of the inventory upon payment of the fair market value therefor: any persons that engage in or for intrastate commerce: (i) in the business of slaughtering any livestock or poultry, or preparing, freezing, packaging or <span class="dictionary">labeling</span>, buying or selling (as <span class="dictionary">brokers</span>, wholesalers or otherwise), transporting, or storing any <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> or <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> for human or animal food; or (ii) in business as renderers or in the business of buying, selling or transporting any dead, dying, disabled or diseased livestock or poultry, or parts of the carcasses of any such animals (including poultry) that died otherwise than by slaughter; <a id="paragraph-266050" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="8"><p><span class="prefix-number">8.</span> Shall, by regulations, prescribe the size and style of type to be used for <span class="dictionary">labeling</span> information required under this article, and definitions and standards of identity or composition or standards of fill of <span class="dictionary">container</span>, consistent with federal standards, when it deems such action appropriate for the protection of the public; <a id="paragraph-266051" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#8"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="9"><p><span class="prefix-number">9.</span> Shall, by regulations, prescribe conditions of storage and handling of <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> and <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span> by persons engaged in the business of buying, selling, freezing, storing, or transporting such articles in or for intrastate commerce to assure that such articles will not be adulterated or misbranded when delivered to the consumer; <a id="paragraph-266052" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#9"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="10"><p><span class="prefix-number">10.</span> Shall, by regulations, require that every person engaged in business in or for intrastate commerce as a <span class="dictionary">broker</span>, renderer, <span class="dictionary">animal food manufacturer</span>, or wholesaler or public warehouseman of <span class="dictionary">livestock products</span> or <span class="dictionary">poultry products</span>, or engaged in the business of buying, selling or transporting in intrastate commerce, any dead, dying, disabled or diseased livestock or poultry or parts of the carcasses of any such animals (including poultry) that died otherwise than by slaughter shall register with the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> his name and the address of each place of business at which and all trade names under which he conducts such business; <a id="paragraph-266053" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#10"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="11"><p><span class="prefix-number">11.</span> May adopt by reference or otherwise such provisions of the rules and regulations under the <span class="dictionary">federal acts</span> (with such changes therein as it deems appropriate to make them applicable to operations and transactions subject to this article) that shall have the same force and effect as if promulgated under this article, and promulgate such other rules and regulations it deems necessary for the efficient execution of the provisions of this article; and <a id="paragraph-266054" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#11"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="12"><p><span class="prefix-number">12.</span> Shall promulgate rules of practice providing opportunity for <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> in connection with issuance of <span class="dictionary">orders</span> under subdivision 5 of this section or subdivision A 1, A 2, or A 3 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Powers of Commissioner" href="/3.2-5405/">3.2-5405</a> pending issuance of a <span class="dictionary">final order</span> in any such proceeding. <a id="paragraph-266055" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5404/#12"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1970, c. 290, &#xA7; 3.1-884.20; 1991, c. 344; 2008, c. 860.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
