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9 CFR § 316.3 - Use of official marks prohibited except under supervision of Program employee; removal of official marks, when required. 

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t9/s316.3"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "9 CFR § 316.3 - Use of official marks prohibited except under supervision of Program employee; removal of official marks, when required."
title_number: 9
title_name: "Animals and Animal Products"
section_number: "316.3"
section_name: "Use of official marks prohibited except under supervision of Program employee; removal of official marks, when required."
chapter_name: "FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "AGENCY ORGANIZATION AND TERMINOLOGY; MANDATORY MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS INSPECTION AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION"
part_number: "316"
part_name: "MARKING PRODUCTS AND THEIR CONTAINERS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "21 U.S.C. 601-695; 7 CFR 2.18, 2.55."
regulatory_source: "35 FR 15577, Oct. 3, 1970, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "316"
---

# 316.3 Use of official marks prohibited except under supervision of Program employee; removal of official marks, when required.

(a) No person shall affix or place, or cause to be affixed or placed, the official inspection legend or any other official mark, or any abbreviation or simulation of any official mark, to or on any product, or container thereof, except under the supervision of a Program employee, or as authorized by part 317 of this subchapter in connection with the manufacture of containers.

(b) No person shall fill, or cause to be filled, in whole or in part, with any product, any container bearing or intended to bear any official mark, or any abbreviation or simulation of any official mark, except under the supervision of a Program employee.

(c) Product bearing any official mark shall not be canned, cooked, cured, smoked, salted, packed, rendered, or otherwise prepared by any person for commercial purposes unless:

(1) Such preparation is performed at an official establishment; or

(2) Such preparation is conducted under State or other governmental inspection and the prepared product is marked to show that fact; or

(3) The official marks are removed, defaced, or otherwise destroyed before or during such preparation; or

(4) The preparation of the product consists solely of cutting up operations at any establishment exempted from inspection under paragraph 301(c)(2) of the Act or equal provisions of a law of a State or organized Territory or at any establishment in an unorganized Territory exempted under paragraph 23(b) of the Act.