9 CFR § 539.1 - Disposal of diseased or otherwise adulterated fish carcasses and parts or fish products.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t9/s539.1"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "9 CFR § 539.1 - Disposal of diseased or otherwise adulterated fish carcasses and parts or fish products."
title_number: 9
title_name: "Animals and Animal Products"
section_number: "539.1"
section_name: "Disposal of diseased or otherwise adulterated fish carcasses and parts or fish products."
chapter_name: "FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE"
subchapter_number: "F"
subchapter_name: "MANDATORY INSPECTION OF FISH OF THE ORDER SILURIFORMES AND PRODUCTS OF SUCH FISH"
part_number: "539"
part_name: "MANDATORY DISPOSITIONS; PERFORMANCE STANDARDS RESPECTING PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, OR BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS"
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. 21 U.S.C. 601-602, 606-622, 624-695; 7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, 2.53."
regulatory_source: "80 FR 75616, Dec. 2, 2015, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "539"
---


# 539.1 Disposal of diseased or otherwise adulterated fish carcasses and parts or fish products.

(a)(1) Carcasses or parts of fish affected by abscesses or lesions, zoonotic and non-zoonotic parasites such as cestodes, or such parasites as digenean trematodes, metacercaria (*Bolbophorus* spp.), yellow grubs (*Clinostomum* spp.), or white grubs (Hysteromorpha spp.) are subject to condemnation unless properly disposed of by the establishment to prevent their use as human food.

(2) Fish affected by Heterophyid intestinal flukes or *Dictophymatidae* nematodes are subject to condemnation unless properly disposed of by the establishment.

(b) Fish affected by diseases, including columnaris (infection by Flavobacterium columnare/*Flexibacter columnaris*) and enteric septicemia of fish (ESC), are subject to condemnation unless properly disposed of by the establishment to prevent their use as human food.

(c) Fish carcasses or parts or fish products that are found to be in a state of spoilage or decomposition are subject to condemnation unless properly disposed of by the establishment to prevent their use as human food.

(d) Fish with unusual gross deformities caused by disease or chemical contamination may not be used for human food.