# § 603. Examination of animals prior to slaughter; use of humane methods
**(a)** **Examination of animals before slaughtering; diseased animals slaughtered separately and carcasses examined** For the purpose of preventing the use in commerce of meat and meat food products which are adulterated, the Secretary shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed for that purpose, an examination and inspection of all amenable species before they shall be allowed to enter into any slaughtering, packing, meat-canning, rendering, or similar establishment, in which they are to be slaughtered and the meat and meat food products thereof are to be used in commerce; and all amenable species found on such inspection to show symptoms of disease shall be set apart and slaughtered separately from all other cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, and when so slaughtered the carcasses of said cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines shall be subject to a careful examination and inspection, all as provided by the rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary, as provided for in this subchapter.
**(b)** **Humane methods of slaughter** August 27, 195872 Stat. 8627 U.S.C. 1901–190
For the purpose of preventing the inhumane slaughtering of livestock, the Secretary shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed for that purpose, an examination and inspection of the method by which amenable species are slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in the slaughtering establishments inspected under this chapter. The Secretary may refuse to provide inspection to a new slaughtering establishment or may cause inspection to be temporarily suspended at a slaughtering establishment if the Secretary finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines have been slaughtered or handled in connection with slaughter at such establishment by any method not in accordance with the Act of (; 6) until the establishment furnishes assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that all slaughtering and handling in connection with slaughter of livestock shall be in accordance with such a method.
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**Source Credit**: (Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, title I, § 3, formerly 1st par., 34 Stat. 1260; renumbered § 3 and amended Pub. L. 90–201, §§ 1, 3, 12(a), (b), Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 584, 588, 592; Pub. L. 95–445, § 2, Oct. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 1069; Pub. L. 109–97, title VII, § 798[(a)](1), Nov. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 2166.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
Act of , referred to in subsec. (b), is , , , which is classified generally to chapter 48 (§ 1901 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.
Sections 1903 and 1905 of Title 7, included within reference to Act of , were repealed by , , , effective as set forth in , set out as an Effective Date of 1978 Amendment note below.
### Codification
Section was formerly classified to .
### Amendments
2005— substituted “amenable species” for “cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines” wherever appearing.
1978— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).
1967—, §§ 3, 12(a), (b), struck out “interstate or foreign” before “commerce” in two places, substituted “Secretary shall” for “Secretary, at his discretion, may”, and struck out “of Agriculture” after “Secretary”, included horses, mules, and other equines, and horses, mules, or other equines in the list of animals, and substituted “adulterated” for “unsound, unhealthful, unwholesome, or otherwise unfit for human food”, respectively.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2005 Amendment
Amendment by effective the day after 120 days after , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
> “The provisions of this Act [see Short Title of 1978 Amendment note set out under
>
> ] shall become effective one year after the date of enactment [
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> ]. However, such provisions shall not apply to a person, firm, or corporation for such additional period of time, not to exceed eighteen months, as may be determined by the Secretary, if the Secretary, upon application, finds that compliance with the provisions of this Act on its effective date would cause undue hardship on such person, firm, or corporation.”
, , , provided that:
### Effective Date of 1967 Amendment
Amendment by effective , except that with respect to equines (other than horses) and their carcasses and parts thereof, meat, and meat food products thereof, amendment effective upon expiration of sixty days after , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .
### Religious Freedom; Ritual Slaughter
> “Nothing in this Act [see Short Title of 1978 Amendment note set out under
>
> ] shall be construed to prohibit, abridge, or in any way hinder the religious freedom of any person or group. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in order to protect freedom of religion, ritual slaughter and the handling or other preparation of livestock for ritual slaughter are exempted from the terms of this Act. For the purposes of this section the term ‘ritual slaughter’ means slaughter in accordance with
>
> (
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, , , provided that: