21 USC § 644 - Regulation of transactions, transportation, or importation of 4–D animals to prevent use as human food

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t21/s644"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "21 USC § 644 - Regulation of transactions, transportation, or importation of 4–D animals to prevent use as human food"
title_number: 21
title_name: "FOOD AND DRUGS"
section_number: "644"
section_name: "Regulation of transactions, transportation, or importation of 4–D animals to prevent use as human food"
chapter_number: 12
chapter_name: "MEAT INSPECTION"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "MEAT PROCESSORS AND RELATED INDUSTRIES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, title II, § 204, as added Pub. L. 90–201, § 14, Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 594.)"
---


# § 644. Regulation of transactions, transportation, or importation of 4–D animals to prevent use as human food

No person, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of buying, selling, or transporting in commerce, or importing, dead, dying, disabled, or diseased animals, or any parts of the carcasses of any animals that died otherwise than by slaughter, shall buy, sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation, in commerce, or import, any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines, or parts of the carcasses of any such animals that died otherwise than by slaughter, unless such transaction, transportation or importation is made in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe to assure that such animals, or the unwholesome parts or products thereof, will be prevented from being used for human food purposes.

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**Source Credit**: (Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, title II, § 204, as added Pub. L. 90–201, § 14, Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 594.)