As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

“Animal food manufacturer” means any person engaged in the business of preparing animal (including poultry) food derived wholly or in part from livestock or poultry carcasses or parts or products of such carcasses.

“Broker” means any person engaged in the business of buying or selling livestock products or poultry products on commission, or otherwise negotiating purchases or sales of such articles other than for his own account or as an employee of another person.

“Capable of use as human food” shall apply to any livestock or poultry carcass, or part or product of any such carcass, unless it is denatured or otherwise identified as required by regulations prescribed by the Board to deter its use as human food, or it is naturally inedible by humans.

“Container” or “package” means any box, can, tin, cloth, plastic, or other receptacle, wrapper, or cover.

“Federal acts” means the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 601 et seq.) and the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 451 et seq.).

“Immediate container” means any consumer package; or any other container in which livestock products or poultry products, not consumer packaged, are packed.

“Inspector” means an employee or official of the Commonwealth authorized by the Commissioner or any employee or official of the government of any locality authorized by the Commissioner to perform any inspection functions under this article under an agreement between the Commissioner and such governmental subdivision.

“Label” means a display of written, printed, or graphic matter upon any article or the immediate container (not including package liners) of any article.

“Labeling” means all labels and other written, printed, or graphic matter: (i) upon any article or any of its containers or wrappers; or (ii) accompanying such article.

“Livestock” means any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, whether live or dead.

“Livestock product” means any carcass, part thereof, meat, or meat food product of any livestock.

“Meat food product” means any product capable of use as human food that is made wholly or in part from any meat or other portion of the carcass of any cattle, sheep, swine, or goats. Products that contain meat or other portions of such carcasses only in a relatively small proportion or historically have not been considered by consumers as products of the meat food industry, and that are exempted from definition as a meat food product by the Commissioner under such conditions as he may prescribe to assure that the meat or other portions of such carcass contained in such product are not adulterated and that such products are not represented as meat food products. This term as applied to food products of equines shall have a comparable meaning.

“Official certificate” means any certificate prescribed by regulations of the Board for issuance by an inspector or other person performing official functions under this article.

“Official device” means any device prescribed or authorized by the Commissioner for use in applying any official mark.

“Official establishment” means any establishment as determined by the Commissioner at which inspection of the slaughter of livestock or poultry or the preparation of livestock products or poultry products is maintained under the authority of this article.

“Official inspection legend” means any symbol prescribed by regulations of the Board showing that an article was inspected and passed in accordance with this article.

“Official mark” means the official inspection legend or any other symbol prescribed by regulations of the Board to identify the status of any article or livestock or poultry under this article.

“Pesticide chemical,” “food additive,” “color additive,” and “raw agricultural commodity” shall have the same meanings for purposes of this article as under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 321 et seq.).

“Poultry” means any domesticated bird, whether live or dead.

“Poultry product” means any poultry carcass or part thereof; or any product that is made wholly or in part from any poultry carcass or part thereof, excepting products that contain poultry ingredients only in a relatively small proportion or historically have not been considered by consumers as products of the poultry food industry, and that are exempted by the Commissioner from definition as a poultry product under such conditions as he may prescribe to assure that the poultry ingredients in such products are not adulterated and that such products are not represented as poultry products.

“Prepared” means slaughtered, canned, salted, stuffed, rendered, boned, cut up, or otherwise manufactured or processed.

“Render” means any person engaged in the business of rendering livestock or poultry carcasses, or parts of products of such carcasses, except rendering conducted under inspection or exemption under this article.

“Shipping container” means any container used or intended for use in packaging the product packed in an immediate container.

1970, c. 290, § 3.1-884.18; 2008, c. 860; 2020, c. 318.