7 U.S. Code § 6509 - Animal production practices and materials

(a) In general

Any livestock that is to be slaughtered and sold or labeled as organically produced shall be raised in accordance with this chapter.

(b) Breeder stock

Breeder stock may be purchased from any source if such stock is not in the last third of gestation.

(c) Practices

For a farm to be certified under this chapter as an organic farm with respect to the livestock produced by such farm, producers on such farm—

(1) shall feed such livestock organically produced feed that meets the requirements of this chapter;

(2) shall not use the following feed—

(A) plastic pellets for roughage;

(B) manure refeeding; or

(C) feed formulas containing urea; and

(3) shall not use growth promoters and hormones on such livestock, whether implanted, ingested, or injected, including antibiotics and synthetic trace elements used to stimulate growth or production of such livestock.

(d) Health care

(1) Prohibited practices

For a farm to be certified under this chapter as an organic farm with respect to the livestock produced by such farm, producers on such farm shall not—

(A) use subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics;

(B) use synthetic internal parasiticides on a routine basis; or

(C) administer medication, other than vaccinations, in the absence of illness.

(2) Standards

The National Organic Standards Board shall recommend to the Secretary standards in addition to those in paragraph (1) for the care of livestock to ensure that such livestock is organically produced.

(e) Additional guidelines

(1) Poultry

With the exception of day old poultry, all poultry from which meat or eggs will be sold or labeled as organically produced shall be raised and handled in accordance with this chapter prior to and during the period in which such meat or eggs are sold.

(2) Dairy livestock

(A) In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a dairy animal from which milk or milk products will be sold or labeled as organically produced shall be raised and handled in accordance with this chapter for not less than the 12-month period immediately prior to the sale of such milk and milk products.

(B) Transition guideline

Crops and forage from land included in the organic system plan of a dairy farm that is in the third year of organic management may be consumed by the dairy animals of the farm during the 12-month period immediately prior to the sale of organic milk and milk products.

(f) Livestock identification

(1) In general

For a farm to be certified under this chapter as an organic farm with respect to the livestock produced by such farm, producers on such farm shall keep adequate records and maintain a detailed, verifiable audit trail so that each animal (or in the case of poultry, each flock) can be traced back to such farm.

(2) Records

In order to carry out paragraph (1), each producer shall keep accurate records on each animal (or in the case of poultry, each flock) including—

(A) amounts and sources of all medications administered; and

(B) all feeds and feed supplements bought and fed.

(g) Notice and public comment

The Secretary shall hold public hearings and shall develop detailed regulations, with notice and public comment, to guide the implementation of the standards for livestock products provided under this section.

(Pub. L. 101–624, title XXI, § 2110, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3940; Pub. L. 102–237, title X, § 1001(2), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1893; Pub. L. 109–97, title VII, § 797(c), Nov. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 2165.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2005—Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 109–97 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a dairy” for “A dairy”, and added subpar. (B).

1991—Subsec. (d)(1)(B). Pub. L. 102–237, § 1001(2)(A), substituted “parasiticides” for “paraciticides”.

Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 102–237, § 1001(2)(B), redesignated subsec. (h) as (g).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Regulations

Pub. L. 116–94, div. B, title VII, § 756, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2654, provided that:

“Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2019], the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue a final rule based on the proposed rule entitled ‘National Organic Program; Origin of Livestock,’ published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2015 (80 Fed. Reg. 23455): Provided, That the final rule shall incorporate public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule.”