---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 1033"
title: "21"
title_heading: "Food and Drugs"
number: "1033"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/1033"
units:
  - "Chapter 15 — Egg Products Inspection"
---

# §1033. Definitions


For purposes of this chapter—

- (a) The term “adulterated” applies to any [egg](#g) or [egg product](#f) under one or more of the following circumstances—
  - (1) if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health; but in case the substance is not an added substance, such article shall not be considered [adulterated](#a) under this clause if the quantity of such substance in or on such article does not ordinarily render it injurious to health;
  - (2)
    - (A) if it bears or contains any added poisonous or added deleterious substance (other than one which is (i) a [pesticide chemical](#u) in or on a [raw agricultural commodity](#u); (ii) a food additive; or (iii) a color additive) which may, in the judgment of the [Secretary](#x), make such article unfit for human food;
    - (B) if it is, in whole or in part, a [raw agricultural commodity](#u) and such commodity bears or contains a [pesticide chemical](#u) which is unsafe within the meaning of [section 346a of this title](/usc/21/346a.md);
    - (C) if it bears or contains any food additive which is unsafe within the meaning of [section 348 of this title](/usc/21/348.md);
    - (D) if it bears or contains any color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of [section 379e of this title](/usc/21/379e.md): Provided, That an article which is not otherwise deemed [adulterated](#a) under clause (B), (C), or (D) shall nevertheless be deemed [adulterated](#a) if use of the [pesticide chemical](#u), food additive, or color additive, in or on such article, is prohibited by regulations of the [Secretary](#x) in [official plants](#q);
  - (3) if it consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance, or if it is otherwise unfit for human food;
  - (4) if it has been prepared, packaged, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health;
  - (5) if it is an [egg](#g) which has been subjected to incubation or the product of any [egg](#g) which has been subjected to incubation;
  - (6) if its [container](#d) is composed, in whole or in part, of any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health;
  - (7) if it has been intentionally subjected to radiation, unless the use of the radiation was in conformity with a regulation or exemption in effect pursuant to [section 348 of this title](/usc/21/348.md); or
  - (8) if any valuable constituent has been in whole or in part omitted or abstracted therefrom; or if any substance has been substituted, wholly or in part therefor; or if damage or inferiority has been concealed in any manner; or if any substance has been added thereto or mixed or packed therewith so as to increase its bulk or weight, or reduce its quality or strength, or make it appear better or of greater value than it is.
- (b) The term “capable of use as human food” shall apply to any [egg](#g) or [egg product](#f), unless it is denatured, or otherwise identified, as required by regulations prescribed by the [Secretary](#x) to deter its use as human food.
- (c) The term “commerce” means interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce.
- (d) The term “container” or “package” includes any box, can, tin, plastic, or other receptacle, wrapper, or cover.
  - (1) The term “immediate container” means any consumer [package](#d); or any other [container](#d) in which [egg products](#f), not consumer packaged, are packed.
  - (2) The term “shipping container” means any [container](#d) used in packaging a product packed in an [immediate container](#d-1).
- (e) The term “egg handler” means any [person](#t) who engages in any business in [commerce](#c) which involves buying or selling any [eggs](#g) (as a poultry producer or otherwise), or [processing](#w) any [egg products](#f), or otherwise using any [eggs](#g) in the preparation of human food.
- (f) The term “egg product” means any dried, frozen, or liquid [eggs](#g), with or without added ingredients, excepting products which contain [eggs](#g) only in a relatively small proportion or historically have not been, in the judgment of the [Secretary](#x), considered by consumers as products of the [egg](#g) food industry, and which may be exempted by the [Secretary](#x) under such conditions as he may prescribe to assure that the [egg](#g) ingredients are not [adulterated](#a) and such products are not represented as egg products.
- (g) The term “egg” means the shell egg of the domesticated chicken, turkey, duck, goose, or guinea.
  - (1) The term “check” means an [egg](#g) that has a broken shell or crack in the shell but has its shell membranes intact and contents not leaking.
  - (2) The term “clean and sound shell egg” means any [egg](#g) whose shell is free of adhering dirt or foreign material and is not cracked or broken.
  - (3) The term “dirty egg” means an [egg](#g) that has a shell that is unbroken and has adhering dirt or foreign material.
  - (4) The term “incubator reject” means an [egg](#g) that has been subjected to incubation and has been removed from incubation during the hatching operations as infertile or otherwise unhatchable.
  - (5) The term “inedible” means [eggs](#g) of the following descriptions: black rots, yellow rots, white rots, mixed rots (addled [eggs](#g)), sour [eggs](#g), [eggs](#g) with green whites, [eggs](#g) with stuck yolks, moldy [eggs](#g), musty [eggs](#g), [eggs](#g) showing blood rings, and [eggs](#g) containing embryo chicks (at or beyond the blood ring stage).
  - (6) The term “leaker” means an [egg](#g) that has a crack or break in the shell and shell membranes to the extent that the [egg](#g) contents are exposed or are exuding or free to exude through the shell.
  - (7) The term “loss” means an [egg](#g) that is unfit for human food because it is smashed or broken so that its contents are leaking; or overheated, frozen, or contaminated; or an [incubator reject](#g-4); or because it contains a bloody white, large meat spots, a large quantity of blood, or other foreign material.
  - (8) The term “restricted egg” means any [check](#g-1), [dirty egg](#g-3), [incubator reject](#g-4), [inedible](#g-5), [leaker](#g-6), or [loss](#g-7).
- (h) The term “Fair Packaging and Labeling Act” [[15 U.S.C. 1451](/usc/15/1451.md) et seq.] means the Act so entitled, approved November 3, 1966 (80 Stat. 1296), and Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto.
- (i) The term “Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act” [[21 U.S.C. 301](/usc/21/301.md) et seq.] means the Act so entitled, approved June 25, 1938 (52 Stat. 1040), and Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto.
- (j) The term “inspection” means the application of such inspection methods and techniques as are deemed necessary by the responsible [Secretary](#x) to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
- (k) The term “inspector” means:
  - (1) any employee or official of the [United States](#z) Government authorized to inspect [eggs](#g) or [egg products](#f) under the authority of this chapter; or
  - (2) any employee or official of the government of any [State](#y) or local jurisdiction authorized by the [Secretary](#x) to inspect [eggs](#g) or [egg products](#f) under the authority of this chapter, under an agreement entered into between the [Secretary](#x) and the appropriate [State](#y) or other agency.
- (l) The term “misbranded” shall apply to [egg products](#f) which are not labeled and packaged in accordance with the requirements prescribed by regulations of the [Secretary](#x) under [section 1036 of this title](/usc/21/1036.md).
- (m) The term “official certificate” means any certificate prescribed by regulations of the [Secretary](#x) for issuance by an [inspector](#k) or other [person](#t) performing official functions under this chapter.
- (n) The term “official device” means any device prescribed or authorized by the [Secretary](#x) for use in applying any [official mark](#p).
- (o) The term “official inspection legend” means any symbol prescribed by regulations of the [Secretary](#x) showing that [egg products](#f) were inspected in accordance with this chapter.
- (p) The term “official mark” means the [official inspection legend](#o) or any other symbol prescribed by regulations of the [Secretary](#x) to identify the status of any article under this chapter.
- (q) The term “official plant” means any [plant](#v), as determined by the [Secretary](#x), at which [inspection](#j) of the [processing](#w) of [egg products](#f) is maintained by the Department of Agriculture under the authority of this chapter.
- (r) The term “official standards” means the standards of quality, grades, and weight classes for [eggs](#g), in effect upon the effective date of this chapter, or as thereafter amended, under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 1087, as amended; [7 U.S.C. 1621](/usc/7/1621.md) et seq.).
- (s) The term “pasteurize” means the subjecting of each particle of [egg products](#f) to heat or other treatments to destroy harmful viable micro-organisms by such processes as may be prescribed by regulations of the [Secretary](#x).
- (t) The term “person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other business unit.
- (u) The terms “pesticide chemical,” “food additive,” “color additive,” and “raw agricultural commodity” shall have the same meaning for purposes of this chapter as under the [Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act](#i) [[21 U.S.C. 301](/usc/21/301.md) et seq.].
- (v) The term “plant” means any place of business where [egg products](#f) are processed.
- (w) The term “processing” means manufacturing [egg products](#f), including breaking [eggs](#g) or filtering, mixing, blending, pasteurizing, stabilizing, cooling, freezing, drying, or packaging [egg products](#f).
- (x) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture or his delegate.
- (y) The term “State” means any State of the [United States](#z), the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the [United States](#z), and the District of Columbia.
- (z) The term “United States” means the [States](#y).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–597, § 4, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1621; Pub. L. 102–571, title I, § 107(15), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4499.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 91–597, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1620, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1031 of this title and Tables.

The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, referred to in subsec. (h), is Pub. L. 89–755, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1296, which is classified generally to chapter 39 (§ 1451 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1451 of Title 15 and Tables.

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, referred to in subsecs. (i) and (u), is act June 25, 1938, ch. 675, 52 Stat. 1040, which is classified generally to chapter 9 (§ 301 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 301 of this title and Tables.

The effective date of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (r), means the effective date of Pub. L. 91–597. For such effective date, see Effective Date note set out under section 1031 of this title.

The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, referred to in subsec. (r), is title II of act Aug. 14, 1946, ch. 966, 60 Stat. 1087, which is classified generally to chapter 38 (§ 1621 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1621 of Title 7 and Tables.

### Amendments

1992—Subsec. (a)(2)(D). Pub. L. 102–571 substituted “379e” for “376”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

For effective date of this section, see section 29 of Pub. L. 91–597, set out as a note under section 1031 of this title.