--- kind: "section" citation: "21 U.S.C. § 1044" title: "21" title_heading: "Food and Drugs" number: "1044" heading: "Exemption of certain activities" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/1044" units: - "Chapter 15 — Egg Products Inspection" --- # §1044. Exemption of certain activities - (a) **Regulation for exemptions—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x) may, by regulation and under such conditions and procedures as he may prescribe, exempt from specific provisions of this chapter— - (1) the sale, transportation, possession, or use of [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) which contain no more [restricted eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g-8) than are allowed by the tolerance in the [official standards](/usc/21/1033.md?p=r) of [United States](/usc/21/1033.md?p=z) consumer grades for shell [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g); - (2) the [processing](/usc/21/1033.md?p=w) of [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) at any [plant](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v) where the facilities and operating procedures meet such sanitary standards as may be prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x), and where the [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) received or used in the manufacture of [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) contain no more [restricted eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g-8) than are allowed by the [official standards](/usc/21/1033.md?p=r) of [United States](/usc/21/1033.md?p=z) consumer grades for shell [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g), and the [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) processed at such [plant](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v); - (3) the sale of [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) by any poultry producer from his own flocks directly to a household consumer exclusively for use by such consumer and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees, and the transportation, possession, and use of such [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) in accordance with this paragraph; - (4) the [processing](/usc/21/1033.md?p=w) of [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) by any poultry producer from [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) of his own flocks’ production for sale of such products directly to a household consumer exclusively for use by such consumer and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees, and the [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) so processed when handled in accordance with this paragraph; - (5) the sale of [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) by shell [egg](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) packers on his own premises directly to household consumers for use by such consumer and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees, and the transportation, possession, and use of such [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) in accordance with this paragraph; - (6) for such period of time (not to exceed two years) during the initiation of operations under this chapter as the [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x) determines that it is impracticable to provide [inspection](/usc/21/1033.md?p=j), the [processing](/usc/21/1033.md?p=w) of [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) at any class of [plants](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v) and the [egg products](/usc/21/1033.md?p=f) processed at such [plants](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v); and - (7) the sale of [eggs](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) by any [egg](/usc/21/1033.md?p=g) producer with an annual egg production from a flock of three thousand or less hens. - (b) **Plants located in noncontiguous areas of United States—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x) shall, by regulation and under such procedures as he may prescribe, exempt any [plant](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v) located within noncontiguous areas of the [United States](/usc/21/1033.md?p=z) from specific provisions of this chapter, where, despite good faith efforts by the owner of such [plant](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v), such owner has not been able to bring his [plant](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v) into full compliance with this chapter: Provided, That in order to provide at least minimum standards for the protection of the public health, whenever [processing](/usc/21/1033.md?p=w) operations are being conducted at any such [plant](/usc/21/1033.md?p=v), continuous [inspection](/usc/21/1033.md?p=j) shall be maintained to assure that it is operated in a sanitary manner. No exemption under this subsection shall be granted for a period extending beyond December 31, 1971. - (c) **Suspension or termination of exemptions—** The [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x) may immediately suspend or terminate any exemption under paragraph (a)(2) or (6)[^1] of this section at any time with respect to any [person](/usc/21/1033.md?p=t), if the conditions of exemption prescribed by this section or the regulations of the [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x) are not being met. The [Secretary](/usc/21/1033.md?p=x) may modify or revoke any regulation granting exemption under this chapter whenever he deems such action appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. ## Footnotes [^1]: So in original. Probably should be “subsection (a)(2) or (6)”. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 91–597, § 15, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1629; Pub. L. 92–67, Aug. 6, 1971, 85 Stat. 173.) ## 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. ### Amendments 1971—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 92–67 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c). ### 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.