---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 471"
title: "21"
title_heading: "Food and Drugs"
number: "471"
heading: "Safe Meat and Poultry Inspection Panel"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/471"
units:
  - "Chapter 10 — Poultry and Poultry Products Inspection"
---

# §471. Safe Meat and Poultry Inspection Panel

- (a) **Review and evaluation—** The advisory panel known as the “Safe Meat and [Poultry](/usc/21/453.md?p=e) Inspection Panel” established by [section 679a of this title](/usc/21/679a.md) shall review and evaluate, as the panel considers necessary, the adequacy, necessity, safety, cost-effectiveness, and scientific merit of—
  - (1) inspection procedures of, and work rules and worker relations involving Federal employees employed in, plants inspected under this chapter;
  - (2) informal petitions or proposals for changes in inspection procedures, processes, and techniques of plants inspected under this chapter;
  - (3) formal changes in [poultry](/usc/21/453.md?p=e) inspection regulations promulgated under this chapter, whether in notice, proposed, or final form; and
  - (4) such other matters as may be referred to the panel by the [Secretary](/usc/21/453.md?p=i) regarding the quality or effectiveness of a safe and cost-effective [poultry](/usc/21/453.md?p=e) inspection system under this chapter.
- (b) **Reports—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Safe Meat and [Poultry](/usc/21/453.md?p=e) Inspection Panel shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/21/453.md?p=i) a report on the results of each review and evaluation carried out under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), including such recommendations as the panel considers appropriate.
  - (2) **Reports on formal changes—** In the case of a report concerning a formal change in [poultry](/usc/21/453.md?p=e) inspection regulations, the report shall be made within the time limits prescribed for formal comments on such changes.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 85–172, § 30, as added Pub. L. 104–127, title IX, § 918(a)(2), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1190.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Use of Appropriated Funds

Pub. L. 113–235, div. A, title VII, § 741, Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2170, provided that: “Hereafter, none of the funds appropriated by this or any other Act may be used to carry out section 410 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 679a) or section 30 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 471).”