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HomeFood and Agricultural CodeDiv. 9Pt. 3Ch. 4Art. 3§ 18727 Livestock And Poultry Records

§ 18727 Livestock And Poultry Records

Food and Agricultural Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 18727 Livestock And Poultry Records

The law lets the director order certain businesses to keep detailed records and lets state officials inspect those records and the business premises whenever they want.

Key Takeaways

  • •Businesses that slaughter, process, or trade livestock/poultry products must keep detailed transaction records.
  • •State officials can enter the business, examine facilities and inventory, and copy records at reasonable times.
  • •The length of time records must be kept is set by the director and can vary case by case.

Example

A local meat processing plant that slaughters cattle and sells the meat to nearby stores

Because the plant buys, processes, and sells livestock products, it must keep full transaction records, let state inspectors look at its facilities and inventory, and keep the records for the period the director sets.

How to Calculate

Record‑keeping period = Director’s specified length (e.g., years)

  1. The director chooses how long records must be kept (for example, 2 years).
  2. The business must retain all required records for that chosen length of time.
  3. If the director later changes the period, the business must adjust how long it keeps the records.

Director orders a 3‑year record‑keeping period

Result: The meat processor must keep all required records for 3 years.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 18727 Livestock And Poultry Records

The director shall require the following classes of persons to keep such records and for such periods as he may specify, to fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in their business, and afford to the director and his representatives, access to such places of business, and opportunity, at all reasonable times, to examine the facilities, inventory and such records, to copy the records, and to take reasonable samples of the inventory: (a) Any person that engages in intrastate commerce in the business of slaughtering any livestock or poultry, or preparing, freezing, packaging or labeling, buying or selling (as brokers, wholesalers or otherwise), transporting, or storing any livestock product or poultry product which is intended for human or animal food. (b) Any person that engages in intrastate commerce in the business of rendering or in the buying, selling, or transporting of any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock or poultry, or any part of the carcass of any such animal (including poultry) that died otherwise than by slaughter. (Added by Stats. 1970, Ch. 1385.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

intrastate commerceslaughteringlivestockpoultryrenderingdead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock or poultry

Related Statutes

  • § 18721 Livestock And Poultry Inspections
  • § 18734 Livestock And Poultry Registration
  • § 18841 Livestock Slaughter Compliance Rules
  • § 18843 Livestock Food Adulteration Prohibition
  • § 18669 Livestock Inspection Facilities

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 18727.
View Official Source