California Code of Regulations
Title 3 - Food and Agriculture
Division 2 - Animal Industry
Chapter 4 - Meat Inspection
Subchapter 2 - Rendering and Pet Food
Article 45 - Retaining and Rejecting
Section 1180.40 - Retaining and Condemning Products

(a) Any meat, meat byproduct, meat food product, horsemeat, horsemeat byproducts or horsemeat food product which is slaughtered, prepared, handled, or transported under authority of these regulations shall be inspected as often as the Director deems it necessary in order to ascertain whether such product is adulterated or is otherwise not in compliance with law or regulations. Upon any such inspection, if any such product or portion thereof is found to be adulterated or not in compliance, such product or portion thereof shall be condemned. If the violation is minor in nature and the Director determines that the risk of diversion of the product is not substantial the Director may, upon request of the licensee in writing, permit the salvaging of the product which is subject to condemnation. In such cases the product shall be tagged with a retained tag and the owner notified of such tagging and the Director shall make necessary arrangements with the owner so that an employee of the Bureau of Meat Inspection may be present when the product so tagged is to be processed for salvage or otherwise handled. No tagged product shall be handled or moved unless the tag is removed by an employee of the Director or permission is obtained from the Director allowing movement under permit and seal to a point where the product can be reprocessed or otherwise handled. Reprocessing shall only be done in an establishment licensed by either the Department of Public Health or the Director.

(b) Condemned product shall be denatured so as to render it unfit for human or pet food.