California · Food and Agricultural Code - FAC

FAC §19441: Any person who, as principal or agent, employer or employee, adulterates any other meat or meat food product intended for human food with horsemeat or the product of an animal which has died otherwise

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

It is a felony to adulterate meat products with horsemeat, dead animal meat, or pet food meat, or to falsely represent these as other meat products. Penalties include fines of at least $10,000 and/or imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text

Any person who, as principal or agent, employer or employee, adulterates any other meat or meat food product intended for human food with horsemeat or the product of an animal which has died otherwise than by slaughter or the product of an animal slaughtered for pet food in accordance with this chapter, or represents horsemeat or pet food to be any other meat or meat food product, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, or both.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

Start your matter free Ask Law Link about this code

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.