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The law › Title 21, Food and Drugs › Chapter 9

21 U.S.C. 342: Adulterated food

Created in 1958 by Public Law 85-929. Changed by 11 later laws. No bill we track in this Congress changes it.

15 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 21 U.S.C. 321, 21 U.S.C. 333, 21 U.S.C. 346, 21 U.S.C. 346a, 21 U.S.C. 348.

55 parts of federal rules cite it as their authority, written by Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services (55).

This Congress

No bill we track in the 119th Congress changes this section.

    How it got here

    2005

    • Pub. L. 109–59 added par. (i). (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users) Law text · (i)

    2002

    • Pub. L. 107–188 added par. (h). (Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002) Law text · (h)

    1996

    • Pub. L. 104–170 added subpar. (2) and struck out former subpar. (2) which read as follows: "(2)(A) if it bears or contains any added poisonous or added deleterious substance (other than one which is (i) a pesticide chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity; (ii) a food additive; (iii… (Food Quality Protection Act of 1996) Law text · (a)

    1994

    • Pub. L. 103–417, §4, added par. (f). · (f)
    • Pub. L. 103–417, §9, added par. (g). · (g)

    1993

    • Pub. L. 103–80, §3(i)(1), substituted a period for "; or" at end of subpar. (1) and "If it" for "if it" at beginning of par. (3). That part of Pub. L. 103–80, §3(i)(1), which directed the substitution of a period for "; or" at end of subpar. (2) could not be executed because "; or" did no… · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–80, §3(i)(2), substituted ", except that this subparagraph" for ": Provided, That this clause". · (d)
    • Pub. L. 103–80, §3(i)(3), substituted ", except that this subparagraph shall not apply" for ": Provided, That this clause shall not apply" and ", except that the Secretary may, for the purpose of avoiding or resolving uncertainty as to the application of this subparagraph" for ": And p… · (d)

    1992

    • Pub. L. 102–571 substituted "379e(a)" for "376(a)". · (c)

    1986

    • Pub. L. 99–252 inserted provision that this clause not apply to confectionery introduced or delivered for introduction into or received or held for sale in, interstate commerce if the sale is permitted under the laws of the State in which the confectionery is intended to be offered for… · (d)

    1968

    • Pub. L. 90–399 added cls. (A)(iv) and (D). · (a)

    1966

    • Pub. L. 89–477 permitted the imbedding of nonnutritive objects in confectionery foods if in the judgment of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, as provided by regulation, the imbedding of the object is of practical functional value to the confectionery product and would not r… · (d)

    1960

    • Pub. L. 86–618, §102(a)(1), substituted "other than one which is (i) a pesticide chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity; (ii) a food additive; or (iii) a color additive" for "(except a pesticide chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity and except a food additive)" in cl. (2)… · (a)
    • Pub. L. 86–618, §102(a)(2), amended par. (c) generally, substituting provisions deeming a food adulterated if it is, or it bears or contains, a color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of section 376 of this title for provisions which related to food that bears or contains a coal… · (c)
    • Pub. L. 86–618, §105(c), substituted "authorized coloring" for "harmless coloring". · (d)

    1959

    • Pub. L. 86–2 extended from Mar. 1, 1959, to May 1, 1959, the period during which par. is inapplicable to oranges which have been colored with F.D. & C. Red 32, and inserted proviso requiring Secretary to establish regulations prescribing the conditions under which Citrus Red No. 2 may be … · (c)

    1958

    • Pub. L. 85–929, among other changes, inserted cl. (2)(C) relating to food additive unsafe within the meaning of section 348 of this title, and to pesticide chemical, and added cl. (7) relating to radiated food. · (a)

    Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.