Section 19501 Of Chapter 6. Slaughter From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 9. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 6.
19501
. (a) Cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, goats, or
fallow deer, or poultry shall be slaughtered by the methods
prescribed in this section. No state agency shall contract for,
purchase, procure, or sell all or any portion of any animal, unless
that animal is slaughtered in conformity with this chapter. This
chapter applies to any person engaged in the business of slaughtering
animals enumerated in this section, or any person slaughtering any
of those animals when all, or any part of, that animal is
subsequently sold or used for commercial purposes.
(b) All cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, goats, or
fallow deer subject to this part, or poultry subject to Part 1
(commencing with Section 24501) of, Part 2 (commencing with Section
25401) of, and Part 3 (commencing with Section 26401) of, Division 12
shall be slaughtered by either of the following prescribed methods:
(1) The animal shall be rendered insensible to pain by a captive
bolt, gunshot, electrical or chemical means, or any other means that
is rapid and effective before being cut, shackled, hoisted, thrown,
or cast, with the exception of poultry which may be shackled.
(2) The animal shall be handled, prepared for slaughter, and
slaughtered in accordance with ritual requirements of the Jewish or
any other religious faith that prescribes a method of slaughter
whereby the animal suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the
brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the
carotid arteries with a sharp instrument.
This section does not apply to the slaughter of spent hens and
small game birds, as defined by the department by regulation.