§ 2-6-192 — Horse meat.

Oklahoma § 2-6-192

• Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
• Title 2: Agriculture

Text

A. It shall be unlawful and deemed a Class D3 felony offense for any person to sell, offer or exhibit for sale, or have in his or her possession with intent to sell, any quantity of horsemeat for human consumption in Oklahoma. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class D3 felony offense and shall be punished by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B through F of Section 20P of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes. B. It shall be unlawful for any person to transfer the possession of any horsemeat to any other person when the person so transferring knows, or in the exercise of a reasonable discretion should have known, that the person receiving the horsemeat intends to sell it in this state, offer it for sale in this state, exhibit it for sale in this state, or keep it in his possession with intent to sell it for human consumption in this state. C. No person, firm, or corporation shall sell in this state, transport, offer for sale in this state or transportation, or receive for transportation, in intrastate commerce, any carcasses of horses, mules, or other equines or parts of such carcasses, or the meat or meat food products thereof, unless they are plainly and conspicuously marked or labeled or otherwise identified as required by regulations prescribed by the Board to show the kinds of animals from which they were derived. When required by the Board with respect to establishments at which inspection is maintained under Section 6-181 et seq. of this title, such animals and their carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products shall be prepared in establishments separate from those in which cattle, sheep, swine, or goats are slaughtered or their carcasses, parts thereof, meat or meat food products are prepared. D. The State Commissioner of Health or his or her authorized representative shall have free access to any transport vehicle, factory, warehouse or establishment in which horsemeat or feed suspected of containing horsemeat is transported, manufactured, processed, packed, sold, or prepared for serving to secure, after payment or offer to pay therefor, samples or specimens of such products found therein, to examine any and all sales records, shipping records relating to foods or horsemeat, to embargo any article of food or horsemeat suspected of being in violation of law, and to determine whether any law is being violated. E. For the purpose of this section: 1. The term "horsemeat" shall mean the meat or flesh of any animal of the equine genus; 2. The term "package" or "container" shall mean the original, properly labeled package or container in which the horsemeat was packaged by the packer or processor at the point of origin; and 3. The term "properly labeled" shall mean a display of written, printed or graphic matter upon the outside package or container, or wrapper if there be one, stating the name and address of the original packer or processor, and in addition thereto shall include the word "horsemeat". All letters and words of the label shall be legible and of such size as to be easily read and understood by the ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase and use.

Legislative History

Added by Laws 1968, c. 63, § 12, emerg. eff. March 19, 1968. Amended by Laws 2013, c. 2, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 616, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.