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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>357954</law_id><section_number>3.2-5127</section_number><catch_line>Removal of certain labels from meat packaging prohibited; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="5" identifier="3.2">Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="4" identifier="IV">Food and Drink; Weights and Measures</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="51">Food and Drink</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="3" identifier="3">Adulteration, Misbranding, and False Advertising</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>It is unlawful for any person holding or offering for retail sale any meat, poultry, or seafood in packaged form who affixes to such <span class="dictionary">food</span> a <span class="dictionary">label</span> containing a date by which such <span class="dictionary">food</span> is to be sold, to willfully remove, alter, mutilate, destroy, or obscure the dated portion of the <span class="dictionary">label</span> on the package, unless the dated portion of the <span class="dictionary">label</span> is removed in connection with the repackaging of such <span class="dictionary">food</span>, or to correct bona fide typographical errors. If the dated portion of the <span class="dictionary">label</span> is removed and a replacement <span class="dictionary">label</span> is attached when such <span class="dictionary">food</span> is repackaged, the replacement <span class="dictionary">label</span> shall bear the original date by which the <span class="dictionary">food</span> is to be sold or an earlier date. Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a Class 3 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>.</p><p>This section shall not apply to meat, poultry, or seafood that is canned or cured.</p></section></text><history>1993, c. 106, &#xA7; 3.1-388.1; 2008, c. 860.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
