Article 8. Products In Violation of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 9. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 8.

Since it cannot be determined with certainty, by any present known method of inspection, whether meat, including any poultry meat, is unwholesome unless the organs and other tissues of an animal are inspected when slaughtered, and as meat and meat food products, and poultry products which are derived from uninspected livestock or poultry may be unfit for human food, the director, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, shall seize and destroy for human food purposes any meat, meat food product, or poultry product that does not bear the "inspected and passed" stamp, brand, mark, or label which is required by this chapter.

Whenever any livestock product or poultry product or any product exempted from the definition of a livestock product and from the definition of a poultry product, or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock or poultry, is found by any authorized representative of the director upon any premises where it is held for purposes of, during, or after distribution in, intrastate commerce, or is otherwise subject to this chapter and there is reason to believe that any such article is adulterated or misbranded and is capable of use as human food, or that it has not been inspected, in violation of the provisions of this chapter or of the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or that such article or animal has been or is intended to be, distributed in violation of any such provisions, it may be detained by such representative for a period not to exceed 20 days, pending action under Section 18873 or notification of any federal authorities having jurisdiction over such article or animal, and shall not be moved by any person from the place at which it is located when so detained, until released by such representative. All official marks may be required by such representative to be removed from such article or animal before it is released unless it appears to the satisfaction of the director that the article or animal is eligible to retain such marks.

Any livestock product or poultry product or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock or poultry that is being transported in intrastate commerce, or is otherwise subject to this chapter, or is held for sale in this state after such transportation shall be liable to be proceeded against, seized, and condemned, at any time, in any proper court within the jurisdiction of which such article or animal is found, in any of the following cases:
  (a) The product is or has been prepared, sold, transported, or otherwise distributed or offered or received for distribution in violation of this chapter.
  (b) The product is capable of use as human food and is adulterated or misbranded.
  (c) In any other way is in violation of this chapter. If such article or animal is condemned it shall, after entry of the decree, be disposed of by destruction or sale as the court may direct and if sold the proceeds, less the court costs and fees, and storage and other proper expenses, shall be paid into the State Treasury, but in no event shall the article or animal be sold contrary to the provisions of this chapter, or the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act, or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The court may direct that such article or animal be delivered to the owner upon the execution and delivery of a good and sufficient bond upon the condition that the article or animal shall not be sold or otherwise disposed of contrary to the provisions of this chapter, or the laws of the United States, and subject to such supervision by an authorized representative of the director as is deemed necessary to insure compliance with the applicable laws. When a decree of condemnation is entered against the article or animal and it is released under bond, or destroyed, court costs and fees, and storage and other proper expenses shall be awarded against the person, if any, intervening as claimant of such article or animal.

The provisions of Section 18873 shall in no way derogate from authority for condemnation or seizure conferred by other provisions of this chapter, or other laws.