Article 3. Seizure And Embargo of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 104. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 3.

Whenever an authorized agent of the department finds, or has probable cause to believe, that any food, drug, device, or cosmetic is adulterated, misbranded, or falsely advertised within the meaning of this part, or the sale of any food, drug, device, or cosmetic would be in violation of this part, that agent shall affix to the food, drug, device, cosmetic, or component thereof, a tag or other appropriate marking. He or she shall give notice that the food, drug, device, or cosmetic is, or is suspected of being, adulterated, misbranded, falsely advertised, or the sale of which would be in violation of this part and has been embargoed, and that no person shall remove or dispose of the food, drug, device, or cosmetic by sale or otherwise until permission for removal or disposal is given by an authorized agent of the department or the court.

It is unlawful for any person to remove, sell, or dispose of a detained or embargoed food, drug, device, or cosmetic without permission of an authorized agent of the department or the court.

When an authorized agent of the department has found that a food, drug, device, or cosmetic that is embargoed, is not adulterated, misbranded, falsely advertised, or the sale of which is not otherwise in violation of this part, that agent shall remove the tag or other marking.

When an authorized agent of the department finds, or has reasonable cause to believe, that the embargo will be violated, that agent may remove the embargoed food, drug, device, or cosmetic to a place of safekeeping.

If a food, drug, device, or cosmetic is alleged to be adulterated, misbranded, falsely advertised, or the sale of which is otherwise in violation of this part, the department shall commence proceedings in the superior court in whose jurisdiction the food, drug, device, or cosmetic is located, for condemnation of the article.

If the court finds that an embargoed food, drug, device, or cosmetic is adulterated, misbranded, falsely advertised, or the sale of which is otherwise in violation of this part, the food, drug, device, or cosmetic shall, after entry of the judgment, be destroyed at the expense of the claimant or owner, under the supervision of an authorized agent of the department. All court costs and fees and all reasonable costs incurred by the department in investigating and prosecuting the action, including, but not limited to, the costs of storage and testing, shall be taxed against the claimant or owner of the food, drug, device, or cosmetic or his or her agent. When the adulteration or misbranding can be corrected by proper labeling or processing of the food, drug, device, or cosmetic, or when the false advertisement can be corrected and when all provisions of this part can be complied with, then, after entry of the judgment and after costs, fees, and expenses have been paid and a good and sufficient bond, conditioned that the food, drug, device, or cosmetic will be brought into compliance, the court may, by order, direct that the food, drug, device, or cosmetic be delivered to the claimant or owner to be brought into compliance by labeling, processing, or other means under the supervision of an authorized agent of the department. The expense of the supervision shall be paid by the claimant or owner. The bond shall be discharged when the court finds that the food, drug, device, or cosmetic is no longer held for sale in violation of this part and that all of the expenses of supervision have been paid.

Whenever an authorized agent of the department finds any meat, meat products, seafood, poultry, vegetable, fruit, or other food that is unsound, or that contains any filthy, decomposed, or putrid substance, or that may be poisonous or deleterious to health, or otherwise unsafe, that agent may declare the food to be a nuisance and the department, or its authorized agent, shall condemn or destroy it, or render it unsalable as human food by decharacterization.

Any superior court of this state may condemn any food, drug, device, or cosmetic under provisions of this part. In the absence of an order, the food, drug, device, or cosmetic may be destroyed under the supervision of an authorized agent of the department who has the written consent of the owner, his or her attorney, or authorized representative.