Section 12.8 - Inspection; bond; release(a) All imported meat and meat-food products offered for entry into the United States are subject to the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture under the Animal Health Protection Act. (7 U.S.C. 8301 , et seq.). The term "meat and meat-food products," for the purpose of this section, shall include any imported article of food or any imported article which enters or may enter into the composition of food for human consumption, which is derived or prepared in whole or in part from any portion of the carcass of any cattle, sheep, swine, or goat, if such portion is all or a considerable and definite portion of the article, except such articles as organotherapeutic substances, meat juice, meat extract, and the like, which are only for medicinal purposes and are advertised only to the medical profession. Such meat and meat-food products will not be released from CBP custody prior to inspection by an inspector of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection, except when authority is given by such inspector for inspection at the importer's premises or other place not under CBP supervision. In such case a bond for the return to CBP custody of the merchandise shall be given by the consignee or agent on CBP Form 301, containing the bond conditions set forth in § 113.62 of this chapter, and the conveyances or packages in which such merchandise is removed to the place of examination shall be sealed or corded and sealed by a customs officer or an inspector of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection, with import-meat seals furnished by the Department of Agriculture unless bearing United States CBP seals, or in the case of packages otherwise identified as provided for in this section. When cording is necessary for proper sealing, the cords shall be furnished and affixed by the importer or his agent. Import-meat seals or cords and seals may be broken only by a CBP officer or inspector of the Meat Inspection Division, Agricultural Research Service. In lieu of cording and sealing packages, the carrier or importer may furnish and attach to each package of product a warning notice on bright yellow paper, not less than 5 by 8 inches in size, containing the following legend in black type of a conspicuous size:
Notice
This package of meat or meat product must be delivered intact to an inspector of the Meat Inspection Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Warning
Failure to comply with these instructions will result in penalty action being taken against the holder of the CBP entry bond.
If the product is found to be acceptable upon inspection the package will be marked "U.S. Inspected and Passed" and this warning notice defaced.
(b) Liquidated damages assessed for breach of a bond taken under this section, if not in excess of the Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Officer's delegated authority, and if a written application for relief is filed, may be canceled by the port director upon the payment of less than the full amount as he shall deem appropriate, or without the payment of any amount, as may be deemed appropriate, but the Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures Officer shall not act under this paragraph unless the officer in charge of the local office of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection, Department of Agriculture, is in full agreement with the proposed action. If there is no local inspector of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection, the port director shall not act unless he has obtained the full agreement of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Meat and Poultry Inspection in Washington.28 FR 14710, Dec. 31, 1963, as amended by T.D. 78-99, 43 FR 13060, Mar. 29, 1978; T.D. 82-145, 47 FR 35476, Aug. 16, 1982; T.D. 84-213, 49 FR 41167, Oct. 19, 1984; T.D. 89-1, 53 FR 51253, Dec. 21, 1988; T.D. 99-27, 64 FR 13675, Mar. 22, 1999; T.D. 99-64, 64 FR 43265, Aug. 10, 1999; T.D. 00-57, 65 FR 53574 , Sept. 5, 2000; CBP Dec. 10-29, 75 FR 52451 , Aug. 26, 2010