Whenever meat, meat food products, or any product exempted from the definition of a food product, or any dead, dying, disabled or injured, or diseased animal is found by any authorized representative of the Secretary upon any site or premises where it is held for purposes of, or during or after distribution in, intrastate commerce and there is reason to believe that any such article or animal 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 §§ 771—771p of this title or of the Federal Meat Inspection Act or of 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 twenty (20) days, pending action under § 774b of this title or notification of any federal authority having jurisdiction over such article or animal, and shall not be moved by any person from the place or site at which it is located when so detained, until released by such representative. All official marks or seals 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 Secretary that the article or animal is eligible to retain such marks.
History —June 28, 1969, No. 120, p. 334, § 402.