Sec. 433.030. DETENTION

(a) A representative of the commissioner may detain a carcass, part of a carcass, meat, a meat food product of livestock, a product exempted from the definition of meat food product, or a dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock animal if the representative finds the article on premises where it is held for purposes of intrastate commerce, or during or after distribution in intrastate commerce, and there is reason to believe that the article:

(1) is adulterated or misbranded and is capable of use as human food; or

(2) has not been inspected as required by, or has been or is intended to be distributed in violation of:

(A) this subchapter;

(B) the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. Section 601 et seq.);

(C) the Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. Section 451 et seq.); or

(D) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq.).

(b) An article may be detained for not more than 20 days and only pending action under Section 433.031 or notification of a federal authority having jurisdiction over the article.

(c) A person may not move a detained article from the place where it is detained until the article is released by the commissioner's representative.

(d) The commissioner's representative may require that each official mark be removed from the article before it is released, unless the commissioner determines that the article is eligible to bear the official mark.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.