A. Whenever the director finds or has probable cause to believe that any dairy product within a dairy establishment is adulterated or so misbranded as to be dangerous or fraudulent within the meaning of the New Mexico Dairy Product Act, he shall affix to such dairy product a tag or other appropriate marking giving notice that the dairy product is or is suspected of being adulterated or misbranded and has been detained or embargoed and warning all persons not to remove or dispose of the dairy product by sale or otherwise until permission for removal or disposal is given by the director or the court. It is unlawful for any person to remove or dispose of the detained or embargoed dairy product by sale or otherwise without such permission.

B. When a dairy product detained or embargoed under Subsection A of this section has been found by the director to be adulterated or misbranded, he shall petition the judge of the district court in whose jurisdiction the dairy product is detained or embargoed for a libel for condemnation of the dairy product. When the director has found that a dairy product so detained or embargoed is not adulterated or misbranded, he shall remove the tag or other marking.

C. If the court finds that a detained or embargoed dairy product is adulterated or misbranded, the dairy product shall, after entry of the decree, be destroyed at the expense of the claimant of the dairy product under the supervision of the director, and all court costs and fees and storage and other proper expenses shall be taxed against the claimant of the dairy product or his agent; provided that when the adulteration or misbranding can be corrected by proper labeling or processing of the dairy product, the court, after entry of the decree and after such costs, fees and expenses have been paid and a good and sufficient bond, conditioned that the dairy product shall be so labeled or processed, has been executed, may by order direct that the dairy product be delivered to the claimant for such labeling or processing under the supervision of the director. The expense of such supervision shall be paid by the claimant. The bond shall be returned to the claimant of the dairy product on representation to the court by the director that the dairy product is no longer in violation of the New Mexico Dairy Product Act and that the expenses of supervision have been paid.

D. Whenever the director finds in any room, building or vehicle of transportation at a dairy establishment any dairy product that is unsound or contains any filthy, decomposed or putrid substance or that may be poisonous or deleterious to health or otherwise unsafe, the same being hereby declared to be a nuisance, he shall condemn or destroy the dairy product or in any other manner render it unsaleable as human food.

History: Laws 1993, ch. 188, § 6.

Effective dates. — Laws 1993, ch. 188 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 18, 1993, 90 days after adjournment of the legislature.