Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-102

§467a Administrative Detention; Duration; Pending Judicial Proceedings; Notification of Government Authorities; Release; Removal of Official Marks

Title 21 › CHAPTER 10 — POULTRY AND POULTRY PRODUCTS INSPECTION › § 467a

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

A government inspector can hold any poultry product, items the law treats like poultry but are listed separately, or dead, dying, disabled, or sick birds found where they are kept for sale or distribution. If the inspector has reason to think the item is unsafe, wrongly labeled, not inspected, or being moved in a way that breaks federal or state rules, they can detain it. The inspector may keep the item for up to 20 days while starting legal action or notifying other authorities. No one may move it until the inspector releases it. The inspector can also require removal of official inspection stamps or labels before release unless the Secretary agrees the item can keep them.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §467a

Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whenever any poultry product, or any product exempted from the definition of a poultry product, or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased poultry is found by any authorized representative of the Secretary upon any premises where it is held for purposes of, or during or after distribution in, commerce or otherwise subject to this chapter, and there is reason to believe that any such article 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 this chapter or of any other Federal law or the laws of any State or Territory, or the District of Columbia, or that it 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 days, pending action under section 467b of this title or notification of any Federal, State, or other governmental authorities having jurisdiction over such article or poultry, and shall not be moved by any person, from the place at which it is located when so detained, until released by such representative. All official marks may be required by such representative to be removed from such article or poultry before it is released unless it appears to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the article or poultry is eligible to retain such marks.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 467a

Title 21, Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102