Section 124 Inspection of livestock and poultry; seizure and destruction; reports; publication - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 124. An inspector may inspect livestock and poultry, the carcasses of all slaughtered animals and all meat and poultry or the products thereof, offered or exposed for sale or kept with intent to sell, and may enter any place where such livestock, poultry, carcasses or products are stored, kept, or exposed for sale and shall have access at all times, by day or night, to every part of every establishment required to have inspection under this chapter, whether the establishment is operated or not. If such carcasses or products are tainted, diseased, corrupted, decomposed, unwholesome, unfit for food from any cause or otherwise adulterated or misbranded, said inspector shall seize and may cause the same to be destroyed forthwith, or denatured and disposed of in accordance with such regulations as the department may prescribe. The inspector shall immediately notify the commissioner of any carcasses or products seized or condemned, stating the reasons for such seizure or condemnation and stating the name of the owner or person in whose possession it was found, and the disposition made of said carcass or product.

Reports shall be made by the inspector or other authorized person employed by the department, stating in detail the conditions observed and recommendations, if any, regarding such conditions. The consumers’ council, upon request of its chairman, shall have access to such reports. Inspectors shall make inspections of all establishments licensed under the provisions of section one hundred and twenty. Reports of said inspections shall be made in quadruplicate and a case number assigned to each inspection shall be affixed thereto. A copy of each inspection report shall be given to the following:—

(a) to the person whose establishment has been inspected;

(b) to the commissioner; and,

(c) to the director of the division of food and drugs; and,

(d) one is to be retained by the inspector making said report.

Complete records of all inspections, reports, complaints and enforcement actions shall be maintained and a summarized monthly list of all enforcement actions, detailing the business name, address, offense charged, and disposition of each such case shall be published by the department and a copy thereof furnished to the consumers’ council.