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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>75373</law_id><section_number>3.2-5135</section_number><catch_line>Authority to seize food and dairy products; analysis; disposition of remainder</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="3.2">Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Food and Drink; Weights and Measures</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="51">Food and Drink</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="4">Seizures, Prosecutions, Penalties, and Enforcement</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> is authorized at all times to seize and take <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of any and all food and dairy products, substitutes, or imitations kept for sale, exposed for sale, or held in <span class="dictionary">possession</span> or under the control of any person that in the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> are believed to be in violation of any provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-270539" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5135/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> When the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> seizes any goods pursuant to subsection A, he may take a sample from the goods for the purpose of analysis and shall leave the remainder in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the person from whom they were seized, subject to the determined <span class="dictionary">disposition</span>. <a id="paragraph-270540" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5135/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any person making a seizure under this section shall forward any sample taken pursuant to subsection B that in the determination of the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> requires laboratory analysis to the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of General Services (the Division). The Division shall turn over the sample to a qualified analyst who shall analyze the sample and certify the results of the analysis. Where the qualified analyst is an employee of the Division, the analyst&#x2019;s certificate shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the <span class="dictionary">facts</span> certified to in any appropriate <span class="dictionary">court</span> where the sample may be offered in <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>. <a id="paragraph-270541" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-5135/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 3-329 to 3-331; 1966, c. 702, &#xA7;&#xA7; 3.1-408 to 3.1-410; 1978, c. 702; 2008, c. 860; 2015, c. 91.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
