The definitions of terms that appear in section 201 of the act (21 U.S.C. 321) apply when the terms are used in this subpart. In addition, for the purposes of this subpart:

Act means the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Authorized FDA representative means an FDA District Director in whose district the article of food involved is located or an FDA official senior to such director.

Calendar day means every day shown on the calendar.

Food has the meaning given in section 201(f) of the act (21 U.S.C. 321(f)). Examples of food include, but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, fish, dairy products, eggs, raw agricultural commodities for use as food or components of food, animal feed, including pet food, food and feed ingredients and additives, including substances that migrate into food from food packaging and other articles that contact food, dietary supplements and dietary ingredients, infant formula, beverages, including alcoholic beverages and bottled water, live food animals, bakery goods, snack foods, candy, and canned foods.

Perishable food means food that is not heat-treated; not frozen; and not otherwise preserved in a manner so as to prevent the quality of the food from being adversely affected if held longer than 7 calendar days under normal shipping and storage conditions.

We means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Working day means any day from Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

You means any person who received the detention order or that person's representative.

An officer or qualified employee of FDA may order the detention of any article of food that is found during an inspection, examination, or investigation under the act if the officer or qualified employee has reason to believe that the article of food is adulterated or misbranded.

(a) FDA may detain an article of food for a reasonable period that may not exceed 20 calendar days after the detention order is issued. However, an article may be detained for 10 additional calendar days if a greater period of time is required to institute a seizure or injunction action. The authorized FDA representative may approve the additional 10-calendar day detention period at the time the detention order is issued, or at any time within the 20-calendar day period by amending the detention order.

(b) The entire detention period may not exceed 30 calendar days.

(c) An authorized FDA representative may, in accordance with § 1.384, terminate a detention order before the expiration of the detention period.

(a) You must hold the detained article of food in the location and under the conditions specified by FDA in the detention order.

(b) If FDA determines that removal to a secure facility is appropriate, the article of food must be removed to a secure facility. A detained article of food remains under detention before, during, and after movement to a secure facility. FDA will also state in the detention order any conditions of transportation applicable to the detained article.

(c) If FDA directs you to move the detained article of food to a secure facility, you must receive a modification of the detention order under § 1.381(c) before you move the detained article of food to a secure facility.

(d) You must ensure that any required tags or labels under § 1.382 accompany the detained article during and after movement. The tags or labels must remain with the article of food until FDA terminates the detention order or the detention period expires, whichever occurs first, unless otherwise permitted by the authorized FDA representative.

(e) The movement of an article of food in violation of a detention order issued under § 1.393 is a prohibited act under section 301 of the act (21 U.S.C. 331).

(a) An article of food subject to a detention order under this subpart may not be delivered under the execution of a bond. Notwithstanding section 801(b) of the act (21 U.S.C. 381(b)), while any article of food is subject to a detention order under section 304(h) of the act (21 U.S.C. 334(h)), it may not be delivered to any of its importers, owners, or consignees. This section does not preclude movement at FDA's direction of imported food to a secure facility under an appropriate Customs' bond when that bond is required by Customs' law and regulation.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no person may transfer a detained article of food within or from the place where it has been ordered detained, or from the place to which it was removed, until an authorized FDA representative releases the article of food under § 1.384 or the detention period expires under § 1.379, whichever occurs first.

(c) The authorized FDA representative may approve, in writing, a request to modify a detention order to permit movement of a detained article of food for any of the following purposes:

(1) To destroy the article of food,

(2) To move the detained article of food to a secure facility under the terms of a detention order,

(3) To maintain or preserve the integrity or quality of the article of food, or

(4) For any other purpose that the authorized FDA representative believes is appropriate in the case.

(d) You must submit your request for modification of the detention order in writing to the authorized FDA representative who approved the detention order. You must state in your request the reasons for movement; the exact address of and location in the new facility (or the new location within the same facility) where the detained article of food will be transferred; an explanation of how the new address and location will be secure, if FDA has directed that the article be detained in a secure facility; and how the article will be held under any applicable conditions described in the detention order. If you are requesting modification of a detention order for the purpose of destroying the detained article of food, you also must submit a verified statement identifying the ownership or proprietary interest you have in the detained article of food, in accordance with Supplemental Rule C to the “Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.”

(e) If FDA approves a request for modification of a detention order, the article may be transferred but remains under detention before, during, and after the transfer. FDA will state any conditions of transportation applicable to the detained article. You may not transfer a detained article of food without FDA supervision unless FDA has declined in writing to supervise the transfer. If FDA has declined in writing to supervise the transfer of a detained article, you must immediately notify in writing the authorized FDA representative who approved the modification of the detention order that the article of food has reached its new location, and the specific location of the detained article within the new location. Such written notification may be in the form of a fax, e-mail, or other form as agreed to by the authorized FDA representative.

(f) You must ensure that any required tags or labels under § 1.382 accompany the detained article during and after movement. The tags or labels must remain with the article of food until FDA terminates the detention order or the detention period expires, whichever occurs first, unless otherwise permitted by the authorized FDA representative who approves the modification of a detention order under this section.

(g) The transfer of an article of food in violation of a detention order issued under § 1.393 is a prohibited act under section 301 of the act.

The officer or qualified employee of FDA issuing a detention order under § 1.393 may label or mark the detained article of food with official FDA tags or labels that include the following information:

(a) A statement that the article of food is detained by FDA in accordance with section 304(h) of the act;

(b) A statement that the article of food must not be consumed, moved, altered, or tampered with in any manner for the period shown, without the written permission of an authorized FDA representative;

(c) A statement that the violation of a detention order or the removal or alteration of the tag or label is a prohibited act, punishable by fine or imprisonment or both; and

(d) The detention order number, the date and hour of the detention order, the detention period, and the name of the officer or qualified employee of FDA who issued the detention order.

If FDA initiates a seizure action under section 304(a) of the act against a perishable food subject to a detention order under this subpart, FDA will send the seizure recommendation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) within 4 calendar days after the detention order is issued, unless extenuating circumstances exist. If the fourth calendar day is not a working day, FDA will advise the DOJ of its plans to recommend a seizure action on the last working day before the fourth calendar day and send the recommendation as soon as practicable on the first working day that follows. For purposes of this section, an extenuating circumstance includes, but is not limited to, instances when the results of confirmatory testing or other evidentiary development requires more than 4 calendar days to complete.

If FDA terminates a detention order or the detention period expires, an authorized FDA representative will issue a detention termination notice releasing the article of food to any person who received the detention order or that person's representative and will remove, or authorize in writing the removal of, the required labels or tags. If FDA fails to issue a detention termination notice and the detention period expires, the detention is deemed to be terminated.