Whenever any carcass, part of a carcass, meat or meat food product of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines, or any product exempted from the definition of a meat food product, or any dead, dying, disabled, or diseased cattle, sheep, swine, goat, or equine is found by any inspector of the Meat and Poultry Inspection Service of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services upon any premises where it is held for purposes of, or during or after distribution in intrastate commerce, and there is reason to believe that any such article is adulterated or misbranded and is capable of use as human food, or that is has not been inspected, in violation of the provisions of Article 49B or of the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or that such article or animal has been or is intended to be distributed in violation of any such provisions, it may be detained by such inspector, upon approval of his supervisor, for a period not to exceed 20 days, pending action under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-549.33, and shall not be moved by any person, firm, or corporation from the place at which it is located when so detained, until released by the area supervisor of the Meat and Poultry Inspection Service. All official marks may be required by such inspector to be removed from such article or animal before it is released unless it appears to the satisfaction of the area supervisor that the article or animal is eligible to retain such marks. (1969, c. 893, s. 17; 1997-261, s. 109.)