Montana Title 80. Agriculture § 80-9-301. Enforcement--inspection--notice--sampling and analysis

(1) To enforce this chapter, the department upon presenting appropriate credentials may enter, at reasonable times or under emergency conditions, any factory, warehouse, or establishment within the state in which commercial feeds are manufactured, processed, packed, distributed, or held or enter any vehicle being used to transport or hold commercial feeds. The department may inspect at reasonable times and within reasonable limits and in reasonable manner any factory, warehouse, establishment, or vehicle and all pertinent equipment, finished and unfinished materials, containers, and labeling found in a factory, warehouse, establishment, or vehicle. The inspection may include the verification of only those records and production and control procedures necessary to determine compliance with the good manufacturing practice rules adopted under 80-9-204(14).

(2) The department may enter premises to inspect, sample, and analyze noncommercial feeds and ingredients. The department shall provide at least 2 hours' notice prior to the inspection and must be accompanied by the owner or the owner's representative. However, the department's authority is limited to determining whether the feeds and ingredients are adulterated for commercial feed purposes as provided in 80-9-204. The department may issue orders or condemn noncommercial feeds in the same manner as provided for commercial feeds in 80-9-302.

(3) Each inspection must be commenced and completed with reasonable promptness. Upon completion of the inspection, the person in charge of the facility or vehicle must be notified of the completion.

(4) If the officer or employee making the inspection of a factory, warehouse, or other establishment has obtained a sample in the course of the inspection, upon completion of the inspection and prior to leaving the premises, the officer or employee shall give the owner, operator, or agent in charge a receipt describing the sample obtained.

(5) To enforce this chapter the department may enter upon any public or private premises, including any vehicle of transport, during regular business hours to obtain samples and examine records relating to distribution of commercial feeds.

(6) Sampling and analysis must be conducted in accordance with methods published by AOAC international or with other generally recognized methods.

(7) The results of all analyses of official samples must be forwarded by the department to the person named on the label and to the purchaser. When the inspection and analysis of an official sample indicates a commercial feed has been adulterated or misbranded, the department shall upon request within 30 days following receipt of the analysis furnish the registrant a portion of the official sample.

(8) The department, in determining for administrative purposes whether a commercial feed is deficient in any component, must be guided by the official sample obtained and analyzed as provided for in subsections (4) through (6).

(9) All official analyses must be performed cooperatively by the department and the agricultural experiment station at Montana state university-Bozeman. However, the department may arrange with other laboratories for specific analyses conducted as part of an official analysis.