Whenever the commissioner or his duly authorized representative shall find from inspection, as authorized in section 956, that potatoes are being sold, exposed for sale, or shipped for sale in containers, and the containers bear any statements, design or device regarding such potatoes which shall be false or misleading, in any particular, or if potatoes are packed in such manner that the face or shown surface is not an average of the contents of the package, or if such potatoes fail to meet the minimum grade requirements established as a state grade by the commissioner, or if the potatoes are not accompanied by a proper bill of lading or invoice as provided by section 952, then the commissioner, or his duly authorized representative, may seize such potatoes so that they cannot be sold, offered, exposed for sale or transported. Any potatoes seized by the commissioner or his duly authorized representative for failure to meet the minimum grade requirements established by the commissioner shall be returned to the person, firm, or corporation responsible for packing the potatoes at the point of origin. Misbranded potatoes shall not be exposed or offered for sale or transported until such potatoes have been regraded and are accompanied by a federal-state inspection certificate showing that the potatoes meet the minimum grade requirements specified on the container. [PL 1975, c. 687, §1 (AMD).] Notwithstanding section 957, any violation of this section shall constitute a separate civil violation with a minimum penalty of $1,000 for each occurrence. Each lot of potatoes exposed or offered for sale, transported, shipped or dumped without the requisite federal and state inspection certificate required under this section showing that the potatoes meet the minimum grade requirements specified on the container shall constitute a separate violation. There is no violation if the potatoes are removed from the containers under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and are to be used for processing or charitable purposes. [PL 1989, c. 605 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 878, Pt. D, §5 (AMD); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV).]
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