Chapter 17. Commercial Feeds
TITLE 3
Agriculture
Regulatory Provisions
CHAPTER 17. COMMERCIAL FEEDS
§ 1701. Title.
This chapter shall be known as the "Delaware Commercial Feed Law of 1967."
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1701; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69.;
§ 1702. Enforcing agency.
This chapter shall be administered by the Department of Agriculture of this State, hereinafter referred to as the "Department."
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1702; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1703. Definitions of words and terms.
When used in this chapter:
(1) "Person" includes individual, partnership, corporation and association;
(2) "Distribute" means to offer for sale, sell or barter, commercial feed or customer-formula feed; or to supply, furnish or otherwise provide commercial feed or customer-formula feed to a contract feeder;
(3) "Distributor" means any person who distributes pursuant to subdivision (2) of this section;
(4) "Sell" or "sale" includes exchange;
(5) "Commercial feed" means all materials which are distributed for the use as feed or for mixing in feed, for animals and cultured aquatic stock other than man except:
a. Unmixed or unprocessed whole seeds and meals made directly from the entire seed;
b. Unground hay, straw, stover, silage, cobs, husks and hulls when not mixed with other materials;
c. Individual chemical compounds when not mixed with other materials;
(6) "Feed ingredient" means each of the constituent materials making up a commercial feed;
(7) "Mineral feed" means a substance or mixture of substances designed or intended to supply primarily mineral elements or inorganic nutrients;
(8) "Customer-formula feed" means a mixture of commercial feeds and/or materials each batch of which mixture is mixed according to the specific instructions of the final purchaser, or contract feeder;
(9) "Brand name" means any word, name, symbol or device, or any combination thereof, identifying the commercial feed of a distributor and distinguishing it from that of others;
(10) "Product name" means the name of the commercial feed which identifies it as to kind, class or specific use;
(11) "Label" means a display of written, printed or graphic matter upon or affixed to the container in which a commercial feed is distributed, or on the invoice or delivery slip with which a commercial feed or customer-formula feed is distributed;
(12) "Ton" means a net weight of 2,000 pounds avoirdupois;
(13) "Percent" or "percentage" means percentage by weight;
(14) "Official sample" means any sample of feed taken by the Department or its agent and designated as "official" by the Department;
(15) "Contract feeder" means a person who, as an independent contractor, feeds commercial feed to animals pursuant to a contract whereby such commercial feed is supplied, furnished or otherwise provided to such person and whereby such person's remuneration is determined all or in part by feed consumption, mortality, profits, or amount or quality of product.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1703; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 69 Del. Laws, c. 103, § 6.;
§ 1704. Registration.
(a) Each commercial feed shall be registered before being distributed in this State; provided, however, that customer-formula feeds are exempt from registration. The application for registration shall be submitted on forms furnished by the Department, and shall also be accompanied by a label or other printed matter describing the product. Upon approval by the Department, a copy of the registration shall be furnished to the applicant. All registrations expire on December 31 of each year. The application shall include the information required by paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5) of subsection (a) of § 1705 of this title. The Department may permit on the registration the alternative listing of ingredients of comparable feeding value, provided that the label for each package shall state the specific ingredients which are in such package.
(b) A distributor shall not be required to register any brand of commercial feed which is already registered under this chapter by another person.
(c) Changes in the guarantee of either chemical or ingredient composition of a registered commercial feed may be permitted provided there is satisfactory evidence that such changes would not result in a lowering of the feeding value of the product for the purpose for which designed.
(d) The Department may refuse registration of any application not in compliance with this chapter and may cancel any registration subsequently found not to be in compliance with any provision of this chapter; provided, however, that no registration shall be refused or cancelled until the registrant shall have been given opportunity to be heard before the Department and to amend his application in order to comply with the requirements of this chapter.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1704; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1705. Labeling.
(a) Any commercial feed distributed in this State shall be accompanied by a legible label bearing the following information:
(1) The net weight;
(2) The product name and brand name, if any, under which the commercial feed is distributed;
(3) The guaranteed analysis of the commercial feed, listing the minimum percentage of crude protein, minimum percentage of crude fat, and maximum percentage of crude fiber. For all mineral feeds and for those commercial feeds containing a level of added mineral ingredients established by regulation, the list shall include the following, if added: Minimum and maximum percentages of calcium (Ca), minimum percentage of phosphorus (P), minimum percentage of iodine (I), and minimum percentage of salt (NaCl). Other substances or elements, determinable by laboratory methods, may be guaranteed by permission of the Department. When any items are guaranteed, they shall be subject to inspection and analysis in accordance with the methods and regulations that may be prescribed by the Department. The Department may by regulation designate certain commercial feeds which need not be labeled to show guarantees for crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber;
(4) The common or usual name of each ingredient used in the manufacture of the commercial feed, except as the Department may, by regulation, permit the use of a collective term for a group of ingredients all of which perform the same function. An ingredient statement is not required for single standardized ingredient feeds which are officially defined;
(5) The name and principal address of the person responsible for distributing the commercial feed.
(b) When a commercial feed is distributed in this State in bags or other containers, the label shall be placed on or affixed to the container; when a commercial feed is distributed in bulk the label shall accompany delivery and be furnished to the purchaser at the time of delivery.
(c) A customer-formula feed shall be labeled by invoice. The invoice, which is to accompany delivery and be supplied to the purchaser at the time of delivery, shall bear the following information:
(1) Name and address of the mixer;
(2) Name and address of the purchaser;
(3) Date of sale;
(4) The product name and brand name, if any, and number of pounds of each registered commercial feed used in the mixture and the name and number of pounds of each other feed ingredient added.
(d) If a commercial feed or a customer-formula feed contains a nonnutritive substance which is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease or which is intended to affect the structure or any function of the animal body, the Department may require the label to show the amount present, directions for use, and/or warnings against misuse of the feed.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1705; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1706. Registration fees.
(a) There shall be paid to the Department for each commercial feed distributed in this State an annual registration fee of $23 per brand; provided, however, that the customer-formula feeds are exempt if the registration fee is paid on the commercial feeds which they contain.
(b) All registration fees shall be transferred to the State Treasurer and paid into the General Fund of the State.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1706; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8; 67 Del. Laws, c. 260, § 1.;
§ 1707. Adulteration.
No person shall distribute an adulterated feed. A commercial feed or customer-formula feed shall be deemed to be adulterated:
(1) If any poisonous, deleterious or nonnutritive ingredient has been added in sufficient amount to render it injurious to health when fed in accordance with directions for use on the label;
(2) If any valuable constituent has been in whole or in part omitted or abstracted therefrom or any less valuable substance substituted therefor;
(3) If its composition or quality falls below or differs from that which it is purported or is represented to possess by its labeling;
(4) If it contains added hulls, screenings, straw, cobs or other high fiber material unless the name of each such material is stated on the label;
(5) If it contains viable weed seeds in amounts exceeding the limits which the Department shall establish by rule or regulation.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1707; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1708. Misbranding.
No person shall distribute misbranded feed. A commercial feed or customer-formula feed shall be deemed to be misbranded:
(1) If its labeling is false or misleading in any particular;
(2) If it is distributed under the name of another feed;
(3) If it is not labeled as required in § 1705 of this title and in regulations prescribed under this chapter;
(4) If it purports to be or is represented as a feed ingredient, or if it purports to contain or is represented as containing a feed ingredient, unless such feed ingredient conforms to the definition of identity, if any, prescribed by regulation of the Department; in the adopting of such regulations the Department shall give due regard to commonly accepted definitions such as those issued by the Association of American Feed Control Officials;
(5) If any word, statement, or other information required by or under authority of this chapter to appear on the label or labeling is not prominently placed thereon with such conspicuousness (as compared with other words, statements, designs, or devices, in the labeling) and in such terms as to render it likely to be read and understood by the ordinary individual under the customary conditions of purchase and use.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1708; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1709. Inspections; sampling; analysis.
(a) The Department, individually or through its authorized agent, shall sample, inspect, make analyses of, and test commercial feeds and customer-formula feeds distributed within this State at such time and place, and to such an extent as it may deem necessary to determine whether such feeds are in compliance with this chapter. The Department, individually or through its agent, may enter upon any public or private premises including any vehicle of transport during regular business hours in order to have access to commercial feeds and customer-formula feeds and to records relating to their distribution.
(b) The methods of sampling and analysis shall be those adopted by the Department from sources such as the Journal of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.
(c) The Department, in determining for administrative purposes whether a commercial feed is deficient in any component, shall be guided solely by the official sample as defined in subdivision (14) of § 1703 of this title and obtained and analyzed as provided for in subsection (b) of this section.
(d) When the inspection and analysis of an official sample indicates a commercial feed has been adulterated or misbranded, the results of analysis shall be forwarded by the Department to the distributor and the purchaser. Upon request within 30 days the Department shall furnish to the distributor a portion of the samples concerned.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1709; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1710. Regulations.
The Department shall enforce this chapter, and after due publicity and due public hearing may promulgate and adopt such reasonable regulations as may be necessary in order to secure the efficient administration of this chapter. Publicity concerning the public hearing shall be reasonably calculated to give interested parties adequate notice and adequate opportunity to be heard.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1710; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1711. Detained commercial feeds; "withdrawal from distribu=-tion" orders; condemnation and confiscation.
(a) When the Department or its authorized agent has reasonable cause to believe any lot of commercial feed is being distributed in violation of this chapter or of any of the regulations promulgated under this chapter, it may issue and enforce a written or printed "withdrawal from distribution" order, warning the distributor not to dispose of the lot of feed in any manner until written permission is given by the Department or the Court. The Department shall release any lot of commercial feeds so withdrawn when such distributor has complied with this chapter and the regulations issued hereunder. If compliance is not obtained within 30 days, the Department may begin, or upon request of the distributor shall begin, proceedings for condemnation.
(b) Any lot of commercial feed not in compliance with this chapter or regulations promulgated hereunder shall be subject to seizure on complaint of the Department to a court of competent jurisdiction in the area in which said commercial feed is located. In the event the court finds the said commercial feed to be in violation of this chapter or regulations promulgated hereunder and orders the condemnation of said commercial feed, the same shall be disposed of in any manner consistent with the quality of the commercial feed and the laws of the State; provided, that in no instance shall the disposition of said commercial feed be ordered by the court without first giving the claimant an opportunity to apply to the court for release of said commercial feed or for permission to process or relabel said commercial feed to bring it into compliance with this chapter.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1711; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;
§ 1712. Penalties.
(a) Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this chapter or any regulations hereunder or the rules and regulations issued thereunder, or who shall impede, obstruct, hinder or otherwise prevent or attempt to prevent the Department or its duly authorized agent in performing duties prescribed by this chapter or regulations issued hereunder, shall be fined not more than $50 for the first violation, and not less than $50 for each subsequent violation. In all prosecutions under this chapter involving the composition of a lot of commercial feed, a certified copy of the official analysis signed by the Department shall be accepted as prima facie evidence of the composition.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the Department or its representative to report for prosecution or for the institution of seizure proceedings as a result of minor violations of this chapter where the public interest will be best served by a suitable notice of warning in writing.
(c) When any violation of this chapter is reported to the Attorney General, he or she shall cause appropriate proceedings to be instituted and prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction without delay. Before the Department reports a violation for prosecution, an opportunity shall be given the distributor to present his or her views to the Department.
(d) The Department may apply for and the court may grant a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating or continuing to violate this chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder notwithstanding the existence of other remedies at law. Any injunction shall be issued without bond.
(e) Any person adversely affected by an act, order or ruling made pursuant to this chapter may within 45 days thereafter, bring an action in the Superior Court in the county where the enforcement official has his office, for a new trial of the issues bearing upon such chapter, order or ruling, and upon such trial the Court may issue and enforce such orders, judgments or decrees as the Court may deem proper, just and equitable.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1712; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 1713. Publications.
The Department shall publish at least semiannually, in such form as it may deem proper, a report of the results of the analyses of official samples of commercial feeds sold within this State as compared with the analyses guaran=-teed in the registration and on the label.
3 Del. C. 1953, § 1713; 56 Del. Laws, c. 69; 57 Del. Laws, c. 764, § 8.;