N.M. Stat. § 25-2-6
Detention of food believed adulterated or misbranded;
condemnation; destruction or correction of defect.
A. Whenever the director finds or has probable cause to believe that any food is
adulterated or so misbranded as to be dangerous or fraudulent within the meaning of
the New Mexico Food Act, he shall affix to such article a tag or other appropriate
marking, giving notice that such article is, or is suspected of being, adulterated or
misbranded and has been detained or embargoed and warning all persons not to
remove or dispose of such article by sale or otherwise until permission for removal or
disposal is given by the director or the court. It shall be unlawful for any person to
remove or dispose of such detained or embargoed article by sale or otherwise without
such permission.
B. When an article detained or embargoed under Subsection A of this section has
been found by the director to be adulterated or misbranded, he shall petition the judge
of the district court in whose jurisdiction the article is detained or embargoed for a libel
for condemnation of such article. When the director has found that an article so
detained or embargoed is not adulterated or misbranded, he shall remove the tag or
other marking.
C. If the court finds that a detained or embargoed article is adulterated or
misbranded, such article shall, after entry of the decree, be destroyed at the expense of
the claimant thereof under the supervision of the director, and all court costs and fees
and storage and other proper expenses shall be taxed against the claimant of such
article or his agent; provided that when the adulteration or misbranding can be corrected
by proper labeling or processing of the article, the court, after entry of the decree and
after such costs, fees and expenses have been paid and a good and sufficient bond,
conditioned that such article shall be so labeled or processed, has been executed, may
by order direct that such article be delivered to the claimant thereof for such labeling or
processing under the supervision of the director. The expense of such supervision shall
be paid by the claimant. Such bond shall be returned to the claimant of the article on
representation to the court by the director that the article is no longer in violation of the
New Mexico Food Act and that the expenses of such supervision have been paid.
D. Whenever the director shall find in any room, building, vehicle of transportation or
other structure, any meat, seafood, poultry, vegetable, fruit or other perishable articles
which are unsound or contain any filthy, decomposed or putrid substance, or that may
be poisonous or deleterious to health or otherwise unsafe, the same being hereby
declared to be a nuisance, he shall forthwith condemn or destroy the same or in any
other manner render the same unsaleable as human food.