The director may seize and hold any lot of produce, or any unharvested produce that is within one week of being in a harvestable condition, which carries or is suspected of carrying pesticide residue or other added deleterious ingredients in violation of this chapter or any regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter.

If the director seizes any lot of produce, he shall issue to the owner or bailee a hold order or notice. He may affix to the lot a warning tag which states that the lot is so held.

Any lot of produce for which a hold order or notice is issued shall be held by the owner or bailee of the produce and shall not be disturbed or moved from the place where it is, except under the specific direction of the director, pending final disposition pursuant to this chapter.

This does not prevent the owner or bailee from inspecting any produce so seized, nor from taking therefrom, in the presence of a person designated by the director, a reasonable sample for evidence.

Any produce which is seized and held pursuant to this article, unless previously analyzed by the director, shall be sampled and analyzed within 24 hours after the seizure for the purpose of determining the amount of pesticide residue on it. The owner or bailee of the produce shall be immediately notified in person or by telegram by the director that the analysis of the sample shows that the produce does or does not carry pesticide residue or other added deleterious ingredient in violation of this chapter or any regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter.

Upon the demand of the owner or bailee at or prior to the time of the sampling by the director, the sample which is drawn shall be divided into two approximately equal parts, one part of which shall be sealed and left with the owner or bailee and one part taken for analysis by the director.

If the seized and held lot, as determined by the director’s chemical analysis, does not carry pesticide residue in excess of any maximum which is provided by this chapter or in excess of a permissible tolerance, the director shall forthwith release the seized and held lot from the seizure and remove the hold order or tag.

If the seized and held lot of produce is found to carry pesticide residue in excess of any maximum which is provided by this chapter or in excess of a permissible tolerance, the director shall, upon request of the owner, permit the lot of produce to be reconditioned or disposed of for byproducts purposes which may lawfully contain the pesticide residue found.

Upon demand of the owner or bailee for permission to remove the produce for reconditioning or use for byproducts, the director shall release the produce to the custody of the agricultural commissioner of any county which is designated by the owner or bailee if the commissioner advises the director that facilities for reconditioning the produce or for converting it into byproducts are available in the county and that the commissioner will supervise the reconditioning or conversion into byproducts of the lot if it is released.

Upon demand of the owner or person in rightful possession of the produce for permission to remove the produce destined for processing, the director shall release the produce to the custody of the State Director of Health Services.

The produce after reconditioning is subject to all the provisions of this chapter pending its final release by the director pursuant to Section 12606.

If the lot of produce which is seized and held is found to carry excess pesticide residue, the owner or bailee of the lot may appeal the result of the examination to the director by letter, telegram, or other writing, within three days of the notice to the owner or bailee which is provided for in Section 12604.

Upon receipt of an appeal by the owner or bailee, the director shall, after reasonable notice to the owner, if known, or, if not known, to the bailee, take a further sample and submit it under an individual lot number to the headquarters laboratory of the department at Sacramento for an appeal chemical analysis.

The director shall permit the owner to be present in person or by his representative at the taking of the sample to be submitted for the appeal chemical analysis. The cost of the sampling and analysis shall be at the expense of the owner or bailee. The findings from the appeal chemical analysis are binding on both parties.

After seizure by the director pursuant to this chapter of any lot of produce upon which an appeal analysis is to be made, the director upon request shall permit the owner or bailee to move the produce to a specified commercial cold storage warehouse which is suited for preserving it against deterioration. The storage is subject, however, to the terms of any hold order or notice issued pursuant to this article.

If the appeal analysis shows that the lot of produce carries pesticide residue in excess of any maximum which is provided in this chapter or in excess of a permissible tolerance, the lot of produce may be disposed of pursuant to Sections 12607, 12608, and 12609.

If the appeal analysis shows that the lot of produce does not carry pesticide residue in excess of any maximum which is provided by this chapter, or in excess of a permissible tolerance, the director shall forthwith release the lot from the seizure and remove the hold order or tag.