§ 71-n. Milk and milk products; permit required. 1. (a) No person, firm, association, partnership or corporation shall engage in or carry on the business of shipping, transporting or importing into this state from any other state, territory or foreign country any milk or milk products, as defined in subdivision two of section seventy-one-l of this article, for sale, resale or distribution to consumers unless the milk and milk products to be shipped, transported, or imported into this state meet all of the sanitary requirements and standards for such milk and milk products produced or manufactured within this state.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be held or construed to apply to evaporated or condensed milk manufactured, sold or exposed for sale or exchange in hermetically sealed cans.

(c) When the commissioner inspects a plant beyond the boundary of the state, the commissioner may require such plant to reimburse the department for all necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in making such inspections. The commissioner is authorized to effectuate and enter into such reciprocal agreements with governmental units of other states, commonwealths or jurisdictions as will insure the inhabitants of this state milk and milk products complying with all the sanitary requirements and product standards and regulations now in force or hereafter promulgated by the department for the production and handling of milk or milk products within the state, through reciprocal inspection agreements, and in aid of such agreements, may approve or accept inspections conducted by other commonwealths, states and jurisdictions with respect to milk and milk products.

2. No person, firm, association, partnership or corporation shall engage in the production, processing or manufacture of milk and milk products without a permit issued by the commissioner pursuant to this subdivision. The commissioner may decline to grant or renew or may revoke a permit, after due notice and opportunity for a hearing, when he or she is satisfied that the applicant or permit holder is not capable of complying or has not complied with the requirements relating to production, processing or manufacture of milk and milk products set forth in this chapter or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. No fee shall be charged for a permit and it shall remain in effect until revoked or until suspended by the commissioner. With respect to a milk producer, the permit required by this section shall consist of a satisfactory sanitary inspection report of a department inspector or a certified milk industry inspector. An emergency suspension of a milk producer's permit pursuant to section four hundred one of the state administrative procedure act may be ordered by a department employee authorized by the commissioner. Such an order may be based upon facts as reported by a certified milk industry inspector.

3. The commissioner may, after public hearing, promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary to give full force and effect to the purpose and intent of this article and to conform such rules and regulations to the provisions of the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, published by the food and drug administration of the United States department of health and human services, including those provisions concerning the disposition of milk as a sanction for violation of such ordinance.