Stamping or Labeling of Fruit and Containers, Misbranding of Fruit or Containers, PIQ Program, Organic Grove Registration Program
RULE NOS.:RULE TITLES:
20-39.019Stamping or Labeling of Fruit and Containers
20-39.020Misbranding of Fruit or Containers
20-39.021PIQ Program
20-39.022Organic Grove Registration Program
NOTICE OF CHANGE
Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 44 No. 73, April 13, 2018 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.
20-39.019 Stamping or Labeling of Fruit and Containers.
(1) through (2) No change.
(3) Name and Address of Shipper, Coding and Records - Boxes.
(a) No change.
(b) All shippers and packers shall maintain sufficient coding of all containers and shall prepare and maintain product coding and distribution records, in accordance with Section 20-40.001, F.A.C., to facilitate effective product recall and identification of the packinghouse that physically packed the fruit. Such records will be available to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture upon request.
(4) through (5) No change.
Rulemaking Authority 601.10(1), (7), 601.11 FS. Law Implemented 601.02(4), (5), 601.091, 601.10(7), 601.11, 601.45 FS. History—New _________.
20-39.020 Misbranding of Fruit or Containers.
The following practices in handling citrus fruit grown in this state are prohibited and violation shall subject the offender to prosecution as provided by law:
(1) No change.
(2) To sell, ship or offer for sale or shipment any citrus fruit when the individual fruit or the package, wrapper or container thereof bears any false or misleading statement, design or device regarding the name, size or quality of such fruit, the locality in which it was grown or the net contents of the container; however, in recognition of various customs and usages in different markets, for the purpose of this rule, it shall not be considered a misleading statement to indicate “pink” varieties as “red” on the shipping container.
(3) In recognition of various customs and usages in different markets, for the purpose of this rule, it shall not be considered a misleading statement to indicate “pink” varieties as “red” on the shipping container.
Rulemaking Authority 601.10(1), 601.11 FS. Law Implemented 601.11, 601.99 FS. History—New .
20-39.021 PIQ Program.
Packinghouses approved by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Fruit and Vegetables to operate under the PIQ (Partners in Quality) program shall comply with all provisions of this chapter. Inspection for compliance shall be in a manner prescribed by “Specifications for PIQ Program Quality Assurance Systems” dated July 2007, http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-09331, incorporated herein by reference.
Rulemaking Authority 601.10(1), (7), 601.11 FS. Law Implemented 601.10(7) FS. History—New _________.
20-39.022 Organic Grove Registration Program.
To aid enforcement of proper citrus fruit labeling and to assist with estimates of organic citrus fruit volumes, an Organic Grove Registration Program shall be established as herein provided.
(1) No change.
(2) The registration form, FDACS-07128, incorporated herein by reference, http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-09421 shall include documentation of current organic certification, the USDA accredited certifying agent name, organic certificate number, the name of the grove property owner, the grove location referenced in Global Positioning System coordinates, the varieties of citrus fruit, an estimate of current season production in boxes, and such other information as may be deemed necessary by Florida Department of Citrus.
(3) No change.
Rulemaking Authority 601.10(7), 601.99, 601.731 FS. Law Implemented 601.10(7), 601.641(2), 601.99, 601.731 FS. History—New _________.
