SECTIONS 29401-29421 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 29401-29421

29401. Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in
this article govern the construction of this chapter.

29402. "Adulterated honey" means any honey to which has been added
honeydew, glucose, dextrose, molasses, sugar, sugar sirup, invert
sugar, or any other similar product except the nectar of floral
exudations of plants gathered and stored in the comb by honeybees.

29403. "Agent" includes broker, commission merchant, auctioneer,
solicitor, seller on consignment, and any other person that is acting
upon the actual or implied authority of another.

29404. "Clean and sound containers" means containers which are
virtually free from rust, stains, or leaks.

29405. "Comb honey" means honey which is in the comb.

29406. "Container" means any box, crate, chest, carton, barrel,
keg, or other receptacle which contains honey.

29407. "Crystallized honey" means honey which has assumed a solid
form due to the crystallization of one or more of the natural sugars
in it.

29408. "Deceptive arrangement" or "deceptive display" means any
lot, load, arrangement, or display of honey which has in any exposed
surface, honey which is so superior in quality, appearance, or
condition, or in any other respects, to any of the honey which is
concealed or unexposed as to materially misrepresent any part of the
lot, load, arrangement, or display.

29409. "Deceptive pack" means any container or subcontainer of
honey which has, in any exposed surface, honey or honeycomb, so
superior in quality, appearance, condition, or in any other respect
to the honey in the interior of the container or subcontainer, or the
unexposed portion, as to materially misrepresent the contents. It
includes any pack:
(a) Even though the honey in a container is virtually uniform in
quality as defined in this chapter, if the outer or exposed surface
is composed of honey which is not an accurate representation of the
variation in quality of the honey in the entire container.
(b) Which is slack-filled, unless the container is so marked, even
though such container is marked with the proper net weight of the
honey which it contains.

29409.5. "Domestic honey" means comb or extracted honey produced
within one of the states of the United States.

29410. "Extracted honey" means honey which has been removed from
the comb.

29412. "Foreign material" means wax particles, insects, or other
materials which were not deposited by bees. It does not, however,
include decorative artificial leaves or blossoms.

29413. (a) "Honey" means the natural sweet substance produced by
honeybees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living
parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living
parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with
specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store, and
leave in the honeycomb to ripen and mature.
(b) "Blossom honey" or "nectar honey" means the honey that comes
from nectars of plants.
(c) "Honeydew honey" means the honey that comes mainly from
excretions of plant sucking insects (Hemiptera) on living parts of
plants or secretions of living parts of plants.
(d) Honey consists essentially of different sugars, predominantly
fructose and glucose as well as other substances such as organic
acids, enzymes, and solid particles derived from honey collection.
The color of honey can vary from nearly colorless to dark brown. The
consistency can be fluid, viscous, or partially to completely
crystallized. The flavor and aroma vary, but are derived from plant
origin.
(e) Honey sold as described in subdivision (d) shall not have
added to it any food ingredient, including food additives, nor shall
any other additions be made other than honey. Honey shall not have
any objectionable matter, flavor, aroma, or taint absorbed from
foreign matter during its processing and storage. Honey shall not
have begun to ferment or effervesce and no pollen or constituent
particular to honey may be removed except where unavoidable in the
removal of foreign inorganic or organic matter.
(f) Honey shall meet the following standards:
(1) Honey shall not be heated or processed to such an extent that
its essential composition is changed or its quality is impaired.
(2) Chemical or biochemical treatments shall not be used to
influence honey crystallization.
(3) Honey shall not contain more than 20 percent moisture content
and for heather honey not more than 23 percent.
(4) Honey shall contain not less than 60 percent fructose and
glucose, combined.
(5) Honeydew honey and blends of honeydew honey with blossom honey
shall not contain less than 45 percent fructose and glucose,
combined.
(6) Blossom honey shall not contain more than 5 percent sucrose,
except for the following:
(A) Alfalfa (Medicago saliva), citrus spp., false acacia (Robinia
pseudoacacia), French honeysuckle (Hedysarum), Menzies banksias
(Banksia menziesii), red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), leatherwood
(Eucryphia lucida), and Eucryphia milligani may contain up to 10
percent sucrose.
(B) Lavender (Lavandula spp.) and borage (Borago officinalis) may
contain up to 15 percent sucrose.
(7) The water insoluble solids content for honey other than
pressed honey shall not be more than 0.1g/100g. The content for
pressed honey shall not be more than 0.5g/100g.

29414. "Honeybees" means honey-producing insects of the genus Apis
mellifica.

29415. "Honeydew" means the dextrorotatory saccharine exudation of
plants or insects, except nectareous exudations, which is gathered
and stored in the comb by honeybees.

29415.5. "Imported honey" means comb or extracted honey imported
from any territory or foreign county or honey which is repackaged
into subcontainers as a blend with honey imported from one or more
other countries.

29416. "Mislabeled" means the placing or presence of any false or
misleading statement, design, or device upon, or in connection with,
any container or lot of honey, or upon the label, lining, or wrapper
of any such container, or any placard used in connection with any
container or lot of honey, which has reference to such honey. A
statement, design, or device is false and misleading, if the honey to
which it apparently or actually refers does not conform in every
respect to such statement.

29417. "Pack," or "packing" or "packed," means the arrangement of
all or a part of the subcontainers in any container.

29418. "Placard" means any sign, label, or designation, except an
oral designation, which is used in connection with any honey as a
description or identification of it.

29419. "Section box" means the wood or other frame in which bees
have built a small comb of honey.

29420. "Slack-filled" means that the contents of any container
occupy less than 85 percent of the volume of the closed container.

29421. "Subcontainer" means any section box or other receptacle
which is used within a container.