SECTIONS 36601-36606 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 36601-36606

36601. The director shall adopt, by regulation, quality standards
that are necessary for any product which is defined in this division.
These quality standards which are adopted by the director shall be
not lower than those which are in effect under regulations of the
United States Department of Agriculture, but may be higher if found
by the director to effectuate the purposes of this part, and of this
section, which are, among others, to provide dairy products to the
consumers of this state of the highest possible quality.

36602. The director, in determining the quality of any product
which is sold, but not produced and processed in this state, shall
ascertain that such product will meet the minimum quality
requirements which are applicable to such product by the standards
which are contained in, or established by, regulations which are
adopted pursuant to this division.

36603. Any standard which is established pursuant to this article
shall expire on the 61st day after the final adjournment of the
second regular session of the Legislature commencing after the
establishment or issuance of such standard.

36604. No product for which standards are required to be
established pursuant to Section 36601 is required to meet any quality
standards which are in excess of those that are in effect under
regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture, unless a
like product is processed in this state and the processors of such
like product in this state are also required to meet such higher
standards.

36605. Except as otherwise provided in Section 36604 and
notwithstanding any other provisions of this part, no dairy products,
as such products are defined in this division, shall be sold within
this state unless they are of a quality which is comparable to that
of the same product which is manufactured or processed pursuant to
this division.

36606. (a) Safe and suitable bacteria standards may be adopted by
the director for use in specific dairy products except for varieties
of hard and soft cheese. Any bacteria strain approved by the director
under this section shall appear in the ingredient list of the
product. The name of any bacteria strain approved by the director for
use in a dairy product for which the standard does not otherwise
require use of one or more bacteria strains shall appear with the
product name on the principal display panel or panels of the package
in letters not less than one-half the height of the letters used in
the product name.
(b) The director shall establish a minimum viable organism count
for any bacteria strain approved pursuant to this section in any
dairy product for which the standard does not otherwise require use
of one or more bacteria strains. The director shall also establish an
official test procedure for the purpose of enforcing the minimum
bacteria count level in any dairy products for which such a minimum
has been established.