Title FAC — California Food & Agric. Code

(a) The department shall be entitled to receive reimbursement from any person who is found in violation of this chapter for any reasonable attorney’s fees and other related costs, including, but not limited to, investigative costs, involved in enforcement of this chapter. (b) The…

In addition to the remedies provided in this chapter, the department may bring an action in superior court and the court may grant a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter. Any proce…

Nothing in this chapter requires the secretary to report for prosecution or to institute injunctive proceedings for any minor violation of this chapter whenever the secretary believes that the public interest would be adequately served by a suitable written notice of warning and …

No person shall distribute misbranded fertilizing materials. A fertilizing material shall be deemed to be misbranded under any of the following conditions: (a) If its labeling is false or misleading in any particular way. (b) If it is distributed under the name of another fertili…

No person shall distribute an adulterated fertilizing material. A fertilizing material shall be deemed to be adulterated under any of the following conditions: (a) If it contains any deleterious or harmful ingredient in sufficient amounts to render it injurious to beneficial plan…

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

“Animals” means burros, cattle, goats, horses, mules, sheep, swine and other large domesticated animals and poultry.

“Bureau” means Bureau of Meat and Poultry Inspection of the Department of Food and Agriculture.

“Canned pet food” means any commercially sterile food product packed in hermetically sealed containers and composed of either edible fresh or frozen meat or horsemeat, meat or horsemeat byproducts or fish, or a combination thereof. It may contain cereals, edible accessory food pr…

“Collection center” means a receiving area for the temporary storage of animal carcasses, packinghouse waste, or other products before transportation to a licensed rendering plant or pet food processor.

“Dead animal hauler” means any person or company that engages in the business of transporting the carcasses of dead animals.

“Edible” means food fit to be eaten by dogs, cats, or other carnivora.

“Horsemeat byproducts” means the parts other than horsemeat which have been derived from horses, mules or burros, or any combination of them.

“Horsemeat” means the uncooked muscle tissue of horse, mule or burro, or any combination thereof, which is skeletal, with or without the accompanying and overlaying fat, and the portion of sinews, nerves and blood vessels which normally accompany the muscle tissue and which are n…

“Inspected horsemeat” means horsemeat produced in a slaughtering establishment under federal, state or state-approved municipal inspection.

“Meat” means the uncooked muscle tissue of a cow, goat, sheep, swine, or poultry which is skeletal, with or without the accompanying and overlaying fat, and the portion of sinews, nerves and blood vessels which normally accompany the muscle tissue and which are not separated from…

“Meat byproducts” means the edible parts other than meat which have been derived from cattle, goats, sheep, swine, or poultry or any combination of them.

“Pet” means any household animal including but not limited to cats or dogs and other carnivora, whether or not for public exhibition.

“Processed pet food” means a food for pets which has been prepared by heating, drying, semidrying, canning, or by a method of treatment prescribed by regulation of the State Department of Public Health. The term includes special diet, health foods, supplements, treats and candy f…

“Rendering” means all recycling, processing, and conversion of animal and fish materials and carcasses and inedible kitchen grease into fats, oils, proteins, and other products that are used in the animal, poultry, and pet food industries and other industries.

“Slaughter” means to kill live animals and prepare for consumption for pet food purposes.

“Transporter of inedible kitchen grease” means any person who transports inedible kitchen grease.

“Inedible kitchen grease” means any fat or used cooking greases and oils obtained from any source.

(a) There is in state government a Rendering Industry Advisory Board consisting of seven persons, appointed by the secretary, six of whom are licensed under this chapter and are subject to payment of the rendering program licensing fees in accordance with this chapter, including,…

The term of office of the members of the board is three years. When the board is first appointed, three members shall be appointed for three years, two members for two years, and two members for one year. Thereafter, appointments shall be for full three-year terms. Vacancies shal…

The board shall elect a chairperson, and from time to time any other officers as it may deem advisable.

(a) The board shall meet at the call of its chairperson or the secretary or at the request of any three members of the board. The board shall meet at least once a year. (b) A quorum of the board shall be five members. A vote of the majority of the members present at a meeting at …

(a) The board shall advise the secretary and may make recommendations to the secretary concerning all of the following: (1) Adoption, modification, and repeal of regulations and procedures. (2) Procedures for employment, training, supervision, and compensation of inspectors and o…

Persons subject to this chapter shall not have access to any information in the possession of any entity or entities established or designated pursuant to this chapter that would disclose proprietary information regarding any other person subject to this article, including, but n…

(a) The secretary shall adopt regulations to be used by the board to administer this article. (b) In adopting regulations and procedures, the secretary shall accept the recommendations of the board if he or she finds them to be practicable and in the interest of the rendering ind…

The secretary shall, within 30 days of receiving a recommendation from the board in accordance with this article, provide the board with notice of the acceptance of the recommendation or with a written statement of the reasons for denial if he or she does not accept the recommend…

A license granted under this chapter shall expire on December 31 of each year.

The application for a license or a renewal of a license shall be accompanied by the license fee.

A previous violation of any provision of this chapter is good and sufficient cause for denial of a license.

A proceeding for refusal or revocation of a license shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1, Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code. The director shall have all the powers granted in that chapter.

Subject to Section 19229, the annual fee for each license held is one hundred dollars ($100).

A separate license shall be required for each place of business.

(a) In addition to the license fee required pursuant to Section 19225, the department may charge each licensed renderer and collection center an additional fee necessary to cover the reasonable costs of administering Article 6 (commencing with Section 19300) and Article 6.5 (comm…

All fees, charges, and collections collected pursuant to Sections 19225, 19227, 19312, and 19315 shall be paid into the State Treasury monthly to the credit of the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. All fees, charges, and collections collected pursuant to Sections 19225, 19…

If a licensee has two or more licenses in effect at the same meat processing establishment, custom livestock slaughterhouse, place of business, or poultry plant, pursuant to Section 19010, 19011, 19240, 19260, 19280, or 24741, the license fee that is the highest amount shall be p…

Every person engaged in the business of slaughtering animals for pet food or horses for human food purposes shall first obtain a license pursuant to this chapter.

The application shall be in a form which is prescribed by the director and shall contain the following: (a) The name and address of the applicant. (b) Where each slaughterhouse in which he intends to operate is located and to whom it belongs. (c) The experience the applicant has …

The secretary, after notice and hearing, shall refuse to issue a license unless he or she finds that the applicant satisfies all of the following: (a) Is qualified to operate a slaughterhouse. (b) Is properly equipped to engage in the business of slaughtering in a clean and sanit…

Every person engaged in the business of processing, packing, or preparing fresh or frozen horsemeat or any other meat product for use as pet food of any kind, shall first obtain a license pursuant to this chapter, except those persons licensed pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing w…

The application for a license shall be in a form which is prescribed by the secretary and shall contain the following: (a) The name and address of the applicant. (b) Where each processing plant in which he intends to operate is located and to whom it belongs. (c) The experience t…

The secretary, after notice and hearing, shall refuse to issue a license unless he or she finds that the applicant satisfies all of the following: (a) Is qualified to operate a processing plant. (b) Is properly equipped to engage in the business of processing in a clean and sanit…

Every person who engages in the business of importing (distributing or jobbing) fresh or frozen meat, meat byproducts, horsemeat byproducts, poultry meat, or poultry meat byproducts for pet food or horsemeat for human food purposes shall first obtain a license pursuant to this ch…

The application shall be in a form which is prescribed by the director and shall contain the following: (a) The name and address of the applicant. (b) The application for license shall be accompanied by a certificate issued by a federal, state, or local health agency certifying t…

The director shall issue a license unless he finds, after notice and hearing, that the applicant has been convicted of a felony involving adulterated or misbranded food or has violated any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations promulgated thereunder.

Every person engaged in the business of rendering shall obtain a license from the department for each rendering plant.