Georgia Administrative Code

(1) The term "Vidalia" may not be used in the advertising or labeling of onions or green onions sold or delivered, held, stored, or offered for sale, unless such onions are of the variety defined in paragraph (g) of Section of these rules, were grown in the Vidalia onion producti…

The standards and grades as adopted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, U. S. Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano type onions, effective January 1, 1960, amended October 10, 1995 ( 7 CFR 51.395 - 51.3209), and U. S. Standards for Grades of Common Green Onions, effect…

(1) All Vidalia onions must be graded and packed in the Vidalia onion production area. No bulk shipments of Vidalia onions to destinations outside the Vidalia onion production area for packing or storage will be allowed, except as otherwise provided in these rules. Nothing contai…

All onions sold as Vidalia onions or Vidalia green onions must be accompanied by an invoice, bill of lading, bill of sale or other documentation issued by the seller, to show the producer of the onions by name and address, or the person making the sale if other than the producer,…

The Commissioner or his duly authorized agent shall have free access at all reasonable hours to any production area, or any packaging, processing, and storage facilities where onions are being held for introduction into commerce, and any vehicle being used to transport or hold su…

All persons producing, packaging, processing, distributing or selling onions as Vidalia onions or Vidalia green onions must retain for a period of four years those records which indicate the origin of any onions produced, packaged, processed, distributed or sold by them.

The following acts and the causing thereof within this State are prohibited: (a) The selling or offering for sale of any onions as Vidalia onions or Vidalia green onions unless such onions are the type defined in paragraph (g) of Section of these rules, and were grown in the Vida…

Upon the application of any person showing: (a) That he has produced and sold or marketed onions as Vidalia onions in this State within three years prior to the effective date of these regulations; and (b) That continued production and sales or marketing of such onions by the app…

Any person involved in the production, packaging, holding, storage, distribution and sales of Vidalia onions who desires to store by such means Vidalia onions for the purpose of introduction into commerce following September 15th of the year in which the onions were produced, mus…

Container manufacturers will be required to maintain for a period of four years, records indicating the quantity of Vidalia onion containers produced and persons to whom sold or shipped. Each person who produces or packages onions as Vidalia onions, must maintain records for a pe…

The Commissioner shall appoint a Vidalia Onion Advisory Panel, to consist of individuals involved in growing, packing, or growing and packing Vidalia onions; at least one county cooperative extension agent from the Vidalia onion production area; and any other person or persons se…

The Commissioner is authorized to determine and announce a packing date each year for the Vidalia Onion® marketing season which shall commence no sooner than 12:01 AM on the Monday of the last full week of April, each year. Vidalia Onions® shall not be packed or put into commerce…

(1) Any data, records, reports, or information obtained from any person or business entity by the Commissioner and staff under these rules shall be reasonably available to any member of the public for inspection and copying at the expense of the person or business entity requesti…

Any person who violates these Rules and Regulations shall be subject to penalty as set forth in O.C.G.A. §2-2-.9.1 and O.C.G.A. § 2-14-135.

(1) Syrup rooms shall be separately enclosed. (2) A sink of sufficient size for operations performed, with hot and cold water under pressure, shall be provided.

All vats, jars, mixing and storage tanks, pipe lines, filters, and other apparatus used in the preparation of syrups, shall be of sanitary construction and lined with materials resistent to the action of syrup ingredients. All mixing and storage tanks shall be provided with appro…

Syrups shall be prepared in a sanitary manner and every precaution shall be taken against contamination or absorption of deleterious substances during the process of preparation and subsequent storage.

(1) Each plant shall be equipped with: (a) suitable mechanical bottle washing equipment; (b) approved machines for carbonating, filling, and crowning. (2) These operations shall be conducted in such a manner as to prevent the operator or his clothing from coming in contact with t…

Conveyors and cases shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times.

All pipe lines, apparatus, and containers used in the manufacturing process shall be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized daily. Steam, hot water, chlorine or other equally efficient agents are permissible for Sterilization.

Every plant manufacturing beverages shall be adequately provided with thermometers, and apparatus for ascertaining the alkalinity and/or causticity of the soaker solution used in bottle washing. The record of the A.B.C.D. Alkali Test or other approved index for ascertaining the s…

Electrical or chemical coagulation devices and filters used for clarification of water shall be of types approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture or his agent; shall not be operated beyond their rated capacity, and shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all t…

Water used in any phase of the manufacture or bottling of beverages shall conform to the latest standards established by the Georgia Department of Agriculture for potable water.

Crowns shall be stored in dustproof and verminproof containers.

(1) Hand bottle washing, except as a preliminary to subsequent mechanical washing, shall be prohibited. All bottles shall be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized immediately before filling. (2) Unclean bottles shall be exposed to a 3% alkali solution of which not less than 60% is ca…

Manual filling or crowning shall be prohibited. Bottles shall be filled and capped with automatic machinery.

Broken bottles and all refuse or rubbish shall be placed in suitable container and removed from plant daily.

(1) The name or trade-mark, net contents, name of product or flavor, address of bottler or distributor and such other descriptive matter as provided by law or regulations must appear on the label (bottle or crown). (2) No bottler shall fill bottles or distribute products in bottl…

All vending machines and other devices used in dispensing bulk beverages must comply with all labeling regulations by signs or other acceptable methods.

The following words or terms shall have the meaning set forth herein wherever used in these rules and regulations: (a) Natural Flavor is a flavor derived from natural sources, such as fruits, vegetables, leaves, roots, barks, or berries. It may contain ethyl alcohol or other suit…

(1) Organic salts/Minerals, Use of.-Edible organic acids and their salts may be used. Mineral acids other than orthophosphoric acid and its salts, are prohibited. (2) Colors.-Only caramel, U.S. Certified food colors, or harmless vegetable colors, may be used. (3) Wholesome Ingred…

(1) When added artificial flavor (in semblance of a natural flavor), is used, all such drinks must be labeled "Imitation". The word "Imitation" must appear in the same size and type as the name of the fruit it imitates and on the same background. The statement "Artificial Flavor …

(1) Artificially Sweetened Nonalcoholic Noncarbonated Beverage is a beverage which complies in all respects except sweetener(s) with the standard provided for the similar nutritively sweetened or unsweetened nonalcoholic noncarbonated beverage. It shall be sweetened with non-nutr…

(1) The sweetening agents used in the manufacture of beverages shall consist only of those nutritive sugars as set forth in the Georgia Food Laws. (2) Non-nutritive sweeteners are prohibited in beverage bases and finished drinks, except when used in dietary beverages.

Dietary beverages shall not contain nutritive sugars, and their label shall clearly state that they are for dietary purposes.

When a juice type drink is made from a concentrate base (sweetened or unsweetened) and brought back to its original state with plain water, it shall be labeled as "Reconstituted", (Sweetened or unsweetened) on the main display panel.

Reconstituted fruit juice is the beverage composed of water and concentrated fruit juice of one or more fruits, with or without added juice of the fruit(s) named, provided an amount of water is added to the concentrated fruit juice(s) so as to restore to a reasonable average natu…

Sweetened reconstituted fruit juice is reconstituted fruit juice with a nutritive sweetener added. The name of the beverage shall show that it is "reconstituted _____ juice" or "_____ juice from concentrate" followed by sugar added or sweetened, with no intervening printed or gra…

Combination fruit juice is the beverage composed of one or more fruit juices and one or more reconstituted fruit juices, provided the reconstituted portion does not exceed 50% of the total product. It may contain a preservative, be heat-treated, chilled, canned, or frozen. The na…

Sweetened combination fruit juice is a combination fruit juice with a nutritive sweetener added. The name of the beverage shall be one of the names provided for combination fruit juice followed by "sugar added" or "sweetened", with no intervening printed or graphic material.

Percentage juice declaration for foods purporting to be beverages that contain fruit or vegetable juice shall be in accordance with 21 CFR 101.30.

Beverages that contain fruit or vegetable juice shall be in accordance with 21 CFR 102.33.

(1) Soda water is the class of beverages made by absorbing carbon dioxide in potable water. The amount of carbon dioxide used is not less than that which will be absorbed by the beverage at a pressure of one atmosphere and at a temperature of 60 F. It may contain buffering agents…