Article 1. Definitions of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 13. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.

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

"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.

"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.

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

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

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

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

"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.

"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.

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

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

"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.

(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.

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

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

"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.

"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.

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

"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.

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

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

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