Article 1. Quality Standards of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 15. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 1.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.