§ 2-17-1 — Definitions

When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings, respectively, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) COMMISSIONER. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries of the State of Alabama or his duly authorized representative.
(2) FIRM. Any partnership, association or other unincorporated business organization.
(3) MEAT BROKER. Any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of buying or selling carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food products of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines or poultry on commission or otherwise negotiating purchases or sales of such articles other than for his own account or as an employee of another person, firm or corporation.
(4) POULTRY. Any live or slaughtered domesticated bird.
(5) RENDERER. Any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of rendering carcasses or parts or products of the carcasses of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines or poultry, except rendering conducted under inspection under this chapter.
(6) ANIMAL FOOD MANUFACTURER. Any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of manufacturing or processing animal food derived wholly or in part from carcasses or other parts or products of the carcasses of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules or other equines or poultry.
(7) INTRASTATE COMMERCE. Commerce within this state.
(8) MEAT FOOD PRODUCT. Any product capable of use as human food which is made wholly or in part from any meat or other portion of the carcass of any cattle, sheep, swine, goats or poultry, excepting products which contain meat or other portions of such carcasses only in a relatively small proportion or historically have not been considered by consumers as products of the meat food industry and which are exempted from definition as a meat food product by the commissioner under such conditions as he may prescribe to assure that the meat or other portions of such carcasses contained in such product are not adulterated and that such products are not represented as meat food products. Such term as applied to food products of equines shall have a meaning comparable to that provided in this subdivision with respect to cattle, sheep, swine, goats and poultry.
(9) POULTRY FOOD PRODUCT. Any poultry carcass or any part thereof or any product capable of use as human food which is made wholly or in part from any meat or other portion of the carcass of poultry, excepting products which contain meat or other portions of such carcasses only in a relatively small proportion or historically have not been considered by consumers as products of the poultry food industry and which are exempted from definition as a poultry food product by the commissioner under such conditions as he may prescribe to assure that the meat or other portions of such carcasses contained in such product are not adulterated and that such products are not represented as poultry food products.
(10) CAPABLE OF USE AS HUMAN FOOD. Any carcass, or part or product of a carcass of any animal is capable of use as human food, unless it is denatured or otherwise identified as required by regulations prescribed by the commissioner to deter its use as human food or it is naturally inedible by humans.
(11) PREPARED. Slaughtered, canned, salted, rendered, boned, cut up or otherwise manufactured or processed.
(12) ADULTERATED. Any carcass, part thereof, meat or meat food product or poultry food product is adulterated under one or more of the following circumstances:
a. If it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health; provided, however, that in case the substance is not an added substance, such article shall not be considered adulterated under this paragraph if the quantity of such substance in or on such article does not ordinarily render it injurious to health;
b. If it bears or contains, by reason of administration of any substance to the live animal or otherwise, any added poisonous or added deleterious substance (other than one which is a pesticide chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity, a food additive or a color additive) which may, in the judgment of the commissioner, make such article unfit for human food;
c. If it is, in whole or in part, a raw agricultural commodity and such commodity bears or contains a pesticide chemical which is unsafe within the meaning of Section 408 of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act;
d. If it bears or contains any food additive which is unsafe within the meaning of Section 409 of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act;
e. If it bears or contains any color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of Section 706 of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; provided, that an article which is not adulterated under paragraphs c, d or e shall nevertheless be deemed adulterated if it bears or contains any pesticide chemical food additive or color additive the use of which is prohibited by the regulations of the commissioner in establishments at which inspection is maintained under this chapter;
f. If it consists, in whole or in part, of any filthy, putrid or decomposed substance or is for any other reason unsound, unhealthful, unwholesome or otherwise unfit for human food;
g. If it has been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth or whereby it may have been injurious to health;
h. If it is, in whole or in part, the product of an animal or poultry which has died otherwise than by slaughter;
i. If its container is composed, in whole or in part, of any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health;
j. If it has been intentionally subjected to radiation, unless the use of the radiation was in conformity with a regulation or exemption in effect pursuant to Section 409 of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act;
k. If any valuable constituent has been, in whole or in part, omitted or abstracted therefrom or if any substance has been substituted, wholly or in part, therefor or if damage or inferiority has been concealed in any manner or if any substance has been added thereto or mixed or packed therewith so as to increase its bulk or weight, or reduce its quality or strength or make it appear of greater value than it is; or
l. If it is margarine containing animal fat and any of the raw material used therein consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid or decomposed substance.
(13) MISBRANDED. Any carcass, part thereof, meat or meat food product or poultry or poultry food product is misbranded under one or more of the following circumstances:
a. If its labeling is false or misleading in any material particular;
b. If it is offered for sale under the name of another food;
c. If it is an imitation of another food, unless its label bears, in type of uniform size and prominence, the word “imitation” and, immediately thereafter, the name of the food imitated;
d. If its container is so made, formed or filled as to be misleading;
e. If in a package or other container unless it bears a label showing:
1. The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor; and
2. An accurate statement of the quantity of the contents in terms of weight, measure or numerical count; provided, that, with respect to poultry, it shall be misbranded unless it bears a label showing the name of the packer or distributor whether such is in a container or not; provided further, that under subparagraph 2 of this paragraph, reasonable variations may be permitted and exemptions as to small packages or articles not in packages or other containers may be established by regulations prescribed by the commissioner;
f. If any word, statement or other information required by or under authority of this chapter to appear on the label or other labeling is not prominently placed thereon with such conspicuousness (as compared with other words, statements, designs or devices in the labeling) and in such terms as to render it likely to be read and understood by the ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase and use;
g. If it purports to be or is represented as a food for which a definition and standard of identity or composition has been prescribed by regulations of the commissioner under Section 2-17-10, unless it conforms to such definition and standard and its label bears the name of the food specified in the definition and standard and, insofar as may be required by such regulations, the common names of optional ingredients (other than spices, flavoring and coloring) present in such food;
h. If it purports to be or is represented as a food for which a standard or standards of fill of container have been prescribed by regulations of the commissioner under Section 2-17-10 and it falls below the standard of fill of container applicable thereto, unless its label bears, in such manner and form as such regulations specify, a statement that it falls below such standard;
i. If, though not subject to the provisions of paragraph g of this subdivision, its label does not bear:
1. The common or usual name of the food, if any there be; and
2. The common or usual name of each such ingredient in case it is fabricated from two or more ingredients, provided, that spices, flavorings and colorings may, when authorized by the commissioner, be designated as spices, flavoring and coloring without naming each; provided further, that, to the extent that compliance with the requirements of subparagraph 2 of this paragraph is impractical or results in deception or unfair competition, exemption shall be established by regulations promulgated by the commissioner;
j. If it purports to be or is represented for special dietary purposes, unless its label bears such information concerning its vitamin, mineral and other dietary properties as the commissioner, after consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, determines to be and by regulations prescribes as necessary in order fully to inform purchasers as to its value for such uses;
k. If it bears or contains any artificial flavoring, artificial coloring or chemical preservative, unless it bears labeling stating the fact; provided, that to the extent that compliance with the requirements of this paragraph is impractical, exemption shall be established by regulations promulgated by the commissioner; or
l. If it fails to bear, directly thereon or on its container, as the commissioner may by regulation prescribe, the inspection legend and, unrestricted by any of the foregoing provisions of this subdivision, such other information as the commissioner may require in such regulations as to assure that it will not have false or misleading labeling.
(14) LABEL. A display of written, printed or graphic material upon the immediate container (not including package liners) of any article.
(15) LABELING. All labels and other written, printed or graphic matter upon any article or any of its containers or wrappers or accompanying such article.
(16) FEDERAL MEAT INSPECTION ACT. The act so entitled, approved May 4, 1907 (34 Stat. 1260), as amended by the Wholesome Meat Act, approved December 15, 1967 (81 Stat. 584).
(17) FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG AND COSMETIC ACT. The act so entitled, approved June 25, 1938 (53 Stat. 1040), and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto.
(18) PESTICIDE CHEMICAL, FOOD ADDITIVE, COLOR ADDITIVE, and RAW AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY. Such terms shall have the same meanings for purposes of this chapter as under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
(19) OFFICIAL MARK. The official inspection legend or any other symbol prescribed by regulations of the commissioner to identify the status of any article or animal under this chapter.
(20) OFFICIAL INSPECTION LEGEND. Any symbol prescribed by regulations of the commissioner showing that an article was inspected and passed in accordance with this chapter.
(21) OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE. Any certificate prescribed by regulations of the commissioner for issuance by an inspector or other person performing official functions under this chapter.
(22) OFFICIAL DEVICE. Any device prescribed or authorized by the commissioner for use in applying any official mark.
(23) CONTAINER or PACKAGE. Any box, can, tin, cloth, plastic or other receptacle, wrapper or cover.
(24) SHIPPING CONTAINER. Any container used or intended for use in packaging the product packed in an immediate container.
(25) IMMEDIATE CONTAINER. Any consumer package or any other container in which meat food products or poultry food products, not consumer packaged, are packed.
(26) OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT. Any establishment as determined by the commissioner at which inspection of the slaughter of livestock or poultry or the preparation of meat food products or poultry food products is maintained under the authority of this chapter.
(27) INSPECTOR. An employee or official of the State of Alabama authorized by the commissioner or any employee or official of the government of any county or other governmental subdivision of this state authorized by the commissioner to perform any inspection functions under this chapter under an agreement between the commissioner and such governmental subdivision.

Legislative History

(Acts 1969, No. 1049, p. 1939, §1; Acts 1971, No. 2252, p. 3622, §§1, 2.)