Maryland Health - General Section 21-301

      (a)      In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

      (b)      (1)      "Bottled water" means any water that is sealed in bottles or other containers for:

                  (i)      Drinking;

                  (ii)      Cooking; or

                  (iii)      Other purposes making it likely that the water will be ingested by human beings.

            (2)      (i)      "Bottled water" may:

                        1.      Include natural or added carbonation; and

                        2.      Be prepared with added flavors, extracts, or essences that are derived from a spice or fruit and that comprise less than 1 percent by weight of the final product; but

                  (ii)      "Bottled water" may not contain any sweetener, acidulent, or additive other than the flavors, extracts, or essences authorized under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.

            (3)      "Bottled water" does not include:

                  (i)      Soft drinks; or

                  (ii)      A beverage that is labeled "club soda" or "seltzer water".

      (c)      "Crab meat" means the edible meat of steamed or cooked crabs.

      (d)      "Crab meat plant" means:

            (1)      A picking plant; or

            (2)      A place where crab meat is heat-treated to improve the keeping quality of the crab meat.

      (e)      "Excluded organization" means:

            (1)      A bona fide nonprofit fraternal, civic, war veterans', religious, or charitable organization or corporation that does not serve food to the public more often than 4 days per week except that once a year an organization may serve food to the public for up to 14 consecutive days; and

            (2)      A volunteer fire company that does not serve food to the public more often than 4 days per week except that once a year a volunteer fire company may serve food to the public for up to 30 consecutive days.

      (f)      "Food establishment" means:

            (1)      A food service facility; or

            (2)      A food processing plant.

      (g)      (1)      "Food processing plant" means any place used for, or in connection with, the commercial manufacturing, preparing, processing, packaging, canning, freezing, storing, distributing, labeling, or holding of food or drink for human consumption.

            (2)      "Food processing plant" includes:

                  (i)      A bakery plant;

                  (ii)      A cannery;

                  (iii)      A confectionery plant;

                  (iv)      A crab meat picking plant;

                  (v)      A food manufacturing plant;

                  (vi)      A food warehouse or distribution center;

                  (vii)      A frozen food processing plant;

                  (viii)      An ice manufacturing plant;

                  (ix)      A shellfish plant;

                  (x)      A soft drink manufacturing plant; or

                  (xi)      A bottled water plant.

            (3)      "Food processing plant" does not include a warehouse or distribution center that:

                  (i)      Does not process food; and

                  (ii)      Stores only sealed containers of whole bean, ground or instant coffee, leaf or instant teas, nondairy dehydrated whiteners, sugar, or sugar-free sweeteners.

      (h)      (1)      "Food service facility" means:

                  (i)      A place where food or drink is prepared for sale or service on the premises or elsewhere; or

                  (ii)      Any operation where food is served to or provided for the public, with or without charge.

            (2)      "Food service facility" does not include:

                  (i)      A kitchen in a private home where food is prepared at no charge for guests in the home, for guests at a social gathering, or for service to unemployed, homeless or other disadvantaged populations; or

                  (ii)      A food preparation or serving area where only nonpotentially hazardous food, as defined by the United States Food and Drug Administration, is prepared or served only by an excluded organization.

      (i)      "License" means a license issued by the Department under this subtitle to operate a food establishment.

      (j)      "Picking plant" means a place where:

            (1)      Crabs are steamed or cooked;

            (2)      Crab meat is picked from crabs; and

            (3)      Crab meat is packed for sale.

      (k)      (1)      Except as provided under paragraph (2) of this subsection, "soft drink" means any nonalcoholic beverage.

            (2)      "Soft drink" does not include:

                  (i)      Apple cider;

                  (ii)      Soft drinks that are manufactured on the premises of a soda fountain and used at that soda fountain; or

                  (iii)      Bottled water.

      (l)      "Soft drink registration" means a registration issued by the Department to sell in this State a soft drink that is manufactured outside this State.

      (m)      "Surimi" means an intermediate manufactured seafood product derived from minced fish meat, washed to remove water-soluble protein and blood or other undesirable components and mixed with additives to enhance its frozen storage and functional characteristics.