2011 California Code
Food and Agricultural Code
DIVISION 12. POULTRY, RABBITS, EGGS, AND EGG PRODUCTS [24501 - 27690]
ARTICLE 12. Unlawful Acts, General
Section 27644

(a) It is unlawful for an egg handler, as defined in Section 27510, to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale eggs that are packed or graded for human consumption unless at least one of the following conditions is met:

(1) The consumer container is plainly, legibly, and conspicuously labeled KEEP REFRIGERATED or with words of similar meaning. Consumer container labeling that complies with the safe-handling instructions required by Section 101.17 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations shall be deemed to comply with this paragraph.

(2) A conspicuous sign is posted at the point of sale for eggs on bulk display advising consumers that the eggs are to be refrigerated as soon as practical after purchase.

(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), it is unlawful for an egg handler to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale eggs that are packed for human consumption unless each container intended for sale to the ultimate consumer is labeled on one outside top, side, or end with all of the following:

(1) (A) The words Sell-by immediately followed by the month and day in bold type, for example June 30 or 6-30. Common abbreviations of months shall be permitted.

(B) The sell-by date shall not exceed 30 days from the date on which the eggs were packed, excluding the date of packing.

(C) If the eggs are repacked but not regraded, the original sell-by date shall apply.

(2) A Julian pack date. As used in this paragraph, the Julian pack date is the consecutive day of the year on which the eggs were packed.

(3) The identification number of the plant of origin.

(c) This section does not apply to eggs that are packaged for export. Paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) does not apply to eggs that are packaged for interstate commerce or eggs that are packaged for military sales.

(d) All eggs returned from grocery stores, store warehouses, and institutions shall not be reprocessed for retail shell egg sales.

(e) (1) For the purposes of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), the department, in consultation with the Shell Egg Advisory Committee, shall establish a plant identification numbering system and assign identification numbers to all egg handling facilities.

(2) For the purposes of complying with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), an egg handling facility that is inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture, and to which a federal plant identification number has been assigned, may use the federal identification number, the identification number assigned by the department, or both.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 535, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 2003.)