(1) It is unlawful at any time for any person to sell or offer for sale, to transport, or to prepare, receive, or deliver for transportation or market, except for canning, concentrating, or byproduct purposes within the state, any citrus fruit seriously damaged by freezing, as defined in s. 601.89. Not more than 15 percent by count of the citrus fruit in any one container or bulk lot may be seriously damaged by freezing injury; but not more than one-third of this tolerance shall be allowed for citrus fruit now or hereafter deemed adulterated by federal law or regulation.
(2) No lot of citrus fruit seriously damaged by freezing may be mixed with other lots of citrus fruit which are free from damage by freezing resulting in concealment of inferior fruit and thereby reducing the percentage of defective fruit in the seriously damaged lot to within the tolerance permitted for error in grading only.
(3) The manner and method of drawing samples and conducting tests under this section shall be prescribed by rules of the Department of Citrus. The inspection in the state of all citrus fruits seriously damaged by freezing and the enforcement of this section and of rules and orders of the department pursuant to and under authority of this section shall be under the direction, supervision, and control of the Department of Agriculture and its duly authorized agents and inspectors who are qualified under existing laws to inspect for grade and maturity, and all citrus fruits that may be found to be seriously damaged by freezing, as defined by s. 601.89, upon inspection and testing shall be seized and may be confiscated and destroyed under the supervision of the citrus fruit inspector at the expense of the owner unless previous disposition is made by the owner or other person who offered the same for inspection, all the provisions of this section being subject to such reasonable rules as may be adopted by the Department of Citrus.
History.—s. 91, ch. 25149, 1949; ss. 14, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 7, ch. 71-185; s. 22, ch. 71-186; s. 6, ch. 78-95; s. 64, ch. 2012-182.