Fish and shellfish: labeling and identification.

(1) Existing federal law, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, regulates, among other things, the labeling of foods introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce and generally prohibits the misbranding of food. Existing state law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, generally regulates misbranded food, which includes food that is not properly labeled. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill, commencing July 1, 2016, would provide that it is unlawful to sell or offer for sale any fresh, frozen, or processed fish or shellfish intended for human consumption, wild caught or farm raised, without clearly identifying specified information, including the species of fish or shellfish by its common name, as specified. The bill would prohibit any person who sells or offers for sale any fish or shellfish and acts in reasonable reliance on the fish or shellfish package labeling and product invoice to satisfy the above-described requirements from being found in violation of those requirements. The bill would specify that these provisions do not apply to a restaurant. Because any violation of these provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law, the California Retail Food Code, provides for the regulation of health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities, as defined, by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, local health agencies are primarily responsible for enforcing the California Retail Food Code. A violation of any of these provisions is punishable as a crime. Existing law requires fish that are received for sale or service to be commercially and legally caught or harvested. This bill, commencing July 1, 2016, would require a retail food facility, other than a restaurant, that sells or offers for sale any fresh, frozen, or processed fish or shellfish intended for human consumption, wild caught or farm raised, to identify in writing the species of fish or shellfish by its common name, as specified, and would prohibit a retail food facility from knowingly misidentifying the species of fish or shellfish. The bill, commencing July 1, 2016, would require a restaurant that sells or offers for sale any fresh, frozen, or processed fish or shellfish intended for human consumption, wild caught or farm raised, to identify the species of fish or shellfish by its common name in writing, or orally if not identified in writing, as specified, and would prohibit a restaurant from knowingly misidentifying the species of fish or shellfish. The bill, commencing July 1, 2016, would prohibit a retail food facility from knowingly misidentifying the country of origin of the fish or shellfish or whether the fish or shellfish was farm raised or wild caught. The bill would prohibit a retail food facility or restaurant that sells or offers for sale any fish or shellfish and acts in reasonable reliance on the fish or shellfish package labeling and product invoice to satisfy the above-described requirements from being found in violation of those requirements. Because any violation of these provisions would be a crime, and by imposing additional duties on local health officers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.