Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27631. Section 27631.
It is unlawful for any person to violate any provision of this chapter or any regulation adopted by the director pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
ARTICLE 12. Unlawful Acts, General [27631. - 27644.5.]
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC 12.
in effectCal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27632. Section 27632.
It is unlawful for any person to mark any eggs which were not produced in this state “Produced in California” or represent them in any manner to be a product of this state.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27633. Section 27633.
It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of an egg handler without first registering as an egg handler as provided for in Article 3 (commencing with Section 27541).
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27634. Section 27634.
It is unlawful for any person to sell or use any container or subcontainer of eggs which bears a name, a trademark, or a trade name unless the seller or user is entitled to use the name, trademark, or trade name.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27635. Section 27635.
It is unlawful for any person to sell or represent as chicken eggs, eggs from any other species of fowl, or mixed eggs from more than one species of fowl, or eggs from ducks, turkeys, geese, or any species of fowl other than chickens, unless the containers and subcontainers of the eggs are marked with, or a sign, placard, or other inscription otherwise indicates fully, the species of fowl from which the eggs were produced.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27636. Section 27636.
It is unlawful for any person to sell as “fresh eggs,” “ranch eggs,” or “farm eggs,” or to represent as being fresh, any eggs which are below the quality of grade A or which have been held in cold storage more than 30 days.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27637. Section 27637.
It is unlawful for any person to make any statement, representation, or assertion orally, by public outcry, or proclamation, or in writing, or by any other manner or means whatever concerning the quality, size, weight, condition, source, origin, or any other matter relating to eggs which is false, deceptive, or misleading in any particular.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27638. Section 27638.
It is unlawful for any person to fail to comply with any lawful order of an enforcement officer, or of any court, in any proceeding pursuant to this chapter or any regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27639. Section 27639.
It is unlawful for any person to do any of the following:
(a)
Refuse to submit any eggs or any container, subcontainer, lot, load, or display of eggs to the inspection of any enforcement officer.
(b)
Refuse to stop, at the request of any enforcement officer, any vehicle which is transporting eggs.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27640. Section 27640.
It is unlawful for any person to move any eggs or their containers to which any warning tag, hold card, or notice has been affixed or to remove the warning tag, hold card, or notice from the place where it may be affixed, except upon written permission, or upon the specific direction of an enforcement officer.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27641. Section 27641.
It is unlawful for any person to prepare, pack, place, deliver for shipment, deliver for sale, load, ship, transport, or sell eggs in the shell unless the eggs and their containers conform to all of the requirements of this chapter or any regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27642. Section 27642.
It shall be presumed from the fact of possession by any person engaged in the sale of eggs that such eggs are for sale for human consumption unless they have been denatured and the containers are labeled in one-inch letters “Not for human consumption.”
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27643. Section 27643.
(a)
It is unlawful for an egg handler, as defined in Section 27510, to hold, store, transport, or display eggs that are packed or graded for human consumption unless the eggs are held, stored, transported, or displayed consistent with both of the following requirements:
(1)
At an average ambient temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or lower.
(2)
At a temperature equal to or less than the temperature requirement for holding, storing, transporting, or displaying eggs
established by regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture in Title 7 of Part 56 of the Code of Federal Regulations governing the grading of shell eggs.
(b)
Retail outlets that are regulated by this chapter, except for retail outlets located in shell egg packing or distribution facilities, are exempt from subdivision (a).
(c)
Direct marketing activities, including certified farmers’ markets, as defined in Section 113742 of the Health and Safety Code,
community food producers, as defined in Section 113752 of the Health and Safety Code, community-supported agriculture, as defined in Section 47060, and farm stands, as defined in Section 47050, are not required to comply with subdivision (a).
(d)
Transport vehicles may exceed the 45 degree Fahrenheit maximum temperature required pursuant to subdivision (a) when eggs are either being loaded into the transport vehicle or unloaded from the transport vehicle. A transport vehicle shall be deemed to be in compliance with subdivision (a) if the transport vehicle is equipped and has in operation when eggs are in the transport vehicle a refrigeration unit delivering air at a temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27644. Section 27644.
(a)
Except as provided in subdivision (c), 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. This section does not apply to pasteurized in-shell eggs.
(d)
All eggs returned from grocery stores, store warehouses, and institutions shall not be reprocessed for retail shell egg sales.
(e)
(1)
For
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 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.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27644.5. Section 27644.5.
(a)
It is unlawful for an egg handler, as defined in Section 27510, to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packed for human consumption unless both of the following conditions are met:
(1)
The consumer container is 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
pasteurized in-shell eggs on bulk display advising consumers that the pasteurized in-shell 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 pasteurized in-shell 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)
The words “Sell by” immediately followed by the month and day in bold type. Common abbreviations for months may be used.
(A)
The sell-by date shall not exceed 75 days from the date on which the pasteurized in-shell eggs were pasteurized, excluding the date of
pasteurization. Processors of in-shell eggs that subject the eggs to the pasteurization process shall establish a sell-by date by completion of an appropriate shelf stability study that includes public health and safety criteria. The processor shall retain the study on file at the processing plant and make it available to the department or the State Department of Public Health upon request.
(B)
If the pasteurized in-shell eggs are repacked, 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 pasteurized in-shell eggs were pasteurized.
(3)
The identification number of the plant of origin.
(4)
A conspicuous identification of the eggs as “pasteurized.”
(5)
All state and federal labeling requirements.
(c)
This section does not apply to pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packaged for export.
(d)
Paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) does not apply to pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packaged for interstate commerce or pasteurized in-shell eggs that are packaged for military sales if exported to a state or federal agency that requires a different format for the sell-by or best-if-used-by date on pasteurized in-shell eggs, and the processor is utilizing that format.
(e)
All pasteurized in-shell eggs returned from grocery stores, store warehouses, and institutions shall not be reprocessed for any retail in-shell egg sales.
(f)
(1) The department, in consultation with the Shell Egg Advisory Committee, established pursuant Section 27571, shall establish a plant identification numbering system and assign identification numbers to all pasteurized in-shell egg handling facilities.
(2)
For purposes of complying with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), a pasteurized in-shell egg handling facility that is inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture or the federal Food and Drug Administration, 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.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026