ARTICLE 1. Definitions and General Provisions [27501. - 27523.]

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC 1.

in effect

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27501. Section 27501.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions set forth in this article shall govern the construction of this chapter.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27502. Section 27502.

“Agent” includes bailee, broker, commission merchant, factor, auctioneer, solicitor, consignee, and any other person that is acting upon the express or implied authority of another.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27503. Section 27503.

“At retail” means a sale or transaction between a retailer and a consumer.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27503.5. Section 27503.5.

“California egg” means an egg produced in this state.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27504. Section 27504.

“Candling” means the examination of the interior of eggs by use of a transmitted light.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27505. Section 27505.

“Cold storage eggs” means eggs which have been in cold storage for a period of more than 30 days.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27506. Section 27506.

“Committee” means the Shell Egg Advisory Committee.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27507. Section 27507.

“Consumer” means any person who purchases eggs for his or her own family use or consumption; or any restaurant, hotel, boardinghouse, bakery, or other institution or concern which purchases eggs for serving to guests or patrons thereof, or for its own use in cooking or baking and not for resale in the shell.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27508. Section 27508.

“Container” means any box, case, basket, carton, sack, bag, or any other device which is used to facilitate the handling of eggs.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27509. Section 27509.

“Deceptive” means any arrangement of the contents of any container, or subcontainer, or of any lot, load, or display, in which the eggs in the outer layer or in any portion exposed to view are in quality, size, condition, or in any other respect so superior to those in the interior or unexposed portion as to materially misrepresent the contents or any part thereof as to size, quality, condition, or any other respects.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27510. Section 27510.

“Egg handler” means a person engaged in the business of producing, candling, grading, packing, or otherwise preparing shell eggs or pasteurized in-shell eggs for market or who engages in the operation of selling or marketing eggs that he or she has produced, purchased, or acquired from a producer, or which he or she is marketing on behalf of a producer, whether as owner, agent, employee, or otherwise. This section shall not apply to any purchaser who is a retailer and who does not handle eggs in any other capacity, except as a retailer.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27510.1. Section 27510.1.

“Producer” means a person engaged in the business of producing eggs from domesticated fowl for human consumption, who is not in the business of candling, grading, packing, sorting, or otherwise preparing shell eggs for market, marketing, or processing eggs into egg products.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27511. Section 27511.

“Egg meats” means the white, yolk, or any part of eggs, in liquid, frozen, dried, or any other form, used, intended or held for use, in the preparation of, or to be a part of or mixed with, food or food products, for human consumption.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27512. Section 27512.

“Egg products” means egg meats.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27513. Section 27513.

“Eggs” means eggs in the shell from chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, or any other species of fowl.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27514. Section 27514.

“Incubated eggs” means eggs which have been in the course of incubation, whether natural or artificial.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27515. Section 27515.

“Incubator rejects” means incubated eggs.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27516. Section 27516.

“Marked” means plainly, legibly, and conspicuously labeled, stamped, stenciled, printed, or branded.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27517. Section 27517.

“Mislabel” means the presence of any false, deceptive, or misleading mark, term, statement, design, device, inscription, or any other designation upon any eggs or upon any container or subcontainer of eggs, or upon the label, lining, or wrapper thereof, or upon any placard or sign used in connection therewith, or in connection with any bulk lot or display having reference to eggs.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27518. Section 27518.

“Retailer” means any person who sells eggs to a consumer.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27519. Section 27519.

“Shell eggs” means any in-shell eggs other than pasteurized in-shell eggs, as defined in Section 27519.6.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27519.5. Section 27519.5.

“Shipped egg” means an egg that is produced outside the State of California and shipped into the state for purposes of resale or use by a direct user.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27519.6. Section 27519.6.

“Pasteurized in-shell eggs” means in-shell eggs that have been pasteurized by any method approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration or the department.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27520. Section 27520.

“Subcontainer” means any container when being used within another container.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27521. Section 27521.

The purposes of this chapter are as follows: (a) To assure that healthful and wholesome eggs of known quality are sold in this state. (b) To facilitate the orderly marketing of shell eggs in a uniform manner. (c) To prevent the marketing of deceptive or mislabeled containers of eggs.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27522. Section 27522.

“Eggs that are packaged for export” means those eggs destined for conveyance to any location outside the United States or its territories.

Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 27523. Section 27523.

“Eggs that are packaged for interstate commerce” means those eggs destined for sale outside the state.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026