Fla. Stat. § 601.03 — Florida Code / Title XXXV / Chapter 601 / Section 601.03
601.03 Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) “Additive” means any foreign substance which, when added to any citrus fruit juice, will change the amount of total soluble solids or anhydrous citric acid therein, or the color or taste thereof, or act as an artificial preservative thereof.

(2) “Agent” means any person who, on behalf of any citrus fruit dealer, negotiates the consignment, purchase, or sale of citrus fruit, or weighs citrus fruit so that the weight thereof may be used in computing the amount to be paid therefor.

(3) “Broker” means any person engaged in the business of negotiating the sale or purchase of citrus fruit for others.

(4) “Canned products” means juices, segments, or sections of citrus fruits sealed in hermetically sealed containers at a concentration that does not exceed 20 degrees Brix and sufficiently processed by heat to ensure preservation of the product, and when regulated by the department, these same products packed in any other manner or in any other type container.

(5) “Canning plant” means any building, structure, or place where citrus fruit or the juice thereof is canned or prepared for canning at a concentration that does not exceed 20 degrees Brix for market or shipment.

(6) “Cash buyer” means any person who purchases citrus fruit in this state from the producer for the purpose of resale.

(7) “Citrus fruit” means all varieties and regulated hybrids of citrus fruit and also means processed citrus products containing 20 percent or more citrus fruit or citrus fruit juice. The term does not, for purposes of this chapter, mean limes, lemons, marmalade, jellies, preserves, candies, or citrus hybrids for which specific standards have not been established by the department.

(8) “Citrus fruit dealer” means any consignor, commission merchant, consignment shipper, cash buyer, broker, association, cooperative association, express or gift fruit shipper, or person who in any manner makes or attempts to make money or other thing of value on citrus fruit in any manner whatsoever, other than of growing or producing citrus fruit. The term does not include retail establishments whose sales are direct to consumers and not for resale or persons or firms trading solely in citrus futures contracts on a regulated commodity exchange.

(9) “Citrus hybrids” includes, but is not limited to, hybrids between or among sour orange ( C. aurantium ), pummelo ( C. grandis ), lemon ( C. limon ), lime ( C. aurantifolia ), citron ( C. medica ), grapefruit ( C. paradisi ), tangerine or mandarin orange ( C. reticulata ), sweet orange ( C. sinensis ), tangelo ( C. reticulata x C. paradisi or C. grandis ), tangor ( C. reticulata x C. sinensis ), kumquat ( Fortunella , species), trifoliate orange ( Poncirus trifoliata ), and varieties of these species.

(10) “Citrus producing area” means that part or parts of the state in which citrus fruit is grown or produced.

(11) “Color-add” or “color-added” means the application or use of any coloring matter to any citrus fruit.

(12) “Coloring matter” means any dye, or any liquid or concentrate or material containing a dye or materials that react to form a dye, used or intended to be used for the purpose of enhancing the color of citrus fruit by the addition of artificial color to the peel thereof. The term does not include any process or treatment of fruit that merely brings out or accelerates the natural color of the fruit.

(13) “Commission” means the Florida Citrus Commission as head of the department.

(14) “Commission merchant” means any person engaged in the business of receiving any citrus fruit for sale on commission for or on behalf of another.

(15) “Concentrated products” means: (a) Frozen citrus fruit juice that has a concentration that exceeds 20 degrees Brix and is kept at a sufficiently freezing temperature to ensure preservation of the product; or (b) Citrus fruit juice that is sealed in hermetically sealed containers at a concentration that exceeds 20 degrees Brix and is sufficiently processed by heat to ensure preservation of the product.

(16) “Concentrating plant” means any building, structure, or place where citrus fruit is canned, frozen, or prepared for canning or freezing at a concentration that exceeds 20 degrees Brix for market or shipment.

(17) “Consignment shipper” means any person who contracts with the producer of citrus fruit for the marketing thereof for the sole account and risk of such producer and who agrees to pay such producer the net proceeds derived from such sale.

(18) “Consignor” means any person, other than a producer, who ships or delivers to any commission merchant or dealer any citrus fruit for handling, sale, or resale.

(19) “Degreening room” means any room or place where citrus fruit is placed, with or without the use of heat or any gas, for the purpose of bringing out the natural color of the fruit.

(20) “Department” means the Department of Citrus.

(21) “Department of Agriculture” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

(22) “Express or gift fruit shipper” means any person having an established place of business who ships or delivers for transportation in any manner citrus fruit to a consumer and not for the purpose of resale.

(23) “Fresh fruit juice distributor” means any person extracting and preparing for market or shipment any citrus fruit juice in fresh form.

(24) “Grapefruit” means the fruit Citrus paradisi Macf. , commonly called grapefruit. The term includes the white, red, and pink meated varieties of grapefruit.

(25) “Handler” means any person engaged within this state in the business of distributing citrus fruit in the primary channel of trade or any person engaged as a processor in the business of processing citrus fruit.

(26) “Lemons” or “rough lemons” means the acid lemons of Citrus limon , including the varieties eureka, genoa, wheatley, amerfo, belair , and villafranca of the Eureka group; varieties bonnie brae, kennedy, lisbon, messer, messina , and sicily of the Lisbon group; varieties meyer, cuban, ponderosa , and rough of the Anomalous group; varieties dorshapo and millsweet of the Sweet Lemon group; and other varieties not included in this subsection, such as everbearing, palestine sweet, perrine , and spheriola .

(27) “Manufacturer” means any person who manufactures, sells or offers for sale, or licenses or offers for license for use any coloring matter, or any soaps, oils, waxes, gases, gas-forming material, or other similar compositions, or the component parts thereof on or in the processing of citrus fruits.

(28) “Oranges” means the fruit Citrus sinensis Osbeck , commonly called sweet oranges.

(29) “Packinghouse” means any building, structure, or place where citrus fruit is packed or otherwise prepared for market or shipment in fresh form.

(30) “Person” means any natural person, partnership, association, corporation, trust, estate, or other legal entity.

(31) “Primary channel of trade” means the routes through which citrus fruit is marketed. Citrus fruit is deemed to be delivered into the primary channel of trade when it is sold or delivered for shipment in fresh form or when it is received and accepted at a canning, concentrating, or processing plant for canning, concentrating, or processing.

(32) “Processor” means any person engaged within this state in the business of canning, concentrating, or otherwise processing citrus fruit for market other than for shipment in fresh fruit form.

(33) “Producer” means any person growing or producing citrus in this state for market.

(34) “Ship” or “shipping” means to move, or cause to be moved, citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof in intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce by rail, truck, boat, airplane, or any other means.

(35) “Shipper” means any person engaged in shipping, or causing to be shipped, citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof in intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce, whether as owner, agent, or otherwise.

(36) “Shipping season” means that period beginning August 1 of one year and ending July 31 of the following year.

(37) “Sour or bitter oranges” means the fruit of Citrus aurantium L. and contains several subspecies. Among the most important are varieties african, brazilian, rubidoux , and standard of the Normal group; varieties daidai, goleta, and bouquet of the Aberrant group; variety chinooto of the Myrtifolia group; and varieties bittersweet and paraguay of the Bittersweet group.

(38) “Standard-packed box” means 1 3 / 5 bushels of citrus fruit, whether in bulk or containers.

(39) “Tangerines” means the fruit Citrus reticulata Blanco , commonly called tangerines.

History: s. 3, ch. 25149, 1949; ss. 1-5, ch. 26492, 1951; s. 2, ch. 29757, 1955; ss. 1-8, ch. 57-28; s. 1, ch. 59-12; s. 1, ch. 59-16; ss. 1-3, ch. 59-20; ss. 1, 2, ch. 61-91; s. 1, ch. 63-71; s. 1, ch. 65-85; s. 5, ch. 67-220; ss. 14, 29, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 6, ch. 71-185; ss. 1-3, 22, ch. 71-186; s. 256, ch. 71-377; s. 1, ch. 73-13; s. 1, ch. 76-8; s. 5, ch. 2012-182; s. 95, ch. 2013-15.