Fla. Stat. § 502.014 — Florida Code / Title XXXIII / Chapter 502 / Section 502.014
502.014 Powers and duties.
Status: in_force

(1) The department shall administer and enforce all regulatory laws currently in effect governing: (a) The production, processing, and distribution of milk, milk products, frozen desserts, and frozen dessert mix. (b) The sanitation and sanitary practices of establishments where food and drink, including milk and milk products, are sold for consumption on the premises, except food service establishments regulated under chapters 381 and 509. (c) The sanitary and healthful condition of the food and drink sold or offered for sale by establishments under the department’s jurisdiction pursuant to paragraph (b). (d) The laboratory work of testing and analyzing milk, milk products, frozen desserts, and frozen dessert mix.

(2)(a) The department shall permit, conduct inspections of, and collect samples for testing from all facilities engaged in the production, processing, holding, or transfer of milk and milk products. (b) The department shall designate employees who shall be certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration as state milk sanitation rating officers, sampling surveillance officers, and laboratory evaluation officers in accordance with the requirements published in “Methods of Making Sanitation Ratings of Milk Shippers,” “Evaluation of Milk Laboratories,” and “Procedures Governing the Cooperative State-Public Health Service/Food and Drug Administration Program for Certification of Interstate Milk Shippers,” respectively, as adopted by department rule. These officers shall conduct routine sanitation compliance survey ratings of milk producers, milk plants, laboratories, receiving stations, transfer stations, and manufacturers of single-service containers for milk and milk products. These ratings shall be made in accordance with the recommendations of the United States Food and Drug Administration published in “Methods of Making Sanitation Ratings of Milk Shippers.”

(3) The department shall define by rule “cottage cheese” and “dry-curd cottage cheese.” The department shall periodically update these definitions to maintain conformity with the federal definitions.

(4) The department may impound any reconstituted or recombined milk or any adulterated or misbranded milk or milk product to prevent its use for human consumption, and may dispose of it in a manner that does not create a nuisance.

(5) The department has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement and enforce the provisions of this chapter. In adopting these rules, the department shall be guided by and may conform to the definitions and standards of the administrative procedures and provisions of the Grade “A” pasteurized milk ordinance and other applicable federal requirements. The rules shall include, but are not limited to: (a) Standards for milk, milk products, and frozen desserts. (b) Provisions for the production, transportation, processing, handling, sampling, examination, grading, labeling, and sale of all milk, milk products, frozen desserts, and imitation and substitute milk and milk products sold for public consumption in this state. (c) Provisions for the inspection of dairy herds, dairy farms, frozen dessert plants, and milk plants. (d) Provisions for the issuance and revocation of permits issued by the department pursuant to this chapter.

(6) The department shall not conduct routine tests or inspections on raw milk that is shipped from outside the state. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the authority of the department to review industry records or sample milk or frozen desserts at any stage of production, processing, or distribution in cases of suspected hazard to public health.

History: s. 3, ch. 94-92; s. 174, ch. 98-200; s. 13, ch. 2001-279; s. 8, ch. 2005-210; s. 5, ch. 2007-67; s. 20, ch. 2011-206; s. 13, ch. 2012-190; s. 13, ch. 2023-154.