GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

S	2 

SENATE BILL 1201
Commerce Committee Substitute Adopted 6/20/00

Short Title:  Date Labels for Meat/Poultry/Seafood.	(Public)

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Sponsors:

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Referred to:  

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May 10, 2000

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "MISBRANDING"TO INCLUDE THE REMOVAL OR ALTERATION OF LABELS BEARING A "SELL-BY"DATE OR LAST RECOMMENDED DAY OF SALE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 106-130 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"§ 106-130.  Foods deemed misbranded. - A food shall be deemed to be misbranded:
(15)	If the labeling provided by the manufacturer, packer, distributor, or retailer on meat, meat products, poultry, or seafood includes a 'sell-by' date or other indicator of a last recommended day of sale, and the date has been removed, obscured, or altered by any person other than the customer.  This subdivision does not prohibit the removal of a label for the purpose of repackaging and relabeling a food item so long as the new package or new label does not bear a 'sell-by' date or other indicator of a last recommended day of sale later than the original package.  This subdivision does not prohibit relabeling of meat, meat products, poultry, or seafood that has had its shelf life extended through freezing, cooking, or other additional processing that extends the shelf life of the product."
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services the sum of thirty-two thousand eight hundred seventy-six dollars ($32,876) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year to fund an additional Food Regulatory Specialist I position for the implementation of this act.  
Section 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2000.