California · Food and Agricultural Code - FAC

FAC §46020: (a) It is unlawful for a person to sell, offer for sale, advertise, or label any product in violation of this act.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale, advertise, or label any product in violation of this act. Handlers, distributors, or retailers acting in good faith based on producer representations about organic products are exempt unless they knew or should have known the product was ineligible or were involved in production.

Read the full statutory text

(a) It is unlawful for a person to sell, offer for sale, advertise, or label any product in violation of this act. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a person engaged in business as a handler, distributor, or retailer of food who in good faith sells, offers for sale, labels, or advertises any product in reliance on the representations of a producer, processor, or other distributor that the product may be sold as organic, shall not be found to violate this act unless the handler, distributor, or retailer either: (1) Knew or should have known that the product could not be sold as organic. (2) Was engaged in producing or processing the product. (3) Prescribed or specified the manner in which the product was produced or processed.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.