HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1993
BYRepresentatives Rasmussen, Nealey, Dorn, Rayburn, McLean, Baugher, Youngsman and Kremen
Specifying labeling requirements for uncooked poultry.
House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development
Majority Report: Do pass. (11)
Signed by Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Nealey, Ranking Republican Member; Baugher, Chandler, Grant, Jesernig, McLean, H. Myers, Rasmussen and Youngsman.
House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)
AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 14, 1989
BACKGROUND:
The Uniform Washington Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act establishes certain labeling requirements for food. The act is administered by the Department of Agriculture. Food which is falsely labelled is considered to be "misbranded." The act prohibits the sale in intrastate commerce of any food that is misbranded. A violation of this prohibition is a misdemeanor. The superior court may, for cause, issue the department a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating this prohibition.
SUMMARY:
Uncooked poultry is deemed to be misbranded under the state's Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act if it is produced outside of this state but the label for the poultry contains the geographic outline of this state.
Fiscal Note: Not Requested.
Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: Gerry Gustafson, Washington State Fryer Commission.
House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony For: The Fryer Commission has recently found packages of chicken produced and packaged out-of-state which have been labeled to give the impression that the chicken was produced in Washington. Certain of the activities of the packer are illegal but the following may not be: The packages contain the outlines of the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho but the weight ticket is placed over the states of Oregon and Idaho leaving only our state's outline.
House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.