(1) A person, including a common carrier or other carrier, may not:

(a) Except as provided in s. 601.50, accept for shipment, ship, or transport any citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof until a grade certificate is issued showing the grade thereof, which certificate or a duplicate thereof must be filed with the carrier at the point of shipment.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 601.51

  • 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. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • 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. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • 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. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • Department: means the Department of Citrus. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • Department of Agriculture: means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • 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. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • Person: means any natural person, partnership, association, corporation, trust, estate, or other legal entity. See Florida Statutes 601.03
  • 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. See Florida Statutes 601.03
(b) Accept for shipment or ship any citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof where written notice has been given to such person, common carrier, or other carrier, or her or his representative or agent, by the Department of Agriculture or its authorized agent, employee, or inspector that such citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof do not comply with the provisions of law or rules adopted by the Department of Citrus or the Department of Agriculture.
(2)(a) A shipper or handler of such citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof has the privilege of repacking or remarking, and if or when such citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof are repacked or remarked to conform to the provisions of law or rules or orders of the Department of Citrus or the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture or its authorized inspector or agent shall notify such person, common carrier, or other carrier, or her or his agent, that such citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof may be accepted for shipment, and such shipper or handler is not considered as having violated this chapter or such rules or orders.
(b) If a shipper conforms to the rules adopted by the Department of Citrus under s. 601.49, the shipper is deemed to have complied with this section.