97.01(12)
(12) "Package" means any container or wrapper in which any food is enclosed for use in the delivery or display of that food to retail purchasers, but does not include:
97.01(12)(a)
(a) Shipping containers or wrappings used solely for the transportation of any food in bulk or in quantity to manufacturers, packers or processors, or to wholesale or retail distributors.
97.01(12)(b)
(b) Shipping containers or outer wrappings used by retailers to ship or deliver any food to retail customers if such containers and wrappings bear no printed matter pertaining to any particular commodity.
97.01(13)
(13) "Pesticide chemical" means any substance which, alone, in chemical combination, or in formulation with one or more other substances is a "pesticide" within the meaning of
s. 94.67 (25) and which is used in the production, storage or transportation of raw agricultural commodities.
97.01(14)
(14) "Raw agricultural commodity" means any food in its raw or natural state, including all fruits that are washed, colored or otherwise treated in their unpeeled natural form prior to marketing.
97.01(14m)
(14m) "Salvaging distressed food" means reconditioning or preparing distressed food for sale or use as food, including cleaning, culling, sorting, scouring, labeling, packaging, processing or treating the food.
97.01(15)
(15) "Sell", "sale" or "sold" includes delivering, shipping, consigning, exchanging, offering or exposing for sale, or having in possession with intent to sell.
97.01(16)
(16) "Whey cream" means that portion of whey rich in milk fat which is separated from whey by centrifugal force, is fresh and clean and contains not less than 30% of milk fat.
97.02
97.02
Standards; adulterated food. A food is adulterated:
97.02(1)
(1) If it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health; but in case the substance is not an added substance such food shall not be considered adulterated under this paragraph if the quantity of such substance in such food does not ordinarily render it injurious to health.
97.02(2)
(2) If it bears or contains any added poisonous or added deleterious substance, other than one which is a pesticide chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity, a food additive or a color additive, which is unsafe within the meaning of the federal act or any deleterious substance not a necessary ingredient in its manufacture.
97.02(3)
(3) If it is a raw agricultural commodity and it bears or contains a pesticide chemical which is unsafe within the meaning of the federal act.
97.02(4)
(4) If it is or it bears or contains any food additive which is unsafe within the meaning of the federal act, but where a pesticide chemical has been used in or on a raw agricultural commodity in conformity with an exemption granted or tolerance prescribed under the federal act and the raw agricultural commodity has been subjected to processing such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydrating or milling, the residue of the pesticide chemical remaining in or on the processed food shall, notwithstanding other provisions in this section, not be deemed unsafe if the residue in the processed food when ready-to-eat is not greater than the tolerance prescribed for the raw agricultural commodity.
97.02(5)
(5) If it is or bears or contains any color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of the federal act or other provisions in this section.
97.02(6)
(6) If it consists in whole or in part of a diseased, contaminated, filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, or if it is otherwise unfit for food.
97.02(7)
(7) If it has been produced, prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been rendered diseased, unwholesome or injurious to health.
97.02(8)
(8) If it is the product of a diseased animal or an animal which has died otherwise than by slaughter, or that has been fed upon the uncooked offal from a slaughterhouse.
97.02(9)
(9) If its container is composed, in whole or in part, of any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health.
97.02(10)
(10) If any valuable constituent has been in whole or in part omitted or abstracted therefrom.
97.02(11)
(11) If any substance has been substituted wholly or in part therefor.
97.02(12)
(12) If damage or inferiority has been concealed in any manner.
97.02(13)
(13) If any substance has been added thereto or mixed or packed therewith so as to increase its bulk or weight, or reduce its quality or strength or make it appear better or of greater value than it is.
97.02(14)(a)
(a) Has partially or completely imbedded therein any nonnutritive object: provided, that this paragraph shall not apply in the case of any nonnutritive object if, in the judgment of the department as provided by regulations, such object is of practical functional value to the confectionary product and would not render the product injurious or hazardous to health;
97.02(14)(b)
(b) Bears or contains any alcohol in excess of one-half of one percent by volume derived solely from the use of flavoring extracts; or
97.02(14)(c)
(c) Bears or contains any nonnutritive substance; but this paragraph shall not apply to a safe nonnutritive substance which is in or on confectionary by reason of its use for some practical functional purpose in the manufacture, packaging, or storing of the confectionary if the use of the substance does not promote deception of the consumer or otherwise result in adulteration or misbranding in violation of this chapter. The department may, for the purpose of avoiding or resolving uncertainty as to the application of this paragraph, promulgate rules allowing or prohibiting the use of particular nonnutritive substances.
97.02 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
ATCP 55, Wis. adm. code.
97.03
97.03
Standards; misbranding. 97.03(1)(a)
(a) If its labeling is false or misleading in any particular.
97.03(1)(b)
(b) If it is offered for sale under the name of another food.
97.03(1)(c)
(c) If its container is so made, formed or filled as to be misleading.
97.03(1)(d)
(d) If in package form, unless it bears a label containing all of the following:
97.03(1)(d)1.
1. The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
97.03(1)(d)2.
2. An accurate statement of the quantity of the contents in terms of weight, measure or numerical count.
97.03(1)(e)
(e) If any word, statement or other information required to appear on the label or labeling is not prominently placed thereon with such conspicuousness and in such terms as to render it likely to be read and understood by the ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase and use.
97.03(1)(f)
(f) If it is represented as a food for which a definition and standard of identity has been prescribed under
s. 97.09 unless it conforms to such definition and standard and its label, except when its label complies with the federal act, bears the name of the food specified in the definition and standard and the common names of ingredients present in such food.
97.03(1)(g)1.
1. A food for which a standard of quality has been prescribed under
s. 97.09 and its quality falls below such standard unless its label bears, in the manner and form as such regulations specify, a statement that it falls below such standard.
97.03(1)(g)2.
2. A food for which a standard or standards of fill of container have been prescribed under
s. 97.09 and it falls below the standard of fill of container applicable thereto, unless its label bears, in the manner and form as such regulations specify, a statement that it falls below such standard.
97.03(1)(h)
(h) If it is a food for which no definition or standard of identity has been prescribed unless it bears a label clearly giving the common or usual name of the food if any, and in case it is fabricated from 2 or more ingredients, the common or usual name of each such ingredient; provided that to the extent that compliance with this subdivision is impractical or results in deception or unfair competition, exemptions shall be established by departmental rule.
97.03(1)(i)
(i) If it purports to be or is represented for special dietary uses, unless its label bears such information concerning its vitamin, mineral and other dietary properties as the department determines to be, and prescribes as, necessary in order to fully inform purchasers as to its value for such uses.
97.03(1)(k)
(k) If it bears or contains any artificial flavoring, artificial coloring or chemical preservative, unless it bears a label stating that fact.
97.03(1)(m)
(m) If it is a product intended as an ingredient of another food and when used according to the directions of the purveyor will result in the final food product being adulterated or misbranded.
97.03(1)(n)
(n) If it is a color additive unless its packaging and labeling are in conformity with such packaging and labeling requirements applicable to such color additive prescribed under the federal act.
97.03(2)(a)(a) Packages of fresh fruits and vegetables, the contents of which are plainly visible to the purchaser shall be exempt from a declaration of numerical count and identity under this section if the package contains 6 units or less, except that when the quantity of the food is customarily expressed in terms of weight or measure, as distinguished from numerical count, the food shall bear a label declaring the quantity.
97.03(2)(b)
(b) A food is exempt from labeling requirements under this section if the food, having been received in bulk containers by a retailer, is packaged by the retailer and displayed to the purchaser with a counter card, sign or other appropriate device bearing prominently and conspicuously the label information required by this section.
97.03(2)(c)
(c) Sausage enclosed in a casing is exempt from labeling requirements under this section if it is displayed to the purchaser with a counter card, sign or other appropriate device bearing prominently and conspicuously the label information required by this section; but if the sausage is weighed at the time of sale a statement of weight is not required. If encased sausage is placed in another package, labeling requirements of this section apply.
97.03(2)(d)
(d) Bakery products enclosed in transparent containers or enclosed in containers which provide a transparent opening to afford a clear view of the product are exempt from labeling requirements under this section when such products are sold at retail by the bakery operator or the bakery operator's employee direct to the consumer at the baker's own retail bakery service counter operated by the baker who has produced these products, and when displayed to the purchaser with a counter card, sign or other appropriate device bearing conspicuously the label information required under this section.
97.03(2)(e)
(e) A food shall be exempt from the labeling requirements under this chapter if the food, in accordance with the practice of the trade, is to be processed, labeled or repacked in substantial quantities by the buyer, on condition that such food is not adulterated or misbranded under this chapter upon completion of such processing, labeling or repacking by the buyer.
97.03(3)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), no person may use the term "butter" in the name or in connection with the name, designation, advertising or description of any article of food prepared and offered for sale or served with any meal for which a charge is made unless all of the fat contained in such article of food is butterfat. This paragraph does not prohibit any representation that a food is flavored with butter if at least 12% of the fat in such food is butterfat or if the food contains the concentrated flavor elements derived from natural butterfat in sufficient quantities to impart a characteristic butter flavor.
97.03(3)(b)
(b) A person may use the term "light butter" or "lite butter" in the name or in connection with the name, designation, advertising or description of an article of food prepared and offered for sale or served with any meal if the product is produced to resemble butter, contains 52% butterfat within tolerances that are acceptable to the department, has at least one-third fewer calories than butter, is made from pasteurized milk or cream or both and contains 15,000 international units of vitamin A per pound within tolerances of good manufacturing practices. The product may contain only the following additional ingredients:
97.03(3)(b)11.
11. Safe and suitable ingredients that improve texture, prevent syneresis or extend the shelf life of the product.
97.03 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
ATCP 55, Wis. adm. code.
97.07
97.07
Interpretation. If an article is alleged to be misbranded because the labeling is misleading, then in determining whether the labeling is misleading, there shall be taken into account not only representations made or suggested by statement, word, design, device, sound, or any combination thereof, but also the extent to which the labeling fails to reveal facts material in the light of such representations or material with respect to consequences which may result from the use of the article to which the labeling relates under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling or under such conditions of use as are customary or usual.
97.09(1)(1) Definitions and standards of identity, composition, quality and fill of container for foods, and amendments thereto, now or hereafter adopted under the federal act or this chapter are definitions and standards of identity, composition, quality and fill of container under
s. 97.03. However, when such action will promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers, the department may amend, stay or reject such federal regulations or make rules establishing definitions and standards of identity, composition, quality and fill of container for foods where no federal regulations exist, or which differ from federal regulations.
97.09 Note
NOTE: Sub. (1) is shown as affected by
1983 Wis. Act 536, which adds "or this chapter". The effective date of Act 536, is shown in Section 4 as follows:
Effective date text
Section 4. Effective date. This act takes effect on the first day of the 3rd month commencing after the governor certifies, by executive order directed to the secretary of agriculture, trade and consumer protection and published in the official state newspaper, that all states contiguous to the borders of this state have in effect milk content requirements identical to those requirements created by this act.
97.09(2)
(2) Temporary permits granted under the federal act for interstate shipment of experimental packs of food varying from the requirements of federal definitions and standards of identity are automatically effective in this state under conditions set forth in such permits.
97.09(3)
(3) The department may also issue temporary marketing permits upon a convincing showing of need to continue a market study where the interests of consumers are safeguarded. Such permits are subject to terms and conditions prescribed by departmental rules but may not be issued for a period exceeding 6 months plus one renewal period of 6 months after departmental review.
97.09(4)
(4) The department may, by rule, establish and enforce standards governing the production, processing, packaging, labeling, transportation, storage, handling, display, sale, including retail sale, and distribution of foods that are needed to protect the public from the sale of adulterated or misbranded foods.
97.09(5)
(5) The department shall promulgate rules establishing standards and procedures for the labeling of organic food. The rules may establish a process whereby organizations, businesses and firms certify that foods represented as organic foods comply with established standards. In this subsection, "organic food" means any food that is marketed using "organic" or any derivative of "organic" in its labeling or advertising.
97.09 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
ATCP 55, Wis. adm. code.
97.10
97.10
Prohibited acts. 97.10(1)(1) The sale of any food that is adulterated or misbranded is prohibited.
97.10(2)
(2) It is unlawful to manufacture, prepare for sale, store, or sell food unless the food is protected from filth, flies, dust or other contamination or unclean, unhealthful or insanitary conditions.
97.10(3)
(3) No person shall be subject to the penalties of
s. 97.72 for having violated
sub. (1), if he or she establishes a guaranty or undertaking signed by, and containing the name and address of the person residing in this state from whom the article was received in good faith, to the effect that such article is not adulterated or misbranded within the meaning of
ss. 97.02 and
97.03.
97.10 History
History: 1971 c. 156;
1983 a. 261.
97.10 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
ATCP 55, Wis. adm. code.
97.12(1)(1) For the purpose of enforcing this chapter, the department and its agents may, at reasonable hours, enter and inspect any farm, factory, warehouse, building, room, establishment or place at or in which foods are manufactured, processed, packed, packaged, stored or held for sale, and may enter any vehicle used to transport or hold foods in commerce. The department and its agents may also secure samples or specimens of food and any product or substance that may affect food, examine and copy relevant documents and records and obtain photographic and other evidence needed to enforce this chapter. The department shall examine any samples secured and shall conduct other inspections and examinations needed to determine whether there is a violation of this chapter. The department shall pay or offer to pay the market value of samples taken.
