(1) Notwithstanding ss. 601.45, 601.46, 601.48, 601.49, 601.51, and 601.52, the department may adopt such precautionary rules that it deems expedient to permit the sale or shipment of citrus fruit or the canned or concentrated products thereof without the issuance of and filing of an inspection certificate and without the grade being shown on the container thereof, of:

(a) Intrastate shipments of fresh citrus fruit for consumption or use within the state.

(b) Shipments to be used for charitable or unemployment relief purposes.

(c) Shipments to the United States Government or any of its agencies and interstate shipments to any packinghouse, canning plant, or concentrate plant for commercial processing, as may be defined by the department, or to fresh fruit juice distributors outside the state.

(d) Shipments by any method of transportation by “gift fruit shippers,” as defined by the department, but such shipments shall not be for the purpose of resale by the consignee thereof.

(2) However, any such rule adopted under this section may not permit or allow the sale or shipment of citrus fruit deemed by this section to be immature and unfit for human consumption or of canned or concentrated products thereof prepared or made from citrus fruit deemed by this law to be immature and unfit for human consumption. In addition, shipments under paragraphs (1)(a) and (d) must meet such minimum grade standards as may periodically be established by the department, and such rules must provide for the due collection of any advertising assessments and inspection fees that may be due thereon.

History.—s. 50, ch. 25149, 1949; s. 18, ch. 26492, 1951; s. 1, ch. 59-41; s. 1, ch. 63-100; s. 1, ch. 67-24; s. 22, ch. 71-186; s. 37, ch. 2012-182.