§ 21-2-2 - Declaration of policy.
SECTION 21-2-2
§ 21-2-2 Declaration of policy. – Milk is recognized to be one of the most perfect foods afforded by nature. Itis unique in that its consumption in adequate quantities is essential to thenutritional well being of the individual; but if its production anddistribution are not properly safeguarded, it may be instrumental in thetransmission of diseases infectious to people. It is declared to be the policyof the state that for the protection of the health and welfare of the people ofthe state of Rhode Island the environmental conditions surrounding theproduction, handling, transportation, distribution, and sale of milk and milkproducts shall be to protect the public health and to provide consumers withproducts which are identified in such a way as to promote honesty and fairdealing in the best interests of the consumers. Specifically, it is declared tobe the policy of the state to provide:
(1) That the people of Rhode Island shall have a supply ofmilk adequate to their needs and demands under all conditions.
(2) That milk provided for consumers within the state ofRhode Island shall be of good quality, shall be safe for human consumption,shall contain no live bacteria capable of transmitting disease to people, shallcontain adequate nutritional components, and shall be free of adulteration.
(3) That milk sold or produced in Rhode Island shall comefrom healthy cows or goats.
(4) That milk sold or produced in Rhode Island shall beproduced on farms having standards and conditions of sanitation adequate toensure production of milk that is safe and of good quality.
(5) That milk sold or produced in Rhode Island shall beproduced, processed, and handled by personnel free from any communicabledisease.
(6) That milk to be consumed in the state of Rhode Islandshall at all stages in its travel from animal to ultimate consumer istransported in equipment and/or packages which shall be designed, filled,operated, maintained, and emptied to prevent the introduction and/orpropagation of bacteria, dirt or any other foreign substances.
(7) That all milk sold in Rhode Island shall be handled andprocessed under conditions of good sanitation and shall be finally packagedfree from contamination, dirt, or any other foreign substances and/oradulteration.
(8) That all milk sold within the state of Rhode Island shallbe pasteurized by a recognized method of pasteurizing adequate to destroybacteria capable of transmitting disease to people. Provided, that a physicianmay authorize an individual sale of goat milk directly from producer toconsumer by written, signed prescription.
(9) That the branding or labeling of packages in which allmilk sold in the state of Rhode Island shall be delivered to the consumer shallstate the grade of milk packaged, may state any special attributes of the milk,and that all statements made on any packaging labels shall not be false ormisleading.
(10) That this state shall cooperate in the preparation andpromulgation of any set of standards, regulations, statutes, or other means ofcontrol of sanitation in the production, transportation, handling, processing,and distribution of milk, or any one or more of them, according to a uniformsystem of requirements to be adopted alike by all or a majority of the stateswhich contribute milk to the Rhode Island market.