Florida (F.S. 580.081 & 580.121) — Misbranding & penalties
Source: F.S. 580.081 and 580.121 (flsenate.gov), retrieved 2026-07-30. Florida defines misbranding of commercial feed (pet food included) and sets the enforcement ladder from warning letters to misdemeanor prosecution. This P3 topic covers the misbranding standard and the department's penalty powers.
Misbranding and enforcement
Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)
No person shall distribute misbranded commercial feed or feedstuff.(EN: General misbranding prohibition — F.S. 580.081.)If its labeling is false or misleading in any particular.(EN: Misbranding — false/misleading labeling — F.S. 580.081(1).)If it is not labeled as required by this chapter or the rules promulgated hereunder.(EN: Misbranding — failure to label as required — F.S. 580.081(3).)If a nutrient test, conducted by a laboratory certified in nutrient testing, on a sample of commercial feed or feedstuff from a given registrant shows the presence of any ingredient not listed on the label or the absence of any ingredient shown on the label.(EN: Misbranding — nutrient test reveals unlisted/undisclosed ingredient — F.S. 580.081(7).)The department may impose one or more of the following penalties against any person who violates any provision of this chapter: (a) Issuance of a warning letter. (b) Imposition of an administrative fine in the Class I category pursuant to s. 570.971 for each occurrence. (c) Revocation or suspension of the master registration(EN: Department penalty ladder (warning letter / Class I fine / registration suspension) — F.S. 580.121(1).)Any person who violates any provision of this chapter commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083 .(EN: Criminal sanction — violation = second-degree misdemeanor — F.S. 580.121(3)(a).)