Chapter 911 | Bakeries

Section 911.01 | Bakery defined.

• Effective: February 1, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 223 - 123rd General Assembly

As used in sections 911.01 to 911.20 of the Revised Code, "bakery" means a building or part of a building wherein is carried on the production, preparation, packing, storing, display, or sale to other than the ultimate consumer of bread, stuffed breads, cake, pies, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, noodles, waffle cones, pizza crusts, or other bakery products, whether frozen, fried, deep fried, or partially or completely baked, including any separate room used for the convenience or accommodation of the workers.

Section 911.02 | Registration of bakeries.

• Effective: February 1, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 223 - 123rd General Assembly

Each person, firm, partnership, or corporation that owns or operates a bakery shall register each bakery that it owns or operates with the director of agriculture. For the registration, the owner or operator of each bakery shall pay an annual fee of thirty dollars for a production capacity of one thousand pounds of bakery product per hour or less and an annual fee of thirty dollars for each one thousand pounds of bakery product per hour capacity, or part thereof, in excess of one thousand pounds of bakery product per hour.

Any person who owns or operates a home bakery with only one oven, in a stove of ordinary home kitchen design and located in a home, used for the baking of baked goods to be sold, shall pay a sum of ten dollars annually for registration regardless of the capacity of the home bakery oven. The registration shall be renewed annually by the thirtieth day of September and shall be renewed according to the standard renewal procedure of Chapter 4745. of the Revised Code. The registration of the bakery shall show the location, including municipal corporation, street, and number, the name of the owner, and the name of the operator. The application for registration shall be made on a form prescribed and provided by the director. All moneys received from registration fees and fines collected under sections 911.01 to 911.20 of the Revised Code shall be deposited with the treasurer of state to the credit of the food safety fund created in section 915.24 of the Revised Code. All annual renewal registration fees required by this section shall be paid by the applicant for the renewal to the treasurer of state for deposit into the food safety fund.

No bakery product that is manufactured in an out-of-state bakery shall be sold or offered for sale within this state unless the bakery is in compliance with sections 911.01 to 911.20 of the Revised Code, and is registered, having paid the annual registration fee.

Registration of out-of-state bakeries is not required if a reciprocal agreement is in effect whereby a bakery located in this state is not subject to a license or registration fee by the receiving state or a political subdivision thereof.

Section 911.021 | Regulation of wholesale bakery.

• Effective: February 1, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 223 - 123rd General Assembly

A bakery shall be regulated under this chapter and not under Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code when the bakery's primary business is wholesale, even if the bakery also sells bakery products at retail on its premises.

Section 911.03 | Approval of building plans and equipment - permit.

• Effective: June 20, 1994
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 134 - 120th General Assembly

No new bakery shall be established unless the building plans and equipment proposed to be used have been approved by a certified building inspector, the department of agriculture, or by the board of health of the city or general health district. The inspector, department, or board shall refuse a permit to such bakery if the building and equipment do not comply with sections 911.01 to 911.20 of the Revised Code and the rules adopted thereunder. A hearing shall be afforded in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Section 911.04 | Building specifications of bakeries.

• Effective: June 20, 1994
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 134 - 120th General Assembly

Every bakery shall be constructed, drained, lighted, ventilated, maintained in a sanitary condition, and screened against flies. Every bakery shall have plumbing and drainage facilities together with approved wash basins, wash sinks, and toilets or water closets, which shall be kept in a sanitary condition. The toilets or water closets shall be in rooms having no direct connection with any room in which bakery products or ingredients are prepared, stored, handled, or displayed.

Section 911.05 | Ingredients.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

No ingredient which is likely to deceive the consumer or which lessens the nutritive value shall be used in any bakery product unless such product is plainly labeled, branded, or tagged, or unless there is a sign making plain to the purchaser or consumer the actual ingredients. In the case of unwrapped bread to be sold by the loaf, such labeling, branding, or tagging shall be placed upon the label provided for by section 911.18 of the Revised Code, which shows the name of the manufacturer and the net weight of the loaf.

Section 911.06 | Exemptions.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The director of agriculture may, by rule, establish such exemptions as may be necessary to facilitate the sale of any accumulated or unsold stocks of wholesome bakery products, and may establish exemptions in other cases not inconsistent with sections 911.01 to 911.20, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 911.07 | Storage.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

All bakery products and their ingredients shall be stored, handled, transported, and kept in such manner as to protect them from spoilage, vermin, contamination, disease, and unwholesomeness. No ingredient, or material, including water, shall be used therein which is spoiled or contaminated or which may render the product unwholesome, unfit for food, or injurious to health.

Section 911.08 | Placement of receptacles.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

Boxes or other permanent receptacles or containers for the storing, receiving, or handling of bakery products shall be placed and constructed beyond the reach of contamination from streets, alleys, sidewalks, and animals, and shall be kept sanitary by the dealer.

Section 911.09 | Showcases.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

All showcases, shelves, and other places where unwrapped bakery products are sold or exposed for sale shall be kept, by the dealer, well covered, properly ventilated, adequately protected from dust, flies, and other contaminating matter, and shall at all times be maintained in a sweet, clean, and wholesome condition.

Section 911.10 | Receptacles to be kept in sanitary condition.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The floors, walls, and ceilings of each bakery, the equipment used in the handling or preparation of bakery products or their ingredients, and the boxes, baskets, and the interior of the vehicles and other receptacles in which bakery products are transported shall be kept, by the owner or operator of the bakery or the carrier or distributor of said products, in a sanitary condition and at all times free from dirt, dust, flies, insects, and other contaminating matter. Shipping baskets and other containers for transporting bakery products shall be kept clean and shall not be used for any other products.

Section 911.11 | Physical examination of employees.

• Effective: September 29, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

The director of agriculture may require any person intending to work or working in a bakery to submit to a thorough examination for the purpose of ascertaining whether the person is afflicted with any contagious, infectious, or other disease or physical ailment, which may render employment detrimental to the public health. All such examinations shall be made by a qualified physician licensed under section 4731.14 of the Revised Code, by a physician assistant, by a clinical nurse specialist, by a certified nurse practitioner, or by a certified nurse-midwife. Any written documentation of the examination shall be completed by the individual who did the examination.

Section 911.12 | Diseases.

• Effective: January 9, 1961
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 104th General Assembly

No owner or operator of a bakery shall require or permit any person affected with any contagious, infectious, or other disease or physical ailment which may render employment detrimental to the public health, or any person who refuses to submit to the examination required in section 911.11 of the Revised Code, to work in such bakery.

Section 911.13 | Washing of hands.

• Effective: June 20, 1994
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 134 - 120th General Assembly

Before beginning the work of preparing, mixing, or handling any ingredients used in the production of bakery products, every person engaged in such work shall wash his hands and arms, and, after using toilets or water closets or handling money, every such person shall wash his hands and arms thoroughly and then rinse in clean water. For this purpose the owner or operator of the bakery shall provide sufficient facilities.

Section 911.14 | Lounging on tables.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

No person shall sit, lie, or lounge or be permitted to sit, lie, or lounge upon any of the tables, shelves, boxes, or other equipment or accessories used in connection with the production, preparation, packing, storing, display, or sale of bakery products. No animals or fowls shall be kept in or permitted to enter any bakery.

Section 911.15 | Dressing room.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

Every bakery shall have a suitable room for the changing and hanging of the wearing apparel of the employees, which shall be separate and apart from the work, storage, and sales rooms, and shall be kept in a sanitary condition.

Section 911.16 | Notice of delinquency.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

If, after inspection, it is found that a bakery is not constructed, maintained, or operated, or the distribution of its products is not conducted, in accordance with sections 911.01 to 911.20, inclusive, of the Revised Code, notice in writing shall be given to the owner or manager, stating the delinquency, and fixing a reasonable time within which the same shall be remedied and providing for a hearing to any party in interest.

Section 911.17 | Closing of bakery.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

In case a bakery is unfit for the production and handling of food or dangerous to the health of its employees, the state or city department making the inspection may order the bakery, or such part as may be found so unfit or so dangerous, closed. Any aggrieved person shall have the right to be heard before said department or board and shall also have a right of appeal before or after the execution of such order but within thirty days of its issuance, to the courts.

Section 911.18 | Weight of bread - label.

• Effective: August 17, 1989
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 11 - 118th General Assembly

Bread shall not be sold or offered or exposed for sale otherwise than by weight and shall be manufactured for sale and sold only in units of not less than twelve ounces. Loaves of bread weighing more than twelve ounces may only be manufactured for sale and sold in increments of two ounces, beginning with the twelve-ounce minimum weight. When multiple loaves are baked, each unit of the loaf shall conform to the weight required by this section. The weight specified means the net weight twelve hours after baking and is to be determined by the average weight of at least twenty-five loaves. Such unit weights do not apply to rolls and such bread as is defined as fancy bread by the director of agriculture. Every loaf of bread manufactured for sale, sold, or offered or exposed for sale shall have affixed thereon a visible and legible statement in plain position of the weight of the loaf of bread, and the business name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor. In the case of wrapped bread, such information shall be stated on the wrapper of each loaf, and in the case of unwrapped bread such information shall be stated by means of a pan impression or other means or shall be stated on a label using plain legible type. Such label affixed to an unwrapped loaf shall not be affixed in any manner which is unsanitary and unwholesome. There shall not be more than one label on a loaf or a unit.

Section 911.19 | Regulations.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The director of agriculture shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are necessary to enforce section 911.18 of the Revised Code, including reasonable tolerances or variations within which all weights shall be kept. The tolerances or variations shall not exceed one ounce per pound under the standard unit for single loaves. The tolerance permitted in the weighing of twenty-five or more loaves shall not exceed one-half ounce per pound. The director, and under his direction , the local sealers of weights and measures, shall enforce this section. Before any prosecution is begun under this section, the parties against whom the complaint is made shall be notified and be given an opportunity to be heard by the director.

Section 911.20 | Prohibition.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

No person shall violate any rule or regulation adopted under sections 911.01 to 911.20, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 911.31 | Vitamin and mineral requirement definitions.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

As used in sections 911.31 to 911.35, inclusive, of the Revised Code:

(A) "Flour" includes and shall be limited to the foods commonly known in the milling and baking industries as:

(1) White flour, also known as wheat flour or plain flour;

(2) Bromated flour;

(3) Self-rising flour, also known as self-rising white flour or self-rising wheat flour;

(4) Phosphated flour, also known as phosphated white flour or phosphated wheat flour.

"Flour" excludes whole wheat flour and also excludes special flours not used for bread, roll, bun, or biscuit baking, such as specialty cake, pancake, and pastry flours.

(B) "White bread" means any bread made with flour, as defined in division (A) of this section, whether baked in a pan or on a hearth or screen, which is commonly known or usually represented and sold as white bread, including Vienna bread, French bread, and Italian bread.

(C) "Rolls" includes plain white rolls and buns of the semi-bread dough type, both soft rolls, such as hamburger rolls, hot dog rolls, Parker House rolls, and hard rolls, such as Vienna rolls and kaiser rolls, but shall not include yeast-raised sweet rolls or sweet rolls or sweet buns made with fillings or coatings, such as cinnamon rolls or buns and butterfly rolls.

(D) "Person" means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, or any group of persons, whether incorporated or not, engaged in the commercial manufacture or sale of flour, white bread, or rolls.

Section 911.32 | Vitamin and mineral requirement for flour.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

(A) No person shall manufacture, mix, compound, sell, or offer for sale, flour for human consumption in this state unless the following vitamins and minerals are contained in each pound of such flour:

(1) Not less than two and not more than two and five-tenths milligrams of thiamine;

(2) Not less than one and two-tenths and not more than one and five-tenths milligrams of riboflavin;

(3) Not less than sixteen and not more than twenty milligrams of niacin or niacin-amide;

(4) Not less than thirteen and not more than sixteen and five-tenths milligrams of iron;

(5) In addition to the ingredients required by divisions (A)(1) to (A)(4), inclusive, of this section, self-rising flour shall contain not less than five hundred and not more than fifteen hundred milligrams of calcium.

(B) This section does not apply to flour sold to distributors, bakers, or other processors, if the purchaser furnishes the seller a certificate in such form as the director of agriculture prescribes, certifying that such flour will be:

(1) Resold to a distributor, baker, or other processor;

(2) Used in the manufacture, mixing, or compounding of flour, white bread, or rolls, enriched to meet sections 911.31 to 911.35, inclusive, of the Revised Code;

(3) Used in the manufacture of products other than flour, white bread, or rolls.

No purchaser furnishing any such certificate shall use or resell the flour purchased in any manner other than as prescribed in this section.

Section 911.33 | Vitamin and mineral requirement for white bread or rolls manufactured, baked, sold, or offered for sale.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

No person shall manufacture, bake, sell, or offer for sale, for human consumption in this state, any white bread or rolls unless the following vitamins and minerals are contained in each pound of such bread or rolls:

(A) Not less than one and one-tenth and not more than one and eight-tenths milligrams of thiamine;

(B) Not less than seven-tenths and not more than one and six-tenths milligrams of riboflavin;

(C) Not less than ten and not more than fifteen milligrams of niacin;

(D) Not less than eight and not more than twelve and five-tenths milligrams of iron.

Section 911.34 | Enforcement - rules and regulations.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

(A) The director of agriculture shall enforce sections 911.31 to 911.35, inclusive, of the Revised Code, and shall make, amend, or rescind rules, regulations, and orders for the efficient enforcement of such sections.

(B) Whenever the vitamin and mineral requirements of such sections no longer conform with the legally established standards governing the interstate shipment of enriched flour and enriched white bread or enriched rolls, the director, in order to maintain uniformity between intrastate and interstate vitamin and mineral requirements for the foods within such sections, shall modify or revise such requirements to conform with amended standards governing interstate shipments. The director shall report any revisions in vitamin and mineral requirements to the legislature.

(C) If the director finds there is an existing or imminent shortage of any ingredient required by sections 911.31 to 911.35, inclusive, of the Revised Code, and that because of such shortage the sale and distribution of flour, white bread, or rolls may be impeded by the enforcement of such sections, he shall issue an order, to be effective immediately, permitting the omission of such ingredient from flour, white bread, or rolls; if it is necessary or appropriate, he may except such foods from labeling requirements until the further order of the director. Any such findings may be made without a hearing, on the basis of an order or of factual information supplied by the appropriate federal agency or officer. In the absence of any such order of the appropriate federal agency or factual information supplied by it, the director on his own motion may, and upon receiving the sworn statements of ten or more persons subject to such sections that such persons believe such a shortage exists or is imminent, the director shall, within twenty days, hold a public hearing with respect to such shortage at which hearing any interested person may present evidence. The director shall make findings based upon the evidence presented. The director shall publish notice of any such hearing at least ten days prior to the hearing.

If the director believes that such shortage no longer exists, he shall hold a public hearing, after at least ten days' notice has been given, at which any interested person may present evidence, and the director shall make findings based upon the evidence so presented. If he finds that such shortage no longer exists, he shall issue an order to become effective not less than thirty days after publication of such order, revoking the previous order. Undisposed floor stocks of flour on hand at the effective date of such revocation order, or flour manufactured prior to such effective date, for sale in this state, may be sold or disposed of after such effective date.

(D) All orders, rules, and regulations adopted by the director under sections 911.31 to 911.35, inclusive, of the Revised Code, shall be published in the manner prescribed in division (E) of this section, and, within the limits specified by such sections, shall become effective upon the date fixed by the director.

(E) Whenever publication of any notice, order, rule, or regulation is required by such sections, such publication shall be made at least three times in at least one daily newspaper of general circulation printed and published in this state.

(F) The director, or such officers or employees under his supervision as he designates, may take samples for analysis and conduct examinations and investigations, and enter, at reasonable times, any factory, mill, bakery, warehouse, shop, or establishment where flour, white bread, or rolls are manufactured, processed, packed, sold, or held, or any vehicle being used for the transportation of such products, and inspect any such place or vehicle, any flour, white bread, or rolls in such place or vehicle, and all pertinent equipment, materials, containers, and labeling.

Section 911.35 | Liberal construction of chapter.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

Sections 911.31 to 911.34, inclusive, of the Revised Code were intended to promote the public health, safety, and welfare, and such sections shall be liberally construed to effectuate this purpose.

Section 911.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: June 20, 1994
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 134 - 120th General Assembly

(A) Whoever violates sections 911.01 to 911.20 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(B) Whoever violates sections 911.31 to 911.35 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.