(1) Definitions:
- (a) "Violation" means commission of an act or acts prohibited by chapter 16.49, 69.07, 69.10, or 15.130 RCW, including rules adopted under them.
- (b) "Prior violation" means the same or a similar violation committed by a person within the previous three years.
- (c) "Critical violation" means a violation resulting in food adulteration that could cause injury or illness in consumers or that has the potential to contribute to conditions resulting in such adulteration.
- (d) "Significant violation" means a violation resulting in food adulteration or food being prepared under unsanitary conditions not apparently related to a public health danger or that has the potential to contribute to conditions resulting in such adulteration and if not corrected could lead to a critical violation.
- (e) "Economic violation" means a violation which affects the purchaser economically, either due to misbranding or adulteration where inferior or substandard quality product is substituted, by hiding defects or by false or misleading labeling.
- (f) "Other violation" means a violation of chapter 16.49, 69.07, 69.10, or 15.130 RCW, not covered under the penalty schedules in WAC 16-139-020 or 16-139-030, including, but not limited to, violation of embargo, mutilation of embargo notices, sale of food from an unlicensed processor, operating without a required license, refusal of inspection or access, interference with the director or the director's designee, or economic and labeling violations.
- (g) "Same," with respect to violations, means an identical recurrence or an exact repetition of a previous violation, or a continuation of a previous violation.
- (h) "Similar," with respect to violations, means related in appearance or nature; alike though not identical.
- (i) "Knowingly" means that the alleged violator had previous warning, knew or reasonably should have known that a condition could result in adverse effects or that a violation would occur.
- (j) "Potential," with respect to violations, means that a violation may result in food adulteration or a risk to health or that the violation supports conditions that may contribute to food adulteration or a risk to health.
- (k) "Probable," with respect to violations, means that a violation is reasonably likely to result in food adulteration or a risk to health.
(2) Additional definitions for terms used in this chapter are found in the following provisions of law:
- (a) Food Safety and Security Act, chapter 15.130 RCW.
- (b) Washington Food Processing Act, chapter 69.07 RCW.
- (c) Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Human Food, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1, Subchapter B, Part 117.
- (d) Food storage warehouses, chapter 69.10 RCW.
- (e) Custom Slaughter Act, chapter 16.49 RCW.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 15.30.120, 69.07.020, 69.10.055, and 16.49.025. WSR 20-17-020, § 16-139-005, filed 8/6/20, effective 9/6/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 16.49.680, 19.32.030, 69.04.730, 69.07.020 and 69.10.055. WSR 98-02-023, § 16-139-005, filed 12/31/97, effective 1/31/98.]