(A) The director of agriculture may issue licenses as required by sections 913.22 to 913.28 of the Revised Code, may make the inspections and registrations required by those sections, and may prescribe the form of application to be filed under this section.

(B) No person shall manufacture or bottle for sale within this state any soft drink in closed containers unless the person has a license issued by the director. Upon receipt of an application for such a license, the director shall examine the products and the place of manufacture where the business is to be conducted, to determine whether the products and place comply with sections 913.22 to 913.28 of the Revised Code. Upon finding there is compliance, and upon payment of a license fee of two hundred dollars, the director shall issue a license authorizing the applicant to manufacture or bottle for sale such soft drinks, subject to sections 913.22 to 913.28 of the Revised Code. The license shall expire on the last day of March of each year unless renewed.

(C) No soft drink that is manufactured or bottled out of the state shall be sold or offered for sale within this state unless the soft drink and the plant in which the soft drink is manufactured or bottled are found by the director to comply with sections 913.22 to 913.28 of the Revised Code, and are registered by the director, which shall be upon a like application as provided in division (B) of this section.

An annual registration fee of two hundred dollars shall be paid to the director by each applicant under this division. The registration shall be renewed annually, and the registration fee paid with the application for annual renewal.

Registration of out-of-state soft drink manufacturers or bottlers or syrup and extract manufacturers is not required if a reciprocal agreement is in effect whereby a soft drink manufacturer or bottler or syrup and extract manufacturer located in this state is not subject to a license or registration fee by another state or a political subdivision thereof.

(D) No person, other than a manufacturer or bottler holding a soft drink plant license under this section, shall sell, offer for sale, use, or have in the person's possession with intent to sell, any soda water syrup or extract or soft drink syrup, to be used in making, drawing, or dispensing soda water or other soft drinks, without first registering the person's name and address, the name and address of the manufacturer of the syrup or extract, the number and variety of such syrups or extracts intended to be sold, and the trade name or brand of those products, with the director, together with such samples of the syrups or extracts as the director requests for analysis. The person also shall pay to the department of agriculture at the time of making registration a license fee of one hundred dollars. No license shall be granted by the director unless the director determines that the syrup or extract is free from all harmful drugs and other ingredients that, as used, may be injurious to health. The registration shall be renewed annually upon like terms. If any manufacturer, bottler, agent, or seller is licensed or has registered the manufacturer's, bottler's, agent's, or seller's name and product as required by this section and has paid the manufacturer's, bottler's, agent's, or seller's fee, the manufacturer's, bottler's, agent's, or seller's distributor, retail agent, or retail seller using the products shall not be required to pay that fee. This section does not apply to local sellers of soft drinks as to syrups and extracts made by themselves for their own use exclusively.

(E) All moneys received under sections 913.22 to 913.28 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.

(F) The director may revoke any license or registration issued under sections 913.22 to 913.28 of the Revised Code, whenever the director determines that those sections have been violated. When a license has been revoked, the licensee shall discontinue the manufacture and sale of soft drinks or other products for which the license was issued. When a registration has been revoked, the registrant shall discontinue the sale within this state of the registrant's products until those sections have been complied with and a new license or registration has been issued. The director may suspend any such license or registration temporarily, pending compliance with such conditions required by those sections as the director prescribes.

Effective Date: 10-21-1997; 06-30-2005