What critical restriction does California impose on the packing medium for approved canned fish purchases?
Canned fish must be packed in water, and packing in oil is explicitly not allowed
California serves as a key example of a state agency exercising its authority to set criteria stricter than the federal minimums, particularly concerning the packing medium for canned fish. While federal rules permit packing in either water or oil, the approved list in California strictly mandates that the product must be packed in water. Crucially, any canned fish product packed in oil is expressly disallowed and will be rejected at checkout, illustrating a significant deviation from the general federal allowance. This restriction highlights the necessity for participants to verify local policy, as adhering only to federal guidelines could lead to an ineligible purchase in this specific jurisdiction.
