Rhode Island General Laws Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21-35-2. Definitions

(1) “Buyer” means both the actual and prospective purchaser, but does not include persons who purchase for resale.

(2) “Contract” means all of the collective written agreements subscribed by a buyer at the time of sale relating to the purchase of a home food service plan, except promissory notes or other financing agreements.

(3) “Food items” means each edible product sold as part of a home food service plan, including, but not limited to, each constituent part or kind of meat cut from a primal source, each kind of whole poultry or poultry part, seafood products, and other like products.

(4) “Home food service plan” means the offering for sale to a consumer of any food item, or food item in combination with any non-food product and/or services, whether or not a membership fee or similar charge is involved, for a total price in excess of two hundred dollars ($200) if either:  (i) the item or items are to be delivered to the dwelling of the household consumer, or (ii) the contract is entered into at the dwelling of the household consumer.

(5) “Item price” means the price of a food or non-food item sold as part of a home food service plan computed to the nearest whole cent and exclusive of any service charge(s) and expressed in relation to the appropriate unit of weight, measure, or count of the item.

(6) “Non-food item” means each inedible product sold as part of a home food service plan, including, but not limited to, paper products, health and beauty products, detergents, cleaners and disinfectants, rolls of wrapping, and like products.  The term does not include food items and durable consumer goods such as appliances.

(7) “Primal source” means the following cuts:  (i) for beef, the primal sources are the round, flank, loin, rib, plate, brisket, chuck and shank;  (ii) for veal and lamb or mutton, the primal sources are the leg, flank, loin, rack (rib) and shoulder;  and (iii) for pork, the primal source as the belly, loin, ham, spareribs, shoulder, and jowl.

(8) “Seller” means any person, partnership, corporation or association, however organized, engaged in the sale of a home food service plan.

(9) “Service charge” means the aggregate price for any additional features, services and processing associated with the purchase of a home food service plan including, but not limited to, cutting, wrapping, freezing, delivery, and membership fees.