(a)
The director may promulgate regulations which establish maturity standards governing the time at which avocados may be harvested. The regulations shall include minimum maturity requirements for the various varieties of avocados produced. The standards may be established in the form of a variable maturity range, which shall include a system for determination of avocado maturity. This system shall prescribe criteria and a method by which the dates of harvest and required maturity level, as measured by a recognized method of measuring avocado maturity, may be established by the director during each harvest season.
(b)
The director may modify these requirements, from time to time, in order to insure that the quality standards for marketing avocados are maintained. These modifications shall not be subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.