[5] The Inspection Services Division (IS) states their mission is to "provide professional services that support and contribute to a safe, abundant, quality food supply; environmentally sound agricultural practices; and an equitable marketplace for California agriculture," and states:[6] We fulfill this mission by providing the following services: Inspect fruits, vegetables and nuts to ensure maturity, grade, size, weight, packaging and labeling meet the consumers' quality expectations.

Perform verification audits to ensure good handling and agricultural practices are utilized to contribute to a safe food supply.

Ensure fertilizer, animal feed, and livestock drugs are safe and effective, and meet the quality and quantity guaranteed by the manufacturer.

"[12] In late 2007 and early 2008, the CDFA became the center of a controversial eradication program for the light brown apple moth involving aerial spraying of the pesticide Checkmate.

After an initial spraying in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, hundreds of reports of adverse health effects and plans to expand the spraying into the Bay Area resulted in negative media attention, several state legislative responses to close the loophole that allowed the spraying without an environmental impact report, rejection of the plan by numerous city and county councils, and an investigative report by the Associated Press that led to the suspension of a nearly $500,000 public relations campaign undertaken by the CDFA to "counter the concerns raised by local environmentalists and residents, who complained of breathing problems and other ill health effects after the spraying.

"[13] In March 2008, the mayor of Albany, California, Robert Lieber, called for the resignation of CDFA Secretary Kawamura.

[15] On May 11, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the case, National Pork Producers Council v. Ross, and upheld Proposition 12.