By Brad Jordan – Natural Blaze –
Bill would exempt ALL homemade foods from regulation, including perishable foods
A proposed cottage-food law in Virginia attempts to go farther than any cottage-food law has gone before. If passed, it would exempt virtually all homemade – or small-farm-made – foods from regulation, provided the foods are sold directly from producer to consumer, in face-to-face transactions.
Cottage food laws typically exempt only non-perishable homemade goodies, like jams, jellies, cakes, cookies, candy and other novelty items that can be stored at room temperature. But the “Virginia Food Freedom Act” would exempt all homemade foods – including meat, dairy, partially cooked foods like chicken pot pie, and other foods requiring refrigeration – from licensing laws, health inspections, sales limitations and basically all government interference of any kind.
Small farmers with 10 or fewer employees would be included in the definition of homemade-food producers.
Delegate Robert Bell (R-Charlottesville), the chief spokesman and sponsor for the bill, says the only requirement would be for such products to be labeled “not inspected by the state.” And let’s be honest, that’s probably a good thing.
Free the market
By removing regulatory burdens on small farms and producers of homemade goods, food producers can quickly adapt to a changing market, giving customers what they need, without waiting for government to give them the permission to do so. The people of Virginia may finally have the option of being in charge of, and responsible for, their own food.
As opposed to GMO labeling laws, which force private businesses to do something against their will, this bill puts food producers at the mercy of their customers. It’s the customer’s choice and responsibility to determine what ingredients are in their food and how they are produced.
