Press Release 03/24/2006 #2
Contact: Public Affairs (404) 656-3689
Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin endorses HB 1380 allowing some home cooks to market directly to the public
ATLANTA --Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin announced today that he is in full support of HB 1380 as currently written. It allows for individuals to sell up to $2,000-a-year in homemade cakes, cookies, jams, pickles and other products directly to the public.
The bill, approved last night by the Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee, now goes to the full Senate for approval.
This is something we have been supporting for some time. We want to make it possible for all Georgians to make a little extra money, said Irvin. We are charged with protecting our food supply and insuring that Georgia consumers are not going to get sick because of something that they ate.
HB 1380 permits persons -- not normally in the business of manufacturing and selling food -- the opportunity to sell non-potentially hazardous food prepared in their own home kitchen. The food must be labeled homemade and have the name and contact information of the home kitchen preparer.
We work with small operators all the time, Irvin said. They have been allowed to go to approved kitchens, cook their products and sell directly to the consuming public. The agriculture department and local health departments have to insure that food prepared for consumers meets health standards. It is important that everyone knows that you cant have pets, small children and other potential contaminants in places where food is being prepared. The home kitchen is one of the most important elements in the food safety chain.
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