A New Jersey state senator is standing firm on his opposition to legalizing direct-to-consumer sales of certain foods not produced in commercial kitchens, citing food safety and fair competition concerns. 
Only the Garden State and Wisconsin have 100 percent bans on “homemade” food sales, often referred to as the cottage food industry by proponents. New…
Food Safety Legislation Continues Brisk Pace Set Last Year
Texas will likely find out today if the third time is the charm for Republican state Rep. Dan Flynn’s (no relation) bill to allow raw milk to be sold at farmer’s markets and directly to consumers in their homes. The bill is scheduled to be heard this morning in the Public Health Committee, where a…
California, New York Lawmakers Propose Warning Labels for Soda
California is having another run at adding warning labels to sugar-sweetened beverages, and New York is joining in. Last year, state Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) introduced a bill requiring that any sweetened non-alcoholic beverage (carbonated or non-carbonated) that contains 75 calories or more per 12 fluid ounces be labeled with the words, “Drinking beverages with…
Tour of State Legislatures Finds Spotty Interest in Food Safety Issues
Since 2010, there have been waves of bills involving food and food safety washing through state capitals on subjects such as cottage foods, agricultural security, raw milk, and labeling food products containing genetically modified ingredients. The 2015 legislative sessions underway in 47 of the 50 states are different. 
In this second part of our look…
Legislatures Weigh Bills on Soda Labels, Microbeads, Marijuana, Powdered Alcohol, Among Others
State legislatures remain in session from Alabama to Wyoming, with food safety mostly getting only a light touch from lawmakers who seem largely focused on budgets and education in this non-election year. In Alabama, where a new cottage food bill took effect last June 1, Extension services are getting more money for training people…
Soda Warning Label Rejected by California Assembly Health Committee
California’s bill to add warning labels to sugar-sweetened beverages has stalled in the state’s Assembly Health Committee. The state Senate passed the bill last month but fell three votes short of the 10 needed to pass the committee on Tuesday. After hearing from the bill’s author, Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), co-sponsors and beverage industry opponents,…
California Senate Passes Bill Requiring Warning Labels on Some Sugar-Sweetened Drinks
The “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Safety Warning Act” is now in the hands of the California State Assembly. Last week, the state Senate passed the bill, which would require that any sweetened non-alcoholic beverage (carbonated or non-carbonated) that contains 75 calories or more per 12 fluid ounces be labeled with the words, “Drinking beverages with added…
Letter From The Editor: The Legislature Is Now in Session
State legislatures are now in session in almost all 50 states. While last November’s elections did not result in much change, there do appear to be some different approaches in the state houses in the realm of food safety. First, you may have read something about how well the Democrats did in the 2012 elections,…