Want to get deathly ill at a funeral? Go to Wyoming.

William Mitchell College of Law student, Courtney Marshak, prepared this post.

 

The Wyoming state Senate recently approved House 8 Bill, known as the Traditional Food Act, during its first debate on the floor.  If the Act becomes law, people will be allowed to prepare food for public events without regulations such as packaging, labeling, licensing and inspection requirements.  Currently, those who plan to cook food at home and serve at public events are not exempt from these food safety rules.  If the bill passes, food will be allowed to be cooked at home for traditional events such as funerals, weddings, fundraisers and picnics free of regulation when the food is for families or nonpaying guests.

This sounds like a bad idea and State Senator Fred Emerich, R-Cheyenne, agrees.  Emerich voted against the bill. He recognizes that if a problem developed, it would be difficult to trace a food source without inspections.  Despite the fact that the director of the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department did speak against the measure at a recent Senate committee hearing, it appears the bill is likely to pass.  The Traditional Food Act has already passed the House. If the Senate approves it two more times the bill will go to Governor Matt Mead for his signature. 

Food cooked at home should stay at home.  Once the food enters the public arena, the public has the right to expect that the food they consume will be safe, just as they would at a restaurant.  Just because they are not paying for the food doesn’t mean they should be subjected to potentially life threatening hazardous foods.  The government should do what they can to make our food more safe, not less safe.  Wyoming residents, BEWARE.  Potluck food is bad enough without the increased threat of E Coli.

 

Thanks, Courtney!