Currently, the retail sale of food or food products from the home are verboten in Denver. But, a new amendment to the Denver Zoning Code could allow some Denver residents to sell produce or so-called “cottage foods” (e.g., jam or salsa) from their homes in residential zoning areas. These cottage foods might include foods like spices, teas, dehydrated produce, nuts, seeds, honey, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butter, and certain baked goods and candy. But, not foods prohibited under the Colorado Cottage Foods Act implemented by the Denver Department of Environmental and Public Health.
Food sales and zoning in Denver has been a contentious issue that forced the closing of The Denver Cupcake Truck for a time being in 2011. But, the issues with homegrown foods don’t stop at the Denver City and County Building. The Food and Drug Administration has taken a decidedly strong-armed approach to regulating foods that it deems unacceptable – consumer choice be damned – we’re talking FDA raids. We know. Stop laughing.
A Reason article talks about how aggressive the FDA has gotten with small farms and personal gardens.
“That growing numbers of home gardeners and small farmers are being prosecuted for such inane ‘crimes’ as keeping chickens or making cheese speaks to a growing problem in America today, namely, the overcriminalization and overregulation of a process that once was at the heart of America’s self-sufficiency—the ability to cultivate one’s own food, locally and sustainably.”
The hearing is Monday night at 5:30 p.m. at the Denver City and County Building, Room 451. So, FDA, will we see you there?
Ultimately this is about the choice for each individual to purchase these products. I believe the point is that it should be an individual choice, not a government mandate preventing me from purchasing from the cottage food industry.
In most cases food poisoning is not much more than a day of discomfort when appropriate over the counter medication is taken. I can remember only twice being poisoned and that was by fast food (inspected commercial industry), and never by home cooked products. This includes many trips to El Salvador and eating from the street vendors.
I believe that some cottage kitchen “trying to poison you” would be bad for business, so maybe accidentally poisoning you is more appropriate.
For a state the prides itself on its small town fairs and farmers markets where all sorts of kitchen produced food is sold, I feel sad for the person that refuses to enjoy these little pleasures over the fact that they can’t ‘sue’ someone. Especially after years of eating burritos with no personal issues.
It’s simple, ask questions – when was this made? How do you make it? Where do you get your ingredients? Most of all thoroughly cook the product and enjoy what the Colorado cottage food industry produces by getting the government out of its way.
I'm sorry, I'm not buying food made in someones kitchen. I once bought black-market burritos in my office every morning, for years I bought these burritos from vendors. After a coworker became pretty ill I rethought my position on food built in someone house or apt , someone I don't know, is not inspected, and not insured to be wholesome.
You would have to be nutz to eat something you don't even know where producers live. You don't even know if they are in our country legally, why put yourself through this. At least if you buy in a supermarket you have someone to sue if they try to poison you.
No, you won't.
Everything the FDA does is driven by two items: <em>The Jungle</em> and Thalidomide.