General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 5287 | ||
February Session, 2010 |
LCO No. 1297 | ||
*01297_______PH_* | |||
Referred to Committee on Public Health |
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Introduced by: |
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(PH) |
AN ACT ALLOWING THE PRODUCTION AND SALE OF ACIDIFIED FOOD PRODUCTS ON RESIDENTIAL FARMS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 21a-24a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2010):
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Acidified food product" means a food item that is produced on the premises of a residential farm and that has a pH value of 4.6 or less upon completion of the recipe for such product. Acidified food product (A) includes, but is not limited to, pickles, salsa and hot sauce, and (B) does not include food consisting in whole or in part of milk or milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, edible crustacean ingredients or other ingredients, including synthetic ingredients, in a form capable of supporting rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms.
[(1)] (2) "Jam" means a food, with a pH value of 4.6 or less, made by cooking fruit or vegetables with sugar to a thick mixture.
[(2)] (3) "Jelly" means a food, with a pH value of 4.6 or less, made by cooking fruit or vegetable juice that has been boiled with sugar.
[(3)] (4) "Preserves" means a food, with a pH value of 4.6 or less, consisting of fruit or vegetables preserved whole by cooking with sugar.
[(4)] (5) "Residential farm" means property (A) being utilized as a farm, as defined in subsection (q) of section 1-1, and (B) serving as the primary residence of the owner of such property.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 21a-91 to 21a-120, inclusive, and section 19-13-B40 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, the preparation and sale of acidified food products, jams, jellies or preserves on a residential farm shall be allowed in a room used as living quarters and exempt from inspection by any state or local agency, provided such acidified food products, jams, jellies or preserves are prepared with fruit or vegetables grown on such farm and in the case of acidified foods, provided (1) the water supply of such residential farm comes from a public water supply system or, if from a private well, is tested annually, and tests negative for, coliform bacteria, (2) a pH test of such foods is performed by a laboratory after completion of the recipe for such product, (3) use of the kitchen where such foods are prepared is restricted during such preparation, and (4) the preparer of such foods (A) possesses documentation of such preparer's successful completion of an examination concerning safe food handling techniques administered by an organization approved by the Department of Public Health for qualified food operators, and (B) such documentation is made available to the local health department or the Department of Consumer Protection upon request. Each container of acidified food products, jam, jelly or preserves offered for sale on such farm shall have on its label, in ten-point type: "Not prepared in a government inspected kitchen".
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2010 |
21a-24a |
Statement of Purpose:
To allow the production and sale of acidified food products on residential farms.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]