Hi Friend,
Nearly three years ago in April 2017, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1433, also known as the North Dakota Food Freedom Act, into law. The law expanded direct-to-consumer sales of home-baked goods and canned items and allowed producers to sell almost any food directly to consumers without licensing and inspection (except meat, meat products, and raw dairy products). For two years, the state’s cottage food industry flourished in part because of the law. The state reported no illnesses related to such foods.
Nearly one year ago, in 2019, we helped defeat a North Dakota bill that would have weakened the state’s food freedom law by banning the sale of refrigerated foods, fresh fruits, vegetables, and certain canned foods. The state legislature clearly intended to allow for the continued sale of homemade baked goods, canned goods, and other products.
Then, late last year, and despite this clear intention of the state legislature, a North Dakota legislative administrative rule committee approved regulations proposed by the Department of Health that curtailed the law. The new regulations only allow for the sale of high-acid home-canned goods, impose safety and temperature controls, allow only pasteurized milk and only as an ingredient, and prohibit production of products for animal feed. To see these new regulations, please click HERE.
This could happen in any state, and we should work to hold our elected officials accountable.
Please, if you hear of any legislation in your state or on the federal level that relates to access to food from small farms, please Contact Us so that, together, we can maintain beneficial laws, alert other activists, and affect positive change.
Thanks for being a part of this food freedom community!
- Alexia
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