Senators, Missoula County Opposes SB 199, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, on the Senate Floor Monday morning. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980’s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Chair Howard and Members of the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee, The Missoula City-County Health Department strongly opposes SB 199, which would allow unsafe food to be made and sold from home kitchens without any requirements or limitations. Montana has a successful cottage food program. Producers can make certain kinds of foods – ones that are less likely to cause a foodborne illness – at home and sell them directly to the end consumer. These include baked goods, candies, certain jams and jellies, and the like. Cottage food producers register with their local health departments and get basic food safety information. The existing cottage food program is a commonsense approach to home production of foods. This bill, on the other hand, opens the door to a vast array of unsafe food production. An example is that it would allow unlicensed caters to make large quantities of risky food without the facilities or equipment to do it safely. Several years ago, an unlicensed caterer in Missoula made food for a staff appreciation party. Numerous people got sick. Upon investigation, we found that a chicken dish, which had been made at home, had been stored in big plastic bags, stuffed into a residential refrigerator where it stayed warm all night. Bacteria multiplied rapidly overnight, and created toxins, and made people sick. The residential equipment was not big enough and was not designed to handle the large quantity of food. This bill also allows for commercial sale of unpasteurized and unsafe milk. The last time unpasteurized milk could be sold commercially in Montana, in the early 1980’s, there was a large outbreak of drug- resistant salmonellosis in Missoula. The outbreak was tracked to drinking raw milk from a small dairy. Over 100 people got sick with diarrhea, cramps, and fever. Half were 14 years old or younger. Fifteen people were hospitalized. Upon investigation at the dairy, there were no obvious breaches in milking techniques or dairy husbandry practices. Cows can carry Salmonella and other pathogens, while appearing healthy and clean. Milk contaminated with salmonella doesn’t look, smell or taste different than other milk, so the consumer cannot know by looking or smelling or tasting the milk whether it’s safe to give to their children. That’s why pasteurization is so important. This bill is dangerous for public health. It’s unfair to those restaurants and food manufacturers who have invested in the equipment and space to safely prepare and serve food to the public. Please vote to table this bill.
Missoula County opposes SB 199, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, up for hearing in the House Human Services Committee this afternoon. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Missoula County opposes SB 199, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, up for second reading this afternoon on the House floor. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Missoula County continues to oppose SB 199 as amended, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, up for second reading this afternoon on the Senate floor. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Senators,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County Opposes SB 199, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, on the Senate Floor Monday morning. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980’s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Please oppose SB 199.
Letter from Shannon Therriault, Feb. 25:
ReplyDeleteChair Howard and Members of the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee,
The Missoula City-County Health Department strongly opposes SB 199, which would allow unsafe
food to be made and sold from home kitchens without any requirements or limitations.
Montana has a successful cottage food program. Producers can make certain kinds of foods – ones
that are less likely to cause a foodborne illness – at home and sell them directly to the end
consumer. These include baked goods, candies, certain jams and jellies, and the like. Cottage food
producers register with their local health departments and get basic food safety information. The
existing cottage food program is a commonsense approach to home production of foods.
This bill, on the other hand, opens the door to a vast array of unsafe food production. An example
is that it would allow unlicensed caters to make large quantities of risky food without the facilities
or equipment to do it safely. Several years ago, an unlicensed caterer in Missoula made food for a
staff appreciation party. Numerous people got sick. Upon investigation, we found that a chicken
dish, which had been made at home, had been stored in big plastic bags, stuffed into a residential
refrigerator where it stayed warm all night. Bacteria multiplied rapidly overnight, and created
toxins, and made people sick. The residential equipment was not big enough and was not designed
to handle the large quantity of food.
This bill also allows for commercial sale of unpasteurized and unsafe milk. The last time
unpasteurized milk could be sold commercially in Montana, in the early 1980’s, there was a large
outbreak of drug- resistant salmonellosis in Missoula. The outbreak was tracked to drinking raw
milk from a small dairy. Over 100 people got sick with diarrhea, cramps, and fever. Half were 14
years old or younger. Fifteen people were hospitalized. Upon investigation at the dairy, there were
no obvious breaches in milking techniques or dairy husbandry practices. Cows can carry Salmonella
and other pathogens, while appearing healthy and clean. Milk contaminated with salmonella
doesn’t look, smell or taste different than other milk, so the consumer cannot know by looking or
smelling or tasting the milk whether it’s safe to give to their children. That’s why pasteurization is
so important.
This bill is dangerous for public health. It’s unfair to those restaurants and food manufacturers who
have invested in the equipment and space to safely prepare and serve food to the public. Please
vote to table this bill.
Letter actually dated Feb. 21.
DeleteRepresentative Tenenbaum,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County opposes SB 199, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, up for hearing in the House Human Services Committee this afternoon. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Please oppose SB 199.
Representatives,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County opposes SB 199, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, up for second reading this afternoon on the House floor. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Please oppose SB 199.
Senators,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County continues to oppose SB 199 as amended, Provide for Montana Local Food Choice Act, up for second reading this afternoon on the Senate floor. SB 199 removes the safety provisions that exist in Montana’s cottage food industry and allows for unlicensed food preparation, including catering, that runs the risk of seriously imperiling people’s health and safety. Several years ago Missoula County experienced a food borne outbreak after an unlicensed caterer improperly stored food at an unsafe temperature. This food was then served at a work function, resulting in numerous people getting sick. The lack of health and safety inspections that will be created by SB 199, means the likelihood of these kinds of events will greatly increase.
SB 199 also allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk, which when last sold in the 1980s resulted in over 100 people getting ill, with half 14 years of age or younger. Fifteen of the cases were serious enough to result in hospitalization. Pasteurization results in safe milk supply for all of Montana.
Please oppose SB 199.