Mom's apple pie illegal at Pennsylvania potlucks
Filed under: Food
Pity the poor health department inspector; no-one notices him until people come down with food poisoning. It should come as no surprise, then, that they snap sometimes and go overboard . They really went overboard at a Catholic Church dinner in Rochester, PA when they declared the home-made pies donated by parishioners to serve at the Lenten fish-fry illegal.
The inspector pointed out that a state law requires that any food served at a facility that hosts more than three food events a year has to be prepared in a state-inspected kitchen. The inevitable uproar has sparked calls for a change in the law. Meanwhile other churches continue to serve these pirate pies. The most disturbing part of this story, though, is the report that churches are now squealing on one another to the state, not a very ecumenical way to act during the season of Lent.
State health regulations covering home-prepared foods aren't uncommon. For example, Ohio offers a home bakery license for $10 a year, pending an inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Food Safety people. However, few health departments normally take the time and headache to bust church dinners and the like for minor transgressions. Since this inspector's boss told the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that the department had cited only one church since 2006, I have to believe that this inspector must have had an agenda. Perhaps he had been chewed out at work earlier that day for lax enforcement, or was fighting a losing battle with his waistline.
Either way, requiring even an inexpensive license and inspection is enough to convince some home-bakers to quit donating their pies for fundraisers. And that would be a shame, because the world can always use more good pies.
The inspector pointed out that a state law requires that any food served at a facility that hosts more than three food events a year has to be prepared in a state-inspected kitchen. The inevitable uproar has sparked calls for a change in the law. Meanwhile other churches continue to serve these pirate pies. The most disturbing part of this story, though, is the report that churches are now squealing on one another to the state, not a very ecumenical way to act during the season of Lent.
State health regulations covering home-prepared foods aren't uncommon. For example, Ohio offers a home bakery license for $10 a year, pending an inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Food Safety people. However, few health departments normally take the time and headache to bust church dinners and the like for minor transgressions. Since this inspector's boss told the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that the department had cited only one church since 2006, I have to believe that this inspector must have had an agenda. Perhaps he had been chewed out at work earlier that day for lax enforcement, or was fighting a losing battle with his waistline.
Either way, requiring even an inexpensive license and inspection is enough to convince some home-bakers to quit donating their pies for fundraisers. And that would be a shame, because the world can always use more good pies.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
4-10-2009 @ 8:42PM
Mywaters said...
Just another case of Catholic bashing, I fear. Perhaps the inspector was egged on by Dan Brown of Da Vinci renown.
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4-10-2009 @ 8:11PM
Cheryl said...
Why does this not surprise me? The FDA allows drugs to be approved that kill people, because they are in bed with big PHARMA. But the Health Dept. bans homemade products at Church socials. It all boils down to MONEY, doesn't it?
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4-12-2009 @ 8:25AM
Mike said...
Cheryl....you're just another of the uneducated sheep who listen to one side and never bother researching the TRUTH.
"Big Pharma" has SAVED many times more lives than they have ended, but people like you only point to those who have died from a medication than look at the ones who were saved by it because it feeds into this corporate/government conspiracy you love so much.
PEANUT BUTTER killed 11 people out of every 1000 who ate it before we knew about "Peanut allergies". Even though it has killed thousands upon thousands of people, peanut butter is still found on EVERY store shelf in this country. Why don't you scream for the recall and removal of all peanut butter.....It doesn't save any lives, yet it is a proven KILLER.
The point is that humans are ALL different. There is NEVER going to by ANY medication that is 100% SAFE and 100% EFFECTIVE for anyone.
If you don't like "Big Pharma", then please.....when you get sick, don't ever go to the hospital or a doctor's office and ask them to help you because that would make you a hypocrite.
4-12-2009 @ 6:26PM
Mike W said...
The un-educated people in this country is astounding!!
From what they say to how they spell........
The internet with it's blogging and comments has really shown just how ignorant people really are.........
4-12-2009 @ 1:26PM
CC said...
its always about money. ALWAYS
4-12-2009 @ 1:30PM
cc said...
Mike is one of the kool aid bots,believing all the drug companys lies
4-12-2009 @ 1:38PM
cc said...
makes you wonder? potatoe salad and other dishes are far more likely to go bad, baked goods usually won't. just big brother with their head up their behind again.
4-12-2009 @ 2:52PM
Hi Guy said...
Mike is absolutely correct. Look at the hundreds of thousands of people that penicilin has saved. Yet there have been hundreds who died from it before it was determined that allergies to it exist. My father was allergic to penicilin & had to have other, less effective antibiotics. I am not allergic and penicilin has saved my life twice.
No medication, even over the counter, even aspirin, is 100% safe or 100% effective. There are those who have allergies, those who have adverse reactions and those who it does nothing at all - but the vast majority of patients benefit from the prescribed drugs.
It takes the drug companies millions and sometimes billions of dollars to produce a medicin the first time. After a period of time the drug may become available to be produced by other companies as a generic. Drug companies often have researchers who go to remote and desolate areas of the world - jungles of New Guinea or Africa or S. America, deserts, high mountains, deep ocean, etc. - to discover plant extracts, animal extracts, etc. that then are investigated in the lab to see if the suspected chemical does have a medically beneficial use. Then they must develop a way to produce it and put it into pill or liquid form. They must do extensive animal testing with it and then seek permission for several tests on human volunteers. After years of development and testing they then must get permission from several government agencies just to proceed to getting FDA permission to package and sell it. The government decides whether it will be a controlled or uncontrolled substance.
That is why any new drug is initially very expensive!
I do not now, nor have ever worked for a drug company or distributer. I, however, have the brains and knowhow to actually conduct independent research before opening my mouth on a subject. CC & Cheryl seem to lack this ability.
4-10-2009 @ 8:22PM
linda said...
The state wants to charge for good deeds, next they will want to license the good semaritan that wishes to send a dinner to the ill neighbor. In this hard economy government should be happy we are willing to help one another instead of wanting hand outs from them.
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4-10-2009 @ 8:25PM
John said...
This is wrong. They should let them serve as many perishables as they want. The sooner we rid the planet of religious fanatics, the better.
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4-10-2009 @ 8:41PM
Joe said...
John you are not thinking correctly, because what you said means that (basically) everyone should die. Let me elaborate, religion is a system of beliefs. Basically everyone (the basically stands for the very few special exceptions) has a system of beliefs, therefore you think basically everyone should die. How nice of you.
4-12-2009 @ 5:58PM
James said...
So John, you think that because I believe in God, I should die? What a nice person you are. I suppose you would rather that everyone thought like you? I'm glad they don't. But in spite of our disagreement about religion, I don't wish you dead. I wish you a good life.
4-10-2009 @ 8:29PM
cj said...
American as Apple Pie, At church . We are in serious trouble Grandmas unite and take back AMERICA.
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4-10-2009 @ 8:31PM
Marv said...
Big Brother Nanny State tells interfering with our daily lives...i.e. too many taxes, smoking bans, etc.
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4-10-2009 @ 8:37PM
joe smith said...
Churches reporting on one another to the state. You are putting the negative spin on it. Maybe they are saying, "Why does our church have to stop serving these pies if that church can keep serving them?" Meaning they are effectively "reporting" on the other church when in reality they are pointing out that they are being discriminated against and it is unfair.
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4-10-2009 @ 8:37PM
Daryl said...
The government has no business telling free citizens what kinds of pies people should bake, to whom they may donate their pies, or whether people should be allowed to purchase and consume homemade pies. This law is designed to protect the baking industry. Get the government out of our kitchens and off our backs! Join the TPA in taking back America and reclaiming our lost liberties!
www.thirdpositionjustice.net
Reply
4-11-2009 @ 11:47AM
tom said...
This is one of the silliest things I've ever heard of. Law enforcement needs to worry about the big picture and stop harassing the folks that pay them. We all need to come together and TAKE this country back from the idiots running it!!
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4-11-2009 @ 3:11PM
Teri Davis Newman said...
DEMOCRATS=BIG GOVERNMENT INTRUSION.
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 1:15PM
RuNuts said...
Republicans = Religion The biggest controllers of people. On no will I be excommunicated for my belief. Democrat or Republican two sides of the same repressive coin called government
4-12-2009 @ 6:55AM
KATHY said...
OK CHRISITIANS OF FAITH , YEP WE'VE HAD ENOUGH BUT WE WILL KEEP MAKING OUR BAKED GOODS AND SAY COME GET US ,,,,,, THERES THOUSANDS OF US THAT , FINALLY , ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING PICKED ON AND YES AT TIMES RIDICULED BUT NO MORE , HERE N NC , THERES A BUSSINESS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR TEN YEARS , GUESS WHAT THEY SELL BAKED GOODS AND HAVE A CASE OF CHILLED ITEMS LIKE CREAMED PIES AND SUCH THAT HAVE , NO EXPERATON DATE ON THEM , ALSO , CANT FIND A RATNG ON THAT BUSSINESS , ANYWHERE , AMERICAN CHRISTIANS ARE UNDER ATTACK BY OUR GOVERNMENT BUT IF YOU RUN A MEXICAN BAKERY , JUST FOLLOW YOUR OWN SET OF RULES, AND OUR GOV WILL TURN A BLIND EYE , GLAD ALL THIS COMING TO A HEAD , WE'ER FED UP AND NUMBERS SPEAKS FATHOMS , WE STILL GO BY WE THE PEOPLE ,,, YOU IDIOTS WORK FOR US ,, !!!!!!! REMEMBER ?
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