Health Regulations vs. the Small Producer

Earlier this month, the Chicago Health Department destroyed thousands of dollars worth of food at Kitchen Chicago, a licensed, shared use kitchen. This is a rather heartbreaking example of how unclear and too-strict health department regulations can somehow trump the better sense of the individual inspectors involved. It has been clear to small-time local food producers for a long time that regulatory rules meant to oversee large-scale processing operations are not one-size-fits-all.

Here is an update on that situation.

Local food advocates often cite health regulations as barriers to small-scale food processing and distribution. Unfortunately, reasonable regulations and licensing conceived as safety oversight for high-volume commercial kitchens often work against small-time food producers, even (especially?) those who operate as transparently as possible and follow the rules.

Read this excellent discussion of proposed revision of food safety regulations at the national level in the "Food Safety Modernization Act" and the more sensible, scale-appropriate "Growing Safe Food Act".