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Committee hears freeze‑drying expansion; homestead food bills get technical amendments and some deferrals
Summary
Sponsors proposed allowing freeze‑dried perishable foods under homestead rules and made small wording fixes to other homestead bills. DHHS raised food‑safety concerns and cited a 2013 outbreak tied to dehydrated pet treats; lawmakers agreed to more drafting on some items.
Lede: The House Environment and Agriculture Committee heard testimony on HB 505 (allowing sale of freeze‑dried foods produced in homestead operations) and adopted a small sanitization wording change to HB 150, while deferring other homestead items for later executive sessions.
Nut graf: Farmers and homestead operators said modern freeze‑drying can render some perishable items shelf‑stable, allowing home micro‑producers to expand sales without moving into expensive commercial kitchens. State health regulators told the committee that specialized processes require product‑specific review by a processing authority and that improper drying can leave a product unsafe.
Body: Representative Tom Schomburg introduced HB 505 on behalf of constituents who use home freeze dryers to create shelf‑stable candies and want to expand into…
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