Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homestead Labeling Email Qr topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would allow email addresses and QR codes on homestead food labels; DHHS endorses flexibility
Summary
House Bill 304 would let homestead food sellers use an email address in place of a physical address on packaged products and allow QR codes or posted displays listing ingredients for farm‑stand sales. DHHS testified the change won’t affect food safety and would not have fiscal impact; proponents cited safety and logistical benefits for small,
Lawmakers in the Committee on Commerce considered a bill to change homestead labeling rules so small producers could omit a physical street address on a product label in favor of an email address and use QR codes or a posted sign to provide ingredient lists at farm stands.
Representative Peter Bixby, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the change would accommodate producers who do not want their physical address on labels for safety reasons and would reduce onerous labeling burdens for small, seasonal producers that change recipes frequently. Under the proposal, a home‑or‑farm‑stand seller who uses the reduced label option would be required to post a full ingredient list at the point of sale and ensure allergens are clearly marked on each package.
Several producers testified in support. Addie Litterzavos said allowing email addresses would protect many women and small producers from unwanted attention or harassment, citing a high‑profile criminal incident in another state where a buyer used a listed address to home‑invade a producer. She also described how a requirement to produce a separate printed label for every minor seasonal variation—hand pies using peach one week, blueberry the next—creates a large ‘menu cost’ of time and materials that discourages small producers from using surplus or seasonal crops.
Michelle Roberge, bureau administrator for public health protection at DHHS, said the department agrees the modification “does not impact food safety” and has no fiscal impact because these homestead operations are license‑exempt. She told the committee the proposed language aligns labeling rules with current licensing exemptions and would not change DHHS’s expectation to investigate reported foodborne illness.
Why it matters: Sponsors and advocates said the change would remove a safety disincentive for some producers to sell at public markets and reduce labeling burdens that complicate sale of small, seasonal products, while preserving ingredient and allergen disclosure.
