The bill amends Section 21-27-6.1 of the General Laws regarding "Sanitation in Food Establishments" to establish regulations for the manufacture and sale of farm home food products. It introduces the concept of "farm home food manufacture," which allows for the production of nonpotentially hazardous foods and foods that do not require refrigeration, including pickles and relish, alongside other items such as jams, jellies, and dried herbs.

The bill specifies that farm home food products must be labeled with essential information, including the name, address, and telephone number of the producer, a list of ingredients in descending order of predominance, allergen information as required by federal and state law, and a statement indicating that the products are made by a registered farm home food manufacturer not subject to routine government food safety inspections unless prepared in a licensed commercial kitchen.

For the production of pickled vegetables, the bill establishes stringent conditions, including adherence to a scheduled process established by a qualified process authority, evaluation of product formulations by a laboratory or qualified authority, documentation of pH levels for each batch, maintenance of a written Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, completion of a Better Process Control School (BPCS) course by the producer or responsible personnel, and maintenance of records demonstrating compliance.

The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2506: 21-27-6.1
2506  SUB A: 21-27-6.1