Make sure the food you prepare is delicious and safe!
According to the most recent estimates by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne illness strikes 48 million individuals every year – one out of every six people in the U.S.! While most of those recover, approximately 3,000 die. People at greatest risk are those with underdeveloped or compromised immune systems such as young children, elderly individuals, individuals receiving immune-compromising treatments like chemotherapy, and pregnant women.
Symptoms of foodborne illness, sometimes termed “food poisoning,” include cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. These can occur quickly – within a few hours to a few days – but some pathogens can lie dormant for weeks!
|
In Wyoming, agricultural producers who sell fresh whole raw fruits and vegetables and food products such as whole wheat can sell directly to consumers without having a food license.
Wyoming cottage food businesses can produce and sell non-potentially hazardous food products directly to consumers. Examples of allowed foods include baked breads, cookies, muffins, double-crusted pies, dried cake and seasoning mixes, and jams and jellies that are not made low sugar or made with artificial sweeteners. Examples of foods not allowed to be prepared in home kitchens and sold include salsas, relishes, sauces, salad dressings, home-canned foods including pickles, cream or custard pies or cream- or custard-filled pastries, flavored oils, meat, poultry, and dairy products. These foods are not allowed because of the food safety risks associated with them.
For more information about cottage food businesses and requirements for producers who need to be licensed, go to http://wyagric.state.wy.us/divisions/chs/food-safety.
Is local food safer? Location or size of an operation does not determine product safety. Although local foods have fewer steps from farm to plate, larger national producers are strictly regulated with regard to food safety and record-keeping.
The bottom line: Regardless of scale, agricultural producers and food processors must follow safe procedures to have safe products.
|
