Each year contaminated food sickens 48 million Americans and causes 3,000 deaths. As the recent federal sequester highlights, Americans depend on programs that inspect food to ensure a safe food supply. Unfortunately for those who run small farms in New England, the costs of complying with the confusing jumble of federal and state food safety laws can be daunting. In Maine, nine towns — Brooksville, Sedgwick, Penobscot, Blue Hill, Trenton, Hope, Plymouth, Livermore and Appleton —have passed ordinances allowing food producers and processors to sell their goods directly to consumers without state or federal oversight, exempting them from licensing and inspection laws. These ordinances have created controversy and have landed at least one Maine farmer in court. The legal issue arises from the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause read more…
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