Home Cooks Are Not Criminals, New Law Will Boost Economy

Article Source: County of San Mateo CA

Home cooks are not criminals, new law will boost economy, regulate ‘Microenterprise

Home Kitchens’ County moves to opt-in to Assembly Bill 626

REDWOOD CITY – San Mateo County Supervisor David J. Canepa introduced a resolution Tuesday, Jan. 29, to opt-in to Assembly Bill 626, The Homemade Food Operations Act that the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law last year. AB 626 legalizes small-scale food operations and ensures health and safety standards.

“Many don’t know that when individuals contribute hot dishes to the Little League potluck fundraiser or sell or trade food with their neighbors that they are actually breaking the law,” Canepa said. “AB 626 will now make them Microenterprise Home Kitchen operators that will be regulated by the county like restaurants and food trucks currently are. This will bring those who already engage in selling home-cooked food out of the shadows and provide new economic opportunities for those who need them most including women, immigrants and people of color.”

Matt Jorgensen, with the C.O.O.K. Alliance and Peter Ruddock, president of Slow Food California, gave a presentation on AB 626. C.O.O.K. advocated for the bill’s passage. Ruddock serves on C.O.O.K.’s advisory board. Jorgensen is the coordinator of the C.O.O.K. Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy coalition focused on legalizing home cooked food sales. The Alliance is committed to representing a diverse set of stakeholders in this work, especially those who have been historically underrepresented in food and labor policy. “I am grateful to represent many talented local cooks who want to share their food and culture and are looking for low-barrier entrepreneurship opportunities.

We are excited to work with Supervisor Canepa and the rest of the Board of Supervisors as they take leadership in expanding economic opportunities and building healthy, resilient communities across San Mateo County,” Jorgensen said. Ruddock works on issues of policy, local economy and education in order to better our food system. “I support AB 626 because people are disconnected from their food and afraid of it. We need to change the culture to re-connect people to their food, returning joy to eating, making it healthier in the process,” Ruddock said.

The state Senate approved the bill Aug. 28, 2018 on a 36-0 vote. The Assembly passed the bill the following day on a 77-0 vote. Gov. Brown signed the bill in law Sept. 18, 2018. San Mateo County’s resolution was co-sponsored by Supervisor Don Horsley. Horsley and Canepa formed a subcommittee Tuesday to move toward issuing Microenterprise Home Kitchen permits later this year.

***
San Mateo County Supervisor David J. Canepa serves District 5 which includes the cities of Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, portions of South San Francisco and San Bruno and the unincorporated Broadmoor Village.

By Bill Silverfarb Legislative Aide Office of Supervisor David J. Canepa
(415) 314-1737 bsilverfarb@smcgov.org

Bill Silverfarb
Legislative Aide
Office of Supervisor David J. Canepa
County Government Center
400 County Center, 1st Floor | Redwood City, CA 94063
Direct: (650) 363-4042 | Fax: (650) 363-1916 | bsilverfarb@smcgov.org

=
Robert Riechel
Send your articles and photos to:
E=Mail: SanBrunoPatch.Robert@Yahoo.com
WEB: https://patch.com/california/s...
Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives
Source Credit: Supervisor David J. Canepa
CLICK on link below to Subscribe to News Alerts and a Daily Email Newsletter for San Bruno Patch

http://link.patch.com/join/3-0-subscribe?list=US_CA_SANBRUNO_282

#SanBrunoPatch