Regulation of the Day 114: Unlicensed Fruit Candy

by Ryan Young on February 11, 2010 · 2 comments

in Nanny State, Precaution & Risk, Regulation, Regulation of the Day

The Chicago Tribune has a jaw-dropping story of regulators gone wild:

Department of Health inspectors seized, slashed open and poured bleach over thousands of dollars of local peaches, pears, raspberry and plum purees owned by pastry chef Flora Lazar… Inspectors cited no health problems with any of the food.

And that’s just the beginning. Read the whole thing. This is a scandal. Ms. Lazar is out of business for six months and has lost about $6,000. There is no evidence of harm. This is no way to treat a small business. Especially during a recession.

(Hat tip: the ever-resourceful Brian McGraw)

Tagged as: Chicago, flora lazar, food, food inspections, food safety, foodies, fruit candy, Regulation, Regulation of the Day, regulatory abuse, safety inspections, small business, waste

{ 2 comments }

Andrew_M_Garland February 11, 2010 at 8:36 pm: The recent Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) requires testing items for lead, intended for use by children. This zero tolerance regulation has closed 10,000+ small businesses that make children's goods such as quilts, clothing, toy blocks, and books.
Even bicycles have been banned, because there are some parts in them which contain lead. How many children have suffered lead poisoning from chewing on their bicycle?
A great tragedy of this idiotic law is the banning of all children's books published before 1986. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Obama have arranged for a national book burning, all in the name of "the children".
Stop the Death from Quilts and Food
This is the type of nuanced regulation and gentle nudging that you can expect from the regulatory state. Our all-seeing government will be watching and making life better for us all, as implemented by a thoughtful bureaucracy.
Don't expect them to make any judgments or allowances. Bending the law could interfere with getting their pensions and healthcare.
Actually, the head of the Consumer Products Safety Commission, enforcer of CPSIA, asked Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman to clarify the law. Waxman is the powerful head of the The House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He merely replied with a letter advising some interpretation, but also said that the law would stand as written. This left no room for actual interpretation. The rules and penalties stand as is.
Julie February 24, 2010 at 2:43 am: We should be always careful because there are always and will always be our detractors specially when our business is doing good.