Wine Unites
Food poisoning from wine?
11/15/12 08:11 Filed in: Wine General
When I read the Wine Spectator article titled “ FDA Takes a Growing Interest in Winery Safety”, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. No doubt the Feds are desperately searching for as many ways possible to increase the size of government control in our lives and thus, now they’ve ramped up regulations on the American wine industry.
Was there a need for this? Nope. There are plenty of state and FDA laws in place already to ensure consumer safety when purchasing US wine. This is just the "Nanny State" wasting time and money, yet again. See www.regulations.gov In the preceding 90 days from this posting, there were over 6000 new regulations created by the federal government!!!!! (this reminds me of The Scream painting.)
The Scream Harris Meyer writes that the Dakota Creek winery in Washington, had a surprise visitor in August: an inspector from the state Department of Agriculture wearing a lab coat and hairnet. The “FDA performed 261 winery inspections nationwide, either directly or through state agencies in 2011, up from 132 in 2010." Here’s why, the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act mandates the FDA inspect ALL food processing establishments. Uh, last time I checked, alcohol/fermentation destroys pathogens (bacteria and viruses). Wineries are indeed a low risk for consumer safety. This law "…could be quite onerous and expensive for small wineries,” said Bill Kimmerly, president of the Whatcom County Winery Association.
Yah, I know it's too much to ask the politicians in Washington D.C. to stop passing bills they haven't fully understood… Food poisoning from wine last happened when???? The increased inspections and fines will no doubt cost both the wineries and the consumers in the end.
Some champagne makers once actually added "…alum, elderberry, various drugs and even pigeon droppings to their champagne" to create the fizz. And no one fell ill from this.
So what's coming next from the Statists?…will Mayor Bloomberg outlaw Magnums and Jeroboams in New York City?
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