California Bill Would Amend Silly "No Bare Hands Can Touch Ready to Eat Food" Rule

Southern California Public Radio reports on some possible sense coming down the pike regarding a new California law barring bare hands from touching ready-to-eat foods:

Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), chair of the Assembly Health Committee, said AB 2130 would replace the language in the state health code that took effect Jan. 1st that barred sushi chefs, bartenders and others from handling ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands.

Pan's bill would permit some bare hand contact, stipulating that preparers must "minimize bare hand and arm contact." The chef or bartender would also need to wash his hands in accordance with current state health regulations….

I blogged about this rule, especially how it enraged serious sushi chefs, last month.

A Reason TV video on the matter,which makes the point that no compelling public health problem connected to food preparers bare hands has been demonstrated:

Comments

[R C Dean]

What kind of idiot doesn't realize that people wear gloves to protect themselves against contaminants, not to protect the world from themselves?

Oh. A California legislator, that's what kind of idiot.

Even in hospitals, gloves are categorized as "Personal Protective Equipment". That should give a clue as to what their purpose is.

[Rich]

stipulating that preparers must "minimize bare hand and arm contact."

At least it's not "Defendant must prove that his hand and arm contact could not possibly have been any less."

Clowns.

[Paul.]

Pan's bill would permit some bare hand contact, stipulating that preparers must "minimize bare hand and arm contact." The chef or bartender would also need to wash his hands in accordance with current state health regulations....

No repeal, they'll just beat you with a slightly smaller stick.

[Eric L]

That's Dr. Richard Pan[D(umb)-Sacramento]. Who I am sure used his MD credentials in speaking in support of the original bill he now wishes to amend. I used to live in his district.

On a side note my congress person here in Sacramento is Dr. Ami Bera who still uses his MD credentials in an appeal to authority for his reasons why we should support Obama care. Look, I have an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a Masters in Taxation, but I know many current and former co-workers in the accounting profession who bought stock in companies during the dot-com era that had financial statements that should have had them running for the door or bought property, even with a quick back-of-the -envelope analysis would have shown, that they could not afford during the housing bubble. Human nature and ideology blinds people, who should know better, to reality. Sadly many too many of them get elected to public office.