Bill aims to get inspectors out of home kitchens, after residents complain

A gas cooker is seen in Boroughbridge, northern England November 13, 2012. British energy regulators on Monday said they are investigating claims made by a whistleblower that UK traders have manipulated wholesale prices on Europe's biggest gas market. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis (BRITAIN - Tags: ENERGY BUSINESS) - RTR3ACOI (Reuters)

BLAND, Va. – Virginians who try to sell homemade food from their kitchens are feeling the heat from state and local inspectors.

"I have to turn down my neighbors when they ask if they can buy pesto I make from my own basil plants," says Bernadette Barber, a farmer in Lancaster, Va.

And this isn't just a rural phenomenon.

In Arlington, government inspectors shut down a home-based soup maker, even though no customer complaints had been registered. Others have encountered similar fates, stripping them of needed income.

Legislation served up for the 2015 General Assembly would turn the tables.

HB 1290, sponsored by Delegate Rob Bell, R-Charlottesville, would end home-kitchen inspections on items produced for direct sale. The goods would bear a label stating that the products are not for resale and were processed without state inspection.

"If someone wants to buy food from someone, what business is that of the state?" asks Matthew French, a farmer in Bland, Va. "The state basically comes at you with a gun, and says you can only buy from state-approved supplier."

The push for fresh, locally made food is gaining ground, French told Watchdog.org in an interview. "Buyers want to know the person who's preparing their food. People want it -- and the state is getting in the way," he said.

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