I take it back.

I wrote some time ago commending the Texas legislature for making it easier for home bakers to get started in the business. The new rules stated that home bakeries would not be subject to regulation if they took in less than $50,000 per year. The only stipulations were that their wares had to be advertised by word of mouth, and they had to be clearly labeled with the name and address of the baker and the warning that the baker was not subject to state health inspections.

But then the bureaucrats got hold of it, and they added to the legislation, making it unfeasible for home bakers to comply. The bakers must disclose each item's possible allergens (my guess is that everything is a possible allergen to somebody), and they must disclose every ingredient in a list of contents by descending order of weight. Kelly Masters, a home baker, hit the nail on the head when she asked, "What good does that do for public health? Why would it benefit anyone to weigh a wedding cake?" Further adding to the home baker's burden is the stipulation that the labels must be done in permanent ink, thereby precluding the use of inkjet printers.

The real kicker to this is that retail bakeries don't have to jump through these hoops. Makes you wonder if someone at the Department of Health owns a retail bakery and is afraid of a little old-fashioned competition.

"Home bakers steamed over rules." The Dallas Morning News; January 28, 2012; p. 1B.