News From Terre Haute, Indiana

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  • Regular customer: Eva Gasiorowski takes her regular order of meat and eggs from Joyce Augustus of L&A farms. Augustus sells the farm's goods at the two Terre Haute farmer's market. Studies are now under way to keep homegrown meats and eggs safe. (Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis) Jim Avelis

    MET082112gasiorowski .jpg

  • Good eggs: Joyce Augustus checks the condition of a carton of eggs before selling them to a customer at the mid-week Terre Haute farmer�s market. Studies are underway to keep homegrown meats and eggs safe for consumption. Jim Avelis

    MET082112augustus.jpg

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August 22, 2012

Food safety: Farmers markets' eggs, meat must meet requirements

Howard Greninger The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Wabash Valley county health departments are consistent in their requirements for the sale of eggs and poultry at farmers markets, according to interviews with their representatives on Tuesday.

Vigo, Parke and Clay counties allow the sale of eggs as long as the seller has been licensed by the Indiana Egg Board. The issue has not arisen in Sullivan or Vermillion counties, but health officials there say they would enforce a requirement of a state egg license.

“Eggs must be kept at no more than 45 degrees and that is at transport and at set up,” said Diana Peterson, sanitarian for the Parke County Health Department.

Travella Myers, environmental health supervisor for the Vigo County Health Department, said “there are not many guidelines on poultry. We say food is prohibited at farmers markets if it is home-butchered meat.” Home-butchered meat is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Myers said

She said about three locations at farmers markets in Terre Haute offer poultry.

Bill Hale, environmental health specialist for the Clay County Health Department, said the county has had only one concern this year from the sale of eggs. Hale said the vendor was approached and informed that a state permit was required. The vendor elected not to be licensed and stopped offering eggs, Hale said.

“We don’t want any potentially hazardous foods that are not set up for cold storage,” Hale said, adding that eggs must be refrigerated. Hale said the county has five farmers markets, and meat is not sold at any.

At a farmers market Tuesday on Terre Haute’s north side, adjacent to Union Hospital, Joyce Augustus of L&A Farms and CSA at Paris, Ill., said the farm has an Indiana egg license.

“We have to do what the big [farm processors] have to do, and we follow the same regulations as large corporations,” Augustus said. “I think there is enough regulation.”

The farm also provides poultry, kept in iced coolers, at the farmers market, she said.

“Because we sell across state lines, we have to follow all the USDA rules. We try to go above and beyond,” Augustus said.

Carol Hammond, environmental health specialist for the Sullivan County Health Department, said the issue of eggs or poultry for sale at farmers markets has not arisen. “We have never had that. Our markets only sell vegetables and fruits. I would hate to see someone selling meat. If [they] did, we would have to go through the regulation process because it has to be temperature-controlled,” Hammond said.

Mary Crotty, administrator for the Vermillion County Department of Health, also said eggs and poultry have not been an issue at farmers markets. “As far as I am aware, there is not any of that sold at the markets. It is fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Crotty said that while farmers markets are randomly inspected, it is difficult for smaller county health departments to oversee all activities at seasonal farmers markets because much of the departments’ focus in summer is on septic inspections and permits, and food establishment inspections.

Roadside vegetable or fruit stands are not required to obtain county or state permits as long as vegetables and fruits are sold whole. Vigo County requires a permit if fruit is sliced, Myers added.

Parke and Vigo counties also allow, without a permit being required, the sale of baked goods at a farmers market along with candies and caramel apples, fresh or dried herbs, herb vinegars, honey, popcorn, home prepared pickles, jams and jellies. “They cannot be low- or no-sugar jams or jellies,” Myers said. “High sugar levels prevent the growth of bacteria.”

Home-canned foods, however, are prohibited for sale because of the risk of botulism, Peterson said.

Baked goods in Parke and Vigo counties must also be labeled.

“Baked goods have to be labeled as home-based, with name of the product, the name and address of the producer of the food product, the net content and list of ingredients, and the date that the product was made,” Peterson said.

Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.

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