Weird Food Laws

Most food laws that make sense.

They are mostly for our protection and focus on food handling and production.

Others, well... someone thought it was a good idea. Strange, but true... here are some of the weirdest laws that refer to food across the country.

Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act

The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act was put to the vote in an effort to protect food producers and retailers, particularly fast food companies, from lawsuits that are filed by obese consumers.

People were trying to place the blame for their obesity on companies that serve and produce less-than-healthy meal options (i.e. McDonalds, Burger King). To help put a stop to this, the House passed the bill, also called the Cheeseburger Bill.

Roadkill Salvage

The thought of eating something that you just scraped off the road can make most people lose their appetite.

For others, it sounds like a great way to save on the cost of meat.

Many states do not allow people to collect and consume road kill, but there are some that are beginning to allow this practice.

In 2012, Idaho began allowing residents to salvage any wildlife that they hit and kill on the road. They must notify the Idaho Fish and Game service within 24 hours and obtain a salvage permit within 72 hours. You can only collect species that can be hunted lawfully and are not considered a protected species. This year, Montana has also passed a similar bill.

Watermelon Ban

In the local parks of Beech Grove, Indiana, families and friends who want to pack a lunch and spend the day in the sun need to make sure they don’t come with one banned fruit: watermelon.

Board members for the parks committee says that this is because the rinds will rip through trash bags and cause a huge mess.

Eating Chicken Must Be “Hands On”

There are some people who insist that there is a right and wrong way to eat certain foods. The residents of Gainesville, Georgia have a strict “hands only” policy when it comes to fried chicken. So much so, that it is an actual law that you cannot eat fried chicken with a knife and fork. A 91-year-old Louisiana woman was “arrested” for breaking this law, but was soon pardoned by the mayor.

Real Butter

Wisconsin is a state that takes its dairy products seriously and butter is no different. Here, it is illegal to serve margarine to patients, inmates and students unless it is for medical purposes.

Anti-Bloomberg Bill

The state of New York gained a lot of attention recently because of Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed ban on large sugary drinks. To ensure that no one takes such crass action in their own state, Mississippi passed the Anti-Bloomberg Bill that bans any food regulations such as a ban on large portion sizes.