c
★ Bam Cleaners, Manure Pumps,
Manure Stackers, Silo Unloaders,
Bunk Feeders, Feed Conveyors
MARVIN J. HORST
DAIRY EQUIPMENT
1950 S. sth Avenue, Lebanon, Pa. 17042
Phone: 717-272-0871
HARRISBURG - A
notation printed on a
package of cookies, “Reg.
Penna. Dept. Agn.”, can be
a bit confusing, especially if
the cookies are baked m
California, sold in Minnesota
and bought by a tourist from
Connecticut.
Inevitably, someone
becomes curious about the
notation and writes a letter
asking how Pennsylvania
fits into the picture.
The explanation is really
quite simple, according to
Reg Penna Dept Agri
really means something
State Agriculture Secretary
Penrose Hallowell.
The notation concerns one
of the many phases of
consumer protection efforts
conducted by the Penn
sylvania Department of
Agriculture. It means that
the bakery where the cookies
were made is regularly
inspected, meets specified
standards and is licensed -
or registered - to sell its
products in the Com
monwealth.
That explanation usually
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 6,1980—C29
prompts another question,
“Why does the notation
appear on packages sold in
other states, and even in
other nations?” Again, the
answer is simple.
Hallowell says bakers find
it doesn’t cost much to have
the notation printed on all
packages, rather than
printing special labels for
products shipped exclusively
to Pennsylvania. The
notation may have some
marketing benefit as well,
because consumers
recognize its significance.
In the early 20th century,
bakeries were usually
neighborhood businesses.
But as modern tran
sportation and marketing
broadened the scope of
bakery businesses to a
national and international
level, it became necessary to
provide some form of con
sumer reassurance, and the
Pennsylvania Bakery Law
was enacted in 1933.
The law requires that
bakers - including those who
make macaroni and
spaghetti, pretzels and)
potato chips, and snacks
made from cornmeal - must
be licensed to sell their
products in Pennsylvania.
The legend -on their
packages, “Registered,
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture”, assures
consumers that the bakery
meets standards and that the
weight of the product is
listed accurately.
To qualify for licensing,
plants must be inspected
annually for cleanliness and
all employees must undergo
annual medical
examinations.
This law applies to all
bakery goods in Penn
sylvania, regardless of the
location of the plant where
they are produced. As a
result, numerous bakeries in
Canada and other foreign
nations are licensed and
their products are marked
with the “Reg. Penna. Dept.
Agri.” on the package.
It would be impossible for
food inspectors from the
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture to inspect plants
outside the state. But the
Department’s Bureau of
Foods and Chemistry
maintains working
agreements with the
agriculture departments in
other states and foreign
countries where the licensed
bakeries are located.
Inspections and
examinations are made for
the Department, and reports
are submitted for all new
license and annual renewals.
Registration, however,
does not imply approval of
the product itself. State
Agriculture Secretary
Hallowell notes, “The label
may reassure the consumer
that the bakery’s plant and
employees meet the
specified standards that
permit the baker to sell his
goods in the state.”
CALL TOLL-FREE
1-800-874-3830
26 Gauge bieel 30 x 40 * 12 52950
Open Span I Beam 40 x2s* 14 53559
Construction 50 x 60 x 16 $7710
Accessories Extra
30 > 20 ' 12 52475
36 x 4| x 14 55590
40 x. 75 ' 16 57932
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