BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 969
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Date of Hearing: June 29, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 969
(Nguyen) - As Amended June 21, 2016
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|Policy |Health |Vote:|15 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY:
This bill permits a food facility to sell Vietnamese rice cakes
that have been at room temperature for up to 24 hours,
notwithstanding provisions of law that require potentially
hazardous foods to either be refrigerated or kept hot.
It also defines a "Vietnamese rice cake," also known as Bánh Tét
or Bánh Chung, as a confection that contains a combination of
rice, beans, and meat or fruit wrapped tightly in banana leaves
for cooking, and prepared and handled according to specified
requirements.
SB 969
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FISCAL EFFECT:
Negligible state costs. Retail food safety laws are locally
enforced by environmental health departments and can be funded
through local fees on retail facilities.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. This bill addresses an issue related to food safety
of traditional Vietnamese rice cakes. It creates an exception
to rules whereby the cakes, which contain ingredients that are
potentially hazardous without refrigeration, can legally and
safely be stored at room temperature for a period of time, as
long as the cakes were prepared in the specified way and are
labeled appropriately.
2)Background. Under existing law, Vietnamese rice cakes must be
sold refrigerated or frozen due to the presence of potentially
perishable ingredients. However, it goes against tradition to
purchase rice cakes that are cold. This bill allows for
Vietnamese rice cakes that are cooked and served according to
traditional recipes to be sold at room temperature with
appropriate warning labels. Pursuant to AB 2214 (Tran),
Chapter 610, Statutes of 2006, the California Department of
Public Health (CDPH) was required to conduct a study of the
sale and consumption of three traditional Asian foods,
including the cakes that are the subject of this bill. CDPH
found careful preparation and handling, as specified in this
bill, would allow the cakes to be safely stored at ambient
temperatures for up to 48 hours, but did point out it would be
impractical for regulatory staff to verify compliance with the
preparation and handling requirements. Existing law has
SB 969
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similar exceptions for Korean rice cakes.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081