STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1049

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 332

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 332, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require labeling of frozen and previously thawed food.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association and the ILWU Local 142 submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health and the Hawaii Food Industry Association submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that there is a concern among the testifiers that certain vendors are selling previously frozen cooked baked goods without informing consumers of that fact. This negatively impacts consumers who are unaware that the cooked bakery goods were previously frozen and expect that the products were fresh baked because the products are visually similar. According to one testifier, the quality of the previously frozen product is not as good as if the bakery goods were never frozen.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by limiting the amendment to the labeling of previously frozen, cooked breads that are sold as thawed food.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 332, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 332, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair