Article from Reason by Eric Boehm.
Cauliflower rice is not rice—as the presence of the word “cauliflower” in the name would strongly suggest.
But lawmakers in Arkansas apparently don’t trust that their constituents have a firm grasp on the English language, because this week the state became the first to ban the use of the term “cauliflower rice” to describe a product that does not contain actual rice. Manufacturers selling “cauliflower rice” in Arkansas will be subject to a $1,000 fine for each supposedly mislabeled product.
“This law only affects people who want to deceive the public about how their food originated,” state Rep. David Hillman (R–Almyra) tellsthe Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “And if you’re not trying to deceive the public, this will not affect you or any of the outlets who sell these products.”
One wonders when the legislature will get around to protecting the public from the scourge of pineapples—which, shockingly, are neither pine nor apple—or peanut butter, which is not a butter and is derived from legumes, not nuts. And what are hamburgers if not an obvious attempt by the beef industry to deceive consumers into thinking they are eating patties made of salted, cured pork?
Read the entire article at Reason.
Image Credit: Jeremy Keith from Brighton & Hove, United Kingdom [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
wpDiscuz
A bill put forward by a brainless Dem-Dum, no doubt…
If the purpose is to protect farmers who raise actual rice, it makes sense to have truth in marketing.
Just like dairy farmers who watched “almond milk” masquerade as real “milk”.
They actually just told the folks in Arkansas what they think of their mental acuity. They must consider them to be dumber than a box of rocks. Of course politicians who emerged by winning a popularity contest alone and came from that pool of rocks are much smarter. Or are they? Doesn’t this move by them prove just the opposite? Two boxes of rocks, the contents of one just happened to get elected.
I agree Liberty, at best it’s almond juice. Milk comes from a source that almonds don’t have.
Dimmercrap law for dimmercraps too stupid to figger out it’s cauliflower in the shape of rice. Yep, we in TROUBLE!!
The entire concept of free speech is under attack in the world, including the USA. Dangerous.
No product should mislead. It should say, “cauliflower imitation rice” just like soy imitation milk should.