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Potluck Politics

Imagine arriving at the American Legion Hall with a crockpot of baked beans to contribute to the potluck dinner--only to be told they're not welcome there.

Imagine arriving at the American Legion Hall with a crockpot of baked beans to contribute to the potluck dinner--only to be told they're not welcome there. That's what happened to Minnesota Representative Al Juhnke and others last spring at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor bean feed in rural Willmar. "Sad to say, everyone hauled their beans home," he notes.

The reason? Minnesota's health department has been stepping up enforcement of a law that says only food prepared in a licensed kitchen may be served to the public. There are exemptions for potlucks and nonprofit organizations. But because the bean feed had been advertised, it was no longer considered a dinner within a closed community but rather an area-wide event.

Because the snub happened not just to a bean aficionado but to an elected bean aficionado, changes in the law are under way. A Juhnke- sponsored bill wending its way through the political process says churches, VFW halls and the like can advertise potlucks and still serve homemade dishes. "Leave our hotdish alone," Juhnke proclaims, referring to what much of the rest of the country calls a casserole. "Maybe the long arm of government bureaucracy has reached too far into our private lives."

Aggie Leitheiser, assistant commissioner for the Health Protection Bureau, explains that there have been foodborne outbreaks from potlucks. Within a closed population, it's easier to identify and alert people to get proper treatment. The department got an amendment into Juhnke's measure requiring a sign at publicized events declaring, "The food served at this event has not been prepared in a licensed kitchen and is not subject to health department regulations," so those with compromised immune systems are forewarned.

Juhnke thinks people generally exercise caution at potlucks anyway. "Some foods I won't eat," he says. "They just don't look that appetizing."

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