A P.E.I. bed and breakfast that has been operating for decades has decided to close down next year rather than stop serving eggs from its own hens because of a government order.
The Doctor's Inn in Tyne Valley, northwest of Summerside, also operates an organic farm. Paul and Jean Offer sell their organic vegetables and free-range eggs at the Charlottetown Farmers Market, and offer the produce to customers at the Doctor's Inn at breakfast and dinner time.
But after years of serving their own eggs, the provincial Department of Health has told them they have to stop. The department said it's a long-standing policy that food service operations can only use federally inspected eggs.
This ruling is of course insane. Regulation is being used to protect not the consumer but Big Egg.
First - the risks. The risks in eggs all stem from how the hen is kept. Small holdings keep hens in a natural state. The hens keep their natural health. Eggs will live for a long time without refrigeration. In fact refrigeration kills the egg and reduces its shelf life. Such eggs can be eaten raw.
Large operations keep them in an unnatural state - that is why those hens have to be medicated and why the eggs have to be washed and kept cold. It is also not a good idea to eat them raw.
The entire regulation is flawed and is based on the systemic risks of Bi Egg.
Secondly PEI does not have to enforce Federal Law for food consumed here in the Province.
Lastly - if we are to ever get to any form of local resilience - we have to encourage local small production.
So when I say insane - I mean that our approach on PEI works against the public, the small producer and our interests as a society.
Who gains from this? I think I can guess can you?
