BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The new year has brought changes to Vermont’s definition of “local” or “made in Vermont” food.
Before Jan. 1, “local” specified that food had to originate in Vermont or within 30 miles of the point of sale, which meant food from bordering states and Quebec could be included in areas of Vermont, the Burlington Free Press reported. Now all “local” food is “Vermont” food, making the term local consistent throughout the state, according to the state Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.
There are three categories: raw agricultural products; processed food; and unique food product, with requirements for each to be called local.
“The new definition provides clearer guidance for those producing, selling, or marketing local food products,” the Vermont Agency of Agriculture said. “It also strengthens the local brand by creating a more meaningful and comprehensive definition for Vermont made products.”
Raw agricultural products include milk, maple syrup, meat, eggs, and fruit and must be grown in Vermont. Processed food are raw agricultural products processed by way of canning, cooking, or adding other ingredients. More than half of all ingredients by volume, except water, must be raw agricultural products from Vermont and the product must be processed in Vermont and/or the manufacturer is required to be headquartered in Vermont.
Unique food product is a processed food made from ingredients not regularly produced in Vermont or not available in sufficient quantities for production, the Burlington Free Press reported. The product must meet two of these requirements: More than half of the ingredients by volume, excluding water, are raw agricultural products local to Vermont; a “substantial transformation of the ingredients” in the product happened in Vermont; and/or the company headquarters is in Vermont.
Gov. Phil Scott signed the legislation into law in July.
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