Weird food laws
This post is spawned from a weird radio commercial I heard on the way to the office this morning. In it, a friendly male voice plainly says “In Minnesota, it is illegal to cross state lines with a duck on your head.”
I wondered if it was still illegal if the duck in question was cooked.
This led me to think about other food laws and bans that are currently in place in America. The foie gras ban in California for 2012. This whole business with the Roquefort tariff — where cheese lovers will soon pay a 300-percent markup for the cave-aged, French bleu – is a current hot-button topic, too. (The L.A. Times recently reported on a delay in the tariff)
I started searching for other serious food bans and tariffs, but then realized that exposing our country’s strange food-related laws would be more fun. Read on, dear readers, and judge for yourself if these are too wacky to be true.
- In Alaska, it’s illegal to give a beer – or any other alcoholic beverage – to a moose.
- Missouri cities can levy a tax to support a band, as long as the city’s mayor plays the piccolo and band members can eat peas with a knife.
- In Greene, N.Y., don’t eat peas and walk backwards down a street during a concert. It’s illegal.
- Clawson, Mich.: There’s an actual law that makes it legal for a farmer to sleep with his animals. (I hope this means “sleep,” as in “catch some Zzs” and not “sleep” as in “sexy time.” Gah.)
- In Texas, if you take more than three sips of beer while standing, you’ve broken the law.
- Connecticut law says that a pickle is officially a pickle only if it bounces.
- To Idaho women in hetero relationships: It’s against state law for your man to give you a box of chocolates that weighs less than 50 pounds. (Cash in, sisters!)
- Residents living in a small town in Colorado may not own chickens, but may own up to three turkeys.
- In Gainesville, Ga., it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork.
Sources: MundayWeb, TurtleZen, The News Journal, Mental Floss, Roadside America.
– Cynthia Furey
Side note: March Madness is a month-long challenge in which I will post Monday through Friday for the entire month. Thank you for reading!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
In Gainesville, Ga., it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork.
whoah – so then how does one eat a chicken if one wants to use utensils?
April 1st, 2009 at 2:52 am
Those are some of the funniest things I have read all week – the best is the eating peas and walking backward one. lol
April 1st, 2009 at 8:55 am
Haha, the Gainesville law is true. Not that it’s really enforced, but still.
Weird, I know. The reason why is because we fry most of the chicken like nobody’s business.
Also, realize Gainesville’s a medium-sized town. You can drive roughly 5 minutes and be in the legal fork-eating town in Oakwood.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:05 am
Ah, Gainesville – chicken capital of the world (so they say). Apparently forks are offensive, although I have to admit that I have broken the law there. I’ve eaten chicken with a fork in Gainesville. More than once, even.
re: Pearl – It’s Georgia. Only weird people and Yankees eat chicken with a fork here. We expect you to use your hands.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:13 pm
This is hilarious!
April 1st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
These laws are hysterical! As a Minnesota resident, I appreciate the head’s up about ducks (pun totally intended). Thanks for a great laugh this April Fool’s evening!
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
What a great collection. My favorite is the pea law in Greene, NY. Makes you wonder about the genesis.
April 5th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
You wouldn’t believe the ruckus caused by the foie gras ban here in Chicago. All I could do was shake my head. Good thing the ban was repealed.