STAND. COM. REP. NO. 236-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2307

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2307 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOOD SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure the continued viability of the State's sea salt manufacturing industry by appropriating funds to provide education and support to businesses in the State regarding the United States Food and Drug Administration's industry guidance on colored sea salt.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and H.K. Enterprise Group, Inc. dba Hawaii Kai Corporation; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that salt making is a culturally and historically important tradition of the State. Your Committee also finds that in 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a guideline that required the two colorants in Hawaiian black sea salt and red sea salt to be added to the list of approved colorants, which requires sea salt producers and suppliers to file the federal Color Additive Petition application with the FDA. The application and approval process, which involves extensive FDA-required lab tests and analysis, can be very costly, especially for small manufacturers. Your Committee finds that since the issuance of the 2015 federal guideline, the Hawaiian black and red sea salt industry has suffered a gradual decline. This measure would provide education and support to the State's sea salt manufacturing industry on the FDA's guidance for colored sea salt.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2307, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2307, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair