ABA Reacts to Frozen Cherry Pies Regulations

The USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new regulation saying that cherry pies must be made of 25% cherries by weight, with no more than 15% flawed or blemished, according to Foxnews.

The measure is criticised by Rob Mackie, president of the American Bakers Association (ABA), who explains that those standards do not exist for any other baked good using fruit, so the rules are unnecessary. “The pie bakers that are making frozen cherry pies are exceeding the standards, and so there’s not been an issue. It really helps to unshackle the industry from the regulatory overreach,” he said.

The FDA is now making a big push to give bakers more flexibility when it comes to whipping up sweet treats, saying in a statement: “This is a down payment on a comprehensive effort to modernize food standards to reduce regulatory burden and removed old-fashioned barriers to innovation.”

Pie makers don’t expect customers to notice any significant changes in quality or taste. “Our pie manufacturers are closely connected to their customers and to their consumers. Their hotlines would light up. Our consumers are not shy about telling us what they love about our products but also where we might be lacking,” Mackie says.

“The cost of these regulations stifle both innovation and also the ability for our members to create more and higher paying jobs. For example, the equipment bakeries are required to install EPA air standards in order to be compliant, which cost a significant amount of money per plant. That money could – and would – be used on initiatives that would drive growth. Whether it’s frozen cherry pies or other baked goods – the quality would not change if standards are overhauled. Bakers’ livelihoods depend on the integrity and quality of their products. Consumers are very discerning – even more so than a government agency,” ABA says in a press release.