Folks in Mobile, Alabama, like their crawfish boils and thanks to a new law signed by their governor, they can continue to enjoy them at local bars.
The Mobile County Health Department began cracking down on the informal sidewalk boils last year, saying they didn’t comply with food handling regulations and posed a danger to public health, according to WPMI Local 15.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Margie Wilcox (R-Mobile) allows an exemption for establishments that occasionally serve food. Passed by both the House and the Senate, the bill was sent to Gov. Kay Ivey on May 19.
But crawfish boil organizers will still have to jump through some hoops by registering their events with the health department and meeting certain requirements, including having a food handler’s card, handwashing facility and a plan for adequate disposal. The health department, which helped craft the legislation, approved of the final version of the bill.
“As always, our aim is to promote, improve and protect the health of those who live, work and play in Mobile County, Alabama,” the department said in a May 19 statement, according to AL.com. “We believe this legislation does not disrupt our ability to achieve that mission. Our sincere thanks for all the hard work put forth by various individual leaders, food industry representatives, local, state and federal food safety officials.”
Crawfish season runs from March through June, according to Local 15.
