Issues large and small are dealt with on Beacon Hill throughout a typical legislative session, but a bill heard by the Public Health Committee Thursday would ban some of the smallest safety hazards you're likely to encounter: metal staples used to close take-out and delivery food containers.
Sen. Sal DiDomenico's bill is simple: "No food delivery provider operating within the Commonwealth shall use staples in order to seal bags or containers carrying raw or prepared foods or beverages."
The veteran Everett senator said dislodged staples falling into food is a hazard and thinks restaurants need to use safer fasteners like tape or tied plastic bags.
"I've definitely found staples in my food," DiDomenico told GBH News. "That's why, when I saw that, I thought 'I can't be the only person who thinks that.'"
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DiDomenico admits that even though take-out food safety isn't nearly his top legislative priority when compared to issues like wage theft, cash benefits for poor families and eviction prevention, the staple ban is on his mind both as a practical measure and as a way to bring awareness to an overlooked safety issue.
DiDomenico filed a similar bill last session that was quiety dismissed without a full vote, possibly because of the opposition from a group representing the state's small businesses.
Christopher Carlozzi, the state director of the Massachusetts branch of the National Federation of Independent Business formally testified against DiDomenico's ban at the hearing, calling it "unnecessary and extreme."
"Stapling delivery bags is essential, as most Massachusetts eateries are experiencing a major increase in take-out food sales in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic," Carlozzi testified, asserting that the staples present no risk to consumers.
"Restaurants seal bags with staples to keep food warm, prevent spillage, or avert tampering with an order once it has left the restaurant," Carlozzi wrote.
