The Cottage Smallholder

This is ridiculous because it doesn't achieve what presumably it is setting out to do - protect the public.

I buy in a lot of the jars I use but I also re-use jam jars. My standard of hygiene is no different with new jars compare to re-used jars. They all go through the diswasher - twice on highest setting. Then into an oven before use. The lids are carefully inspected and any with even slightest defect are chucked out - I just bought 100 new lids and these are sterilised same as jam jars.

I don't sell my jams etc at public events but I have recently sold them to friends and work colleagues to raise money for a dogs charity. If I could be prosecuted for doing this then it will be the charity that loses out because as anyone knows who makes jam it is quite difficult to make much of a profit for yourself. I do it because I hate waste and love to turn our home grown fruit & veg into produce - that's how I started out making jam. I have since started buying fruit when I can get it at a reasonable price and also people are kind enough to give it to me. Obviously buying in small quantities at higher prices than commercial jam makers means you cannot possibly compete with costs so it's not about making a living from it - just the pleasure of enjoying home made jam and sharing it with others.

Are we now just going to sit back and let those numptys in Brussels dictate to us - yet again. I doubt if the Europeans will take a blind bit of notice of this rule they rarely bother to conform, but the jobsworths here in the UK will bend over backwards to implement it. Remember the regulations about straight bananas, english sausages, scales in pounds & ounces, signs in miles not kilometers etc etc. I've just about had it up to here with EU law......I'm voting UKIP from now on