Court Ruling Means No More Food at Funeral Homes

Food will no longer be served at central Pennsylvania funeral homes due to a federal appeals court ruling.

Lancaster Newspapers reports that the ban is included in a list of operating laws for funeral directors reinstated recently by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

A federal judge in 2012 threw out the decades-old operating laws, deeming them unconstitutional.

Director Chad Snyder of The Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home in Lancaster County said Monday that he was disappointed by the ruling.

He said food was requested and provided at 40 to 50 services since the 2012 ruling, and he believes it provides some comfort to bereaved families.

“I personally think food and funerals go hand-in-hand,” Snyder told the paper. “Just like weddings and food go hand-in-hand.”

The food ban was instituted in 1952 out of safety concerns, but Snyder said there's no risk if proper precautions are taken.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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