Colorado
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Talk with others about the cottage food industry in Colorado
Questions before starting up
This topic contains 17 replies, has 1 voice, and was last updated by 
David Crabill 9 years, 8 months ago.
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FirstTimeUserHi. I am trying to gather information to start my business correctly. I have some questions, and would be grateful if I can get assistance.
1) If I make jam/jelly, am I allowed to use fresh fruits?
2) If I use a packaged ingredient (for example dates for baking) do I need to list all the ingredients on that package in addition to my ingredients?
3) Do I need to state the brand name of any packaged foods (again, for example, dates for baking or the brand of nuts, etc)
4) After taking the certification, can I just begin my business or are there further steps to take?Thank you!
FirstTimeUserCan I sell at my church?
1) Yes
2) Yes
3) No
4) You should contact your local planning division and see if there are any other requirements for your area. Otherwise, you’re good to go!
5) As long as your church is hosting a public event, then you should be able to sell at it. However, are you profiting or just selling there as a charitable donation to the church? If it’s not for your profit, then there is another exemption in the law that allows you to do that without getting any kind of approval from the government.
Questions before starting upThank you. For the church question I am trying to profit. They have events weekly and I wanted to use that opportunity.
I was emailing ppl from boulder county and they said if I used a packaged ingredient I don’t need to list all those ingredients in addition to mine. For example a package of chocolate chips have several ingredients but I don’t need to list those. It would be sufficient to just list chocolate chips. Does it differ from county to county?Also what’s the best recourse to get info for liability insurance? I live in Jefferson county.
Thanks again.Ultimately it is up to the county to decide what the rules are, and it does differ between counties, but I’ve never heard of a county saying that. Are you sure they weren’t referring to prepackaged goods that you may be reselling? I guess I could see them making a case that you could list “Nestle’s chocolate chips” and that the consumer could find the needed info eventually, but I would still think they’d want the consumer to have the ingredient info available when they make their purchase.
Most people just talk to their insurance company about getting insurance for their business. Another option is the FLIP Program.
Questions before starting upThank you
FirstTimeUserWho do I contact to see which taxes need to be paid, and how to pay them? I am in Jeffco
ThanksFor sales taxes, it doesn’t seem to be consistent from state-to-state, so I’m not sure. In Colorado, I would start by asking the Taxation Division in the Department of Revenue. For yearly taxes, you’d contact the IRS, as you probably know.
FirstTimeUserThank you. I spoke to someone from Dept of Revenue and she didn’t know, pointed me towards the county office, who pointed me back to Dept of Revenue. So I’m going in circles with this.
Another question: Can I make/sell baklava? It can be made with oil or shortening (rather than butter). The syrup is made of water, sugar and honey. The sheets are made of phyllo dough sheets.If they don’t know, then don’t worry about the sales tax. You should be exempt anyway.
You should be able to make baklava, but since it’s not explicitly listed on the allowed foods list, you should check with the health dept first.
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