Georgia Can you legally sell food from home in Georgia?
Cottage Food Law
Georgia’s cottage food laws are pretty good, though it takes some effort for cottage food operators to get setup initially. Operators must have a business license, take a training course, send in an application, and get their home inspected before they can get their cottage food license. However, once setup, they are not limited to a certain amount of sales per year, and the list of foods they can sell is fairly comprehensive.
Georgia has more workplace and labeling requirements than most state’s cottage food laws, which are described in detail in the bill. Indirect sales of goods are not allowed.
Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?
Operators must conspicuously display their cottage food operator license at the point of sale.
Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?
Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?
Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?
First, an operator must apply for a business license from their county’s permits department, which costs $50.
Next, the operator must get trained in an ANSI-accredited food safety manager course, like the Learn2Serve Food Safety Manager Online Course, which costs about $100.
Each operator must then apply for a cottage food license by filling out a form on the cottage food website for Georgia. The fee for the cottage food license is $100 (or $50 after June 30th of the year). On the application, the operator must list the products they intend to sell. If they want to create new products after they have a license, that will require a new application and incur another fee.
Before getting a license, the Department of Agriculture or Environmental Health Department will setup an appointment for the cottage food operator to get their kitchen inspected, and there is no additional fee for that. There are a number of items that the inspector must check in the inspection, which are listed in the cottage food bill.
If the cottage food operator’s water comes from a private water source, the water must be analyzed and approved before a license will be given, which costs $100.
If the operator uses a private sewage system, they must get their septic tank checked ($125) and then pumped ($300-$500).
All in all, the total startup costs for an operator could be as low as $275 or as high as $1000.
Here is some great info about collecting sales tax.
Labeling How do you label cottage food products?
Chocolate Chip Cookies
"MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS" (10-point type, in Times New Roman or Arial font)
Forrager Cookie Company
123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, GA 73531
Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (cream, salt), semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract (vanilla bean extract, alcohol, sugar), baking soda, salt (salt, calcium silicate)
Contains: milk, eggs, wheat, soy
NET WT 2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)
If a nutritional claim is made on the label, then the federal requirements for nutrition info must be followed.
There are some specialized requirements for items that are not individually wrapped or packaged, which may be found in the cottage food bill.
The scale used to weigh cottage foods must be checked for accuracy by the Department of Agriculture once every year.
Workplace Are there any home kitchen requirements?
All ingredients for the cottage food operation must be placed in a permitted area, which is separated from ingredients for personal use.
Resources Where can you find more information about this law?
- September 2012
- Cottage Food Regulations
Comments
Tonya
I have been through the CF regulations page, and cannot get a clear understanding of the separate storage of pantry items. I know for dry ingredients there should be a separate location, but what about refrigerated items like eggs and butter? Do we need to have a separate refrigerator as well for chilled ingredients used for baking?
Carmella
I just want to know does Georgia allow alcohol infused treats to be sold.
Sam Anthony
samanthony86@me.com
Would selling pasta dishes be permitted under this license
Diane Bush
Do you know if Meringue COOKIES are legal under GA Cottage Food Law, since, once baked, they are shelf stable and require no refrigeration?
Alfonso
Hello, my question is, what i need for cook baby food in home and sell, were i can look information or where i can have the permission ? I live in georgia state, thsnks so much
Beth
I am a member of a non-profit related to homesteading. We sell elderberry syrup kits which contain dried elderberries, a cinnamon stick, and cloves with directions on how to make the syrup. These are packaged in an 8 oz canning jar. The non-profit no longer allows us to sell these at a farmer’s market or at our meetings but does allow us to sell these privately and then donate to the non-profit. If I sell these out of my home using an online site like NextDoor what liabilities should I be aware of as an individual?
Jocelyn Ricker
I am inquiring about BBQ sauces. I see under condiments, vinegar based items are allowed. Does this mean if I make a BBQ sauce with a vinegar base, I can label it under as such? Otherwise, would this mean I need a commercial kitchen to produce this product or is this completely off limits?
Peggy Finn
I want to sell cotton candy at private events and farmer’s markets all of which would be prepared on site. There would be no use of a home kitchen. What kind of license would I need and would there be any inspection of the cart from which I produce it?
Jessica
Are chocolate covered strawberries against the rule. I see several people selling these items in a cottage law setting. May you please advice on if this is allowed? Thanks so much!
Esther Dhanraj
I live in an apartment and my landlord does not permit cottage food. But my friend is willing to let me use her kitchen and storage space. Can I get a license for her kitchen?
Thanks.
David Crabill
I’m pretty sure you need to use your own kitchen, but you can ask the ag dept about whether they’d allow that.