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Iowa Home Food Processing Establishment Can you legally sell food from home in Iowa?

Cottage Food Law

Unlike most states, Iowa allows home cooks to sell most types of foods, including perishable products. After an update in 2022 (HF 2431), Iowa is the only state to allow products that contain some types of meat and poultry that are purchased.

Home food processing establishments can sell their items at any venue, but they are limited to $50,000 of sales per year. An annual license and inspection are required.

In addition to this law, Iowa has a cottage food law that allows home cooks to sell almost any kind of non-perishable food without special licensing. However, but products can only be sold directly to consumers (no indirect sales at retails stores). The cottage food law also allows producers to sell acidified foods (pickles, salsas, sauces, etc), whereas this law does not.

Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?

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Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?

Prohibited Foods

You can sell most types of food products, including perishable ones.

Here are ALL of the items that you cannot sell:

  • Food items that contain meat or poultry, unless:
    • The meat or poultry is purchased from an inspected source exempted by 9
      CFR 381.10(d) or 301.3(d)*
    • You have raised the poultry and have 1,000 or fewer birds
  • Acidified foods (pickles, salsas, sauces, etc)**
  • Low-acid canned foods (e.g. canned green beans)
  • Food items that have been cured or smoked to preserve the food (curing/smoking only for flavor is allowed)
  • Unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juice
  • Raw sprout seeds
  • Food items containing any kind of fish, shellfish, or game animals
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Bottled water
  • Packaged ice
  • Consumable hemp products
  • Food that will be further processed by a food processing plant
  • Perishable foods packaged using reduced oxygen packaging
  • Grade “A” milk or milk products

* To clarify the exemption for meat: you can sell products that are made with purchased meat or poultry, IF the meat or poultry was not processed in a USDA facility. This would include meat that is processed by your local butcher or the meat section of a grocery store. Generally, you are NOT able to use meat that arrives pre-packaged (and ready for sale) at a store.

** Although you can’t sell acidified foods under this law, you can use Iowa’s cottage food law to sell them directly to consumers.

Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?

Limitations
Sales are limited to $50,000 per year

Pets are never allowed in your kitchen or in any room where food for your business is stored.

Sales must be recorded, and the record must be made available if the Department of Inspections and Appeals requests it.

Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?

Home Food Processing Establishment License

You need to get a Home Food Processing Establishment License from the Department of Inspections and Appeals, which costs $50 each year.

Kitchen Inspection

You must get your home kitchen inspected before starting you business.

Private Water Source

If you do not use a public water system, your private well must be tested annually. You must maintain a record of your water tests.

Labeling How do you label cottage food products?

Sample Label

Chocolate Chip Cookies

"This product was produced at a home food processing establishment"


Forrager Cookie Company


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 you sell perishable food products (items that require refrigeration), you must include an expiration date on those labels.

Workplace Are there any home kitchen requirements?

There are many workplace requirements in the law.

Resources Where can you find more information about this law?

Department
Inspections and Appeals
Contacts
Department
Department of Inspections and Appeals
Telephone
515-281-6538
Address
Lucas State Office Building, Third Floor
321 East 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0083
Law Dates
July 1988
SF 356
June 1991
SF 412
January 1999
HF 2166
October 1999
HF 782
August 2000
ARC 9996A
July 2007
SF 601
January 2014
ARC 1190C
July 2016
SF 2273
August 2017
ARC 3189C
January 2019
SF 2390
July 2022
HF 2431

In 2016, the term for these businesses changed from “home food establishments” to “home bakeries”. Then in 2022, the term changed again to “home food processing establishments.

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