Tennessee Domestic Kitchen Can you legally sell food from home in Tennessee?
Cottage Food Law
Tennessee has updated their laws to exempt basic home-based food processors from a license and kitchen inspection. However, they still allow home-based food businesses under the domestic kitchen law, which allows indirect sales to restaurants and retail stores. A domestic kitchen is much more difficult to setup, requiring training, permits, plans, and a home inspection. Domestic kitchens are limited to 100 units of sale per week, and pets are never allowed in the home at any time.
Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?
Catering businesses, including made-to-order cakes (like wedding cakes), are regulated by the health department, so they are not allowed under this domestic kitchen law.
Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?
Selling made-to-order items (like birthday cakes, wedding cakes, custom cookies, etc) falls under catering, and you need to contact your health department to learn how to sell those items.
Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?
The limitation of sales is “100 units of sale per week”. A unit of sale means whatever quantity the product is sold in. For instance, one jar of jelly could be one unit of sale, or a case of 12 jars could also be one unit of sale. A pie could be one unit of sale, and two slices of pie could be two units of sale if they’re sold separately.
Pets can never be allowed inside your home.
Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?
Before registering, you must take a food safety certification course, which can be completed online and costs $75. The ag extension at the University of Tennessee occasionally offers in-person courses for $100.
For each of your products, you need to list all of the processing steps you take to make it. This is similar to the list of instructions on a recipe, without the ingredient amounts.
You need to submit a domestic kitchen request form, which includes a list of all of your products, production processes, and labels.
You need to submit a Food Manufacturer License, which costs $50 per year. To request a license form, contact Mike Brown (contact details below).
After applying, a local authority will inspect your home kitchen. Once approved, you can start selling your goods.
If your kitchen gets its water from a private source, it must be tested annually to determine its safety.
Contact your county or city to determine if you need to obtain a business license.
You need to check the zoning requirements for your area by contacting your planning division. You may be required to get a home occupation permit.
Labeling How do you label cottage food products?
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Forrager Cookie Company
123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, TN 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)
NET WT 2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)
Lot dates or numbers must also be included on the each label. In the case of a food safety incident, lot dates allow the product to be traced back to the problematic batch.
Workplace Are there any home kitchen requirements?
Anyone that is not an employee of the operation may not be in the kitchen while food processing for the business is occurring.
Supplies for the business must be kept separate from those for personal use. Perishable supplies must also be kept in a separate refrigerator. The lighting in the kitchen must be shielded or shatter resistant.
Hair nets must be worn by all individuals working in the kitchen, and they cannot be wearing loose jewelry or nail polish, nor chewing any gum.
Other workplace requirements are detailed in the law.
Resources Where can you find more information about this law?
- Department
- Department of Agriculture
- Telephone
- 615-837-5153
- Fax
- 615-837-5005
- Address
- Box 40627 Melrose Station
Nashville, TN 37204
Food & Dairy Regulatory Services
- Job Title
- Principal Secretary
- Organization
- Food Science & Technology, University of Tennessee
- naustin@utk.edu
- Telephone
- 865-974-7011
- Fax
- 865-974-7332
- Address
- 201A Food Science & Technology Building
2510 River Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-4539 - About
- Contact Nancy about food safety training
Nancy Austin
- Job Title
- Outreach Coordinator
- Organization
- Department of Agriculture
- Mike.F.Brown@TN.gov
- Telephone
- 615-837-5177
- About
- Contact Mike about licensing
Mike Brown
- January 2007
- TCA 53-1-207
Ed Collins 
Ashley Colpaart
Mike
Amelie
Bev
Amy
Sue Fetterolf
Cristina Hooghkirk
Comments
Deborah Morris
What about sauces like barbecue sauce are they forbidding also the from domestic kitchen or are they allowed?
Terri
Why is Salsa prohibited, and what are the details of that?
Sue Moore
The Tennessee laws have changed so your information is dated…and not at all right.
Michaela
I was thinking the same thing, Sue Moore! Not much at all is correct on this list!
Kit
So update us, Sue?
Marilyn Rischmann
Hello,
I want to commend you on the thoroughness of this listing for Tennessee and its requirements for producing items through a domestic kitchen. It’s really helpful to me!
Thank you!
Marilyn R.