Tennessee Can you legally sell food from home in Tennessee?
Cottage Food Law
In 2012, Tennessee updated their home-based food laws to make it much easier for cooks to sell their homemade food. Although a license or inspection from the ag department is no longer required, producers can only sell in-person at certain venues. However, sellers may still utilize the older domestic kitchen law if they want to sell indirectly to restaurants or stores.
Producers can sell an unlimited amount of non-PHF baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, or other similar items. While no training is required under this amended law, the Department of Agriculture strongly encourages sellers to take a food safety course.
Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?
At the place of sale, you must display a regular (8.5″ x 11″) sheet of paper that says “These food products were made in a private home not licensed or inspected” (0.75-inch font).
You can give out free samples of your products.
The law isn’t clear about whether online sales are allowed, but it is clear that all products need to be handed to the customer in-person. You can definitely sell online if you become licensed under the domestic kitchen law.
Made-to-order goods (like birthday cakes, wedding cakes, and custom cookies) may fall under catering and be regulated by the health department, in which case, they would not be allowed under this law. Contact your local health department to learn if you can produce them from home.
Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?
Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?
Honey sales are limited to 150 gallons per year (TCA 53-1-102-29). If you produce more than that, you need to use a licensed and inspected facility.
Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?
Even though there is no license or training required, you are still encouraged to take a training course in food handling and have an authority check your recipes.
Labeling How do you label cottage food products?
Chocolate Chip Cookies
"This product was made in a private home not license or inspected"
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)
Produced on 5/6/2021
NET WT 2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)
Resources Where can you find more information about this law?
- 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
- May 2012
- SB 3547
Ed Collins 
Ashley Colpaart
Mike
Amelie
Bev
Amy
Sue Fetterolf
Cristina Hooghkirk
Comments
Patricia Pieper
Hi, Just a note: Our domestic kitchen laws were amended in April2017 with SB799. It can be easily accessed on-line.
Lynne Flournoy
Can someone tell me if freeze dried foods are allowed to be sold at Farmers Markets and events? Fruits, veggies, Baked items and freeze dried candy.
Melissa Murphy
I would like to start a coffee and tea subscription box/service. All of the products in the box would be white/private label so I would not be preparing any foods in my home, just assembling the boxes to be shipped. I have yet to find any information on business requirements for this kind of operation. All orders would be placed/sold online. Can you provide any insight or point me in the right direction? Thank you.
Tina White
I want to sell lunch plates and deliver them what food can i not prepare that fine whats your response
Louise
It looks like that would not be allowed… anything with meat or cheese or cooked pasta would not be allowed according to this list. But I would contact Nancy Austin (listed above) to be sure of the answer.
Tina White
I want to sell lunch plates and deliver them what food can i not prepare