denise o. mercado

You can sell fresh, uncut produce without needing any permit. The only restriction, to my knowledge, are sprouts… those are regulated. You could sell under your LLC but you likely don’t have to.

I can’t say that I’ve researched it, but I suspect that many of those laws (I live in CA, so I’ve seen the effects of some of them) would only apply to producers of a certain size.

On top of that, I find that many cottage food producers choose to use the environmentally-friendly packaging regardless, to give their products a higher perceived…[Read more]

Running a bake sale for a charitable cause falls under different rules, but in this case it sounds like the funds would be for your family’s use (not donated to a nonprofit).

So in that case, if we want to get really technical, the answer is yes, in CA you’d need a permit to legally sell baked goods, and zoning laws might prevent you from selling…[Read more]

In most states, that would not be allowed since cut potatoes are perishable foods, whether raw or cooked.

However, in your state of Illinois, this is allowed! The main caveat is that you cannot ship them… you can only sell them directly to customers. I suggest reading through the notes in Illinois’ food section to better understand what is and…[Read more]

Yes they are allowed. And you would copy the entire ingredient list from the Skittles bag.

I see now. Have you contacted the ag dept to verify that they do, in fact, permit home food processing establishments? The law is there in theory, but I still have yet to see one implemented. I know a number of counties don’t allow them at all.

So if they will allow one with zoning approval, then I think it’s just a matter of education for the…[Read more]

Who is requesting that you get a zoning variance? Is it your city/county to approve a general business license? Or is it your HOA? Considering the nature of the lots in your HOA and your plan to be delivery only, I would be surprised if the HOA board disallowed your business, even if there’s something in the CCRs saying you can’t run a home…[Read more]

Shereena, here’s the link to the website tutorial: https://forrager.com/learn/website/

Yes, you can sell popcorn, nuts, candy, and most nonperishable snack foods.

However, you can only produce from your primary residence. I believe the health dept would determine that a motel room’s kitchen — even one that you use for the majority of the year — would not qualify for cottage food production.

I’m not sure if the health dept has taken an official stance on that. I could see it going either way… either they allow it because it’s nonperishable, or they don’t because it’s alcohol-based. If you learn more after contacting them, I’d love to know the answer!

It’s very common for recipes to need to be adjusted when scaling. I don’t know why scientifically, but ask anyone who tried to scale their recipe for commercial production, and you’ll hear a similar story.
That being said, it doesn’t seem like you’re scaling it that much, so I’d recommend borrowing someone’s larger ceramic pot and trying it out.…[Read more]

Thanks Roberto! Jessie accidentally responded to your message via email (which came to me). Here’s her response:

Hi Roberto, thank you so much for your response to my post. Italy is a place I’ve always dreamed about visiting. I should’ve been born there because I love all the cuisine, culture, landscape, etc.

I so appreciate your feedback on my…[Read more]

I think it’s going to depend on what county you live in. I know that some counties would definitely allow potato chips. But since it’s not explicitly written into the law, maybe not all will. You’d need to reach out to your health dept to check.

For the fruit blossoms, I don’t know but I doubt it. For the second, it probably depends on your county. Some counties will be very strict and will say no to anything that’s not on the official state list of allowed foods. Either way, I recommend that you contact your local environmental health dept for clarification on whether you can make these items.

They mean 70 proof alcohol that’s flavored with those (and only those) items. Here are the categories:
Apple * Apricot * Blackberry * Blueberry * Cherry * Chocolate * Clove *
Cinnamon * Cranberry * Grapefruit * Lemon * Lime * Orange * Peach * Pear
* Pineapple * Pomegranate * Raspberry * Strawberry * and Vanilla

You wouldn’t be able to use the…[Read more]

I honestly don’t have enough experience with candy making to answer you question. Have you tried going to a local candy shop and asking? I bet they’d be happy to help!

Food trucks are kind of in a class of their own. In the case of a retail store, the shop owner has the proper licenses and insurance and they are allowed to sell your products themselves. Likewise, a permitted food truck owner would be able to sell your products from their truck. You also could hop on their truck and sell them yourself. But for…[Read more]

I would only recommend crowdfunding or fundraising once you have a sizable customer base and a successful business. Typically, raising money is used to take a business to the next level (commercial kitchen, food truck, brick and mortar, etc). But when starting out, a few hundred dollars (or less) is all you need. Try going back and watching my mini…[Read more]

Hi Johnathan, it’s typical to feel overwhelmed when starting out. I don’t think you need a business partner at this stage.

Try not to get stuck on branding or being worried about something going wrong. Yes, starting a business comes with its challenges, but it’s hard to predict them. Usually the most successful entrepreneurs are those who put…[Read more]