April

There are some counties that will not approve anything that isn’t explicitly on the approved list, and it sounds like you’re in one of those counties. In that case, you either need to adapt your products or go the commercial route.

MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, I would never recommend spending hundreds of dollars to get unvetted recipes approved. I can…[Read more]

I’m not entirely sure why they haven’t yet approved chocolate-covered strawberries, but it may have something to do with their shelf life. It also may be because chocolate-covered fresh fruit typically falls under catering. You can sell whole, uncut strawberries without a license. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Regarding the sales limit question from the original post, it’s not specifically “enforced”… it’s more of an honor roll thing. But it’s good to think of the cottage food law as an umbrella. If you stay within the rules and the law, you are under the umbrella and protected to a certain degree. If you don’t follow the rules and someone sues you,…[Read more]

I think Sandie is referring to the health dept.

This is county-dependent, though. I would not expect most counties to allow two CFOs to operate from the same kitchen.

Most charitable bake sales are exempt from the requirements of food businesses. http://forrager.com/faq/#nonprofit
Anyone starting a bake sale like that should contact their health dept.

Getting a CFO license means that you can ONLY use your home kitchen. You do not need to get your kitchen inspected unless you want to sell indirectly (via a third party, like a store). http://forrager.com/law/california/

Hi David,
Sorry – I missed your last response! I’d be happy to discuss. Please email me at lovbakery@gmail.com.

I don’t understand it either.

You’ll have to check with zoning laws before you can establish a pickup area, and you may have to get some kind of permit.

Charlotte, it hasn’t changed, and I don’t think it will change anytime soon. You will need to use a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial