Melissa Sanders

It depends on your county/city. If they require business licenses, usually they require them for any type of food business. The only way to know for sure is to contact the dept that administers business licenses.

The only way to legally sell meat empanadas is to use a commercial kitchen and get licensed with the health dept. Most likely you would rent someone else’s at an hourly rate. Here’s some more info about finding a commercial kitchen: https://forrager.com/faq/#commercial-kitchen

Hi,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. Ok, so I understand that meat empanadas are not permitted. Is there a way to apply for a license/permit and have a kitchen inspection done in order to sell meat empanadas?
Thanks again!

Although she can’t sell meat empanadas from home, she should be able to sell homemade fruit empanadas.

From the “Cottage Food Guidance” PDF file available from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website:

Can I make and sell foods with meat fillings such as empanadas?
No. Meat products or foods with meat fillings are not allowed.

Thus, she may NOT sell them from her home. The sale of meat-filled empanadas requires a…[Read more]