Danielle

I’m not sure if that is allowed under the cottage food law. The law recently changed to give health depts the ability to allow other types of nonperishable foods, so I recommend that you ask your health dept. If you want to pop the popcorn at the market, you wouldn’t be able to use the cottage food law.

I just checked out CFR 21 again, and although that is usually pretty confusing to me, it does look pretty clear that a blackberry jam needs a 47/55 ratio. Also, this seems correct to me… jams and jellies typically need more sugar than fruit.

In the case of the CFO jams you’ve seen in the market, that’s likely a mistake by the producer. In the…[Read more]

I’m sure it will depend on your state laws and what the health or ag dept in your area decides. I doubt that you can do this with a cottage food law, but perhaps some states would allow it.

Okay, thanks a lot!

It would not be legal. Aside from the fact that your box sale likely wouldn’t sell well without the cookies (the box is not really what you’re selling), typically food laws place the same requirements on publicly-available foods, regardless of whether there is a charge for them or not.

No — that would be considered an indirect sale.

Some farmers markets are produce-only, but I’ve seen many CFOs successfully sell baked goods at the markets that allow them. I’ve seen two distinct approaches: the niche approach and the bakery approach. The former focuses on a few select products, and the latter offers an array of baked goods. The former can command higher prices but the latter…[Read more]

I don’t think that spice blends are allowed, but I’m not completely sure, since the law recently changed. If you could sell them, it would only be at farmers markets. You can contact the health dept to check.

Ashley, you won’t be able to transfer it. You will just need to start up a new business in Florida under their cottage food law, just the same as if you had initially lived there. It’s actually much easier to start a CFO in FL, but also much more restrictive, as you can only sell $15K of product per year.

How to close down your business in GA…[Read more]

No — to sell pet food in Illinois, you need to use an approved facility, and you need to contact the ag dept.

Hi! We have a cottage food business in Georgia, but will be moving to Florida in the Summer. How do we stop the business here and start it back up in Florida?

If you can get into a farmers market, that would be a great starting point for all of your items. And also ask around about other markets, like artisanal markets.

Regarding the GF baked goods, I’d say that the success of that is a combination of the GF demand in your area and the types of baked goods you’re offering. Some people have been quite…[Read more]

Hi Lauren, I think that’s totally dependent on what you are selling! For instance, custom cakes are best done from home. What are you planning to make?