David Crabill
@david
active 17 hours, 6 minutes agoForum Replies Created
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Oftentimes people use the cottage food laws as an easy way to get a food business started. Once you pass the limit, then you need to become a standard food business, which, aside from getting licenses and certain amounts of training, would require you to make everything in a commercial kitchen, instead of your home kitchen. The process can be significantly more complicated and costly, but that is the way most food businesses get setup. I’m not sure all the licenses you would need when you get bigger, but there are many other resources out there about that, because it is so common.
Peggy, jalapeño jelly definitely can be made safely. I think the reason it is excluded is because if you don’t follow the right process, the resulting product could be dangerous. Since cottage food operations aren’t inspected, they have decided that food businesses that make jalapeño jelly need to go through the process of becoming fully licensed, which would include the training necessary to insure the safety of the product.
No, canned vegetables are not allowed.
1. Yes, if you are selling at an external location like a farmers market.
2. No
3. The label is what you attach to all your products, which gives the consumer info about you and the product.
4. You have to contact your city’s planning division to learn what the zoning requirements are for you.
5. Start simple and small, and work your way up from there.You do not need to get registered… you just need to understand the rules and you can start immediately. I don’t know if there’s any way to “prove” that you are a cottage food operation, other than that you may need to get a business license from your county — at least that would show that you are a business.
No, I don’t think 4 days is long enough… I think that would fall under the category of a potentially hazardous food, and it would not be considered a cottage food. Maybe switching to evaporated milk would work, because generally cream-filled items are not allowed as cottage foods.
Michele, the product must change hands within Ohio. It is unlikely that you will be able to take advantage of any out-of-state sales.
For the law that goes into effect on November 1st, no, you do not need a food handlers class.
It looks like you’d be okay if your dogs did not have access to your kitchen. You may be able to do this by putting up a gate on the door or something. I don’t think it matters whether the items are potentially hazardous or not… either way, it could affect a customer if they are allergic to dogs.
Here are some links to online and in-person courses: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/foodestablishments/handler.shtm#training
