Raechel T.

You don’t need a license from the ag dept, but you may need other licenses to start your business. You will have to check with local officials for the process of starting a business in your area. http://forrager.com/faq/#starting

It’s quite possible that they would not be allowed, given the egg content of macarons, but you have to check with the health dept. If they’re not allowed, you’d need to use a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

You will need to contact the ag dept to learn about everything you can and cannot do, but generally, you should be able to ship within the state of Ohio (no interstate sales).

Figuring out permitting requires potentially contacting a number of local govt departments: http://forrager.com/faq/#starting

I don’t think you’ll find a resource specific to salsa, but generally, the requirements are going to be greater if you rent a kitchen. You should contact the ag dept for specific info about the business you want to start. I’d expect that you’ll have to take a course with a Better Process Control School.

This website has the most comprehensive statewide directory available: http://forrager.com/cfos/?regions=california

There isn’t any statewide, govt initiative to list all CFOs, but there are a few health depts that have lists of CFOs in their counties. Off the top of my head, I think Sacramento, LA, San Bernardino, Orange, and a few others have a list.

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]

Here’s the link: http://www.statefoodsafety.com/Cps?productType=Food+Handler

Since La Plata County isn’t listed under Colorado, my guess is that you can take the general one for the “State of Colorado”, though you should confirm with your health dept.

At the very least, you need a sales tax certificate and you may need to get other local permits.
http://forrager.com/law/louisiana/
http://forrager.com/faq/#starting

Samantha, you may need licensing and you need to reach out to your county. You probably don’t need insurance unless a sales venue requires it.
http://forrager.com/faq/#starting
http://forrager.com/faq/#insurance

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

I don’t know of any caveats. Actually it sounds like you’re exactly on the right track and doing everything you need to do! Good luck!

John, could you provide some references to back up your claim? It’s not about the requirements being “more” or “less” — it’s just that the requirements are different because they’re managed by a different dept. I wouldn’t be surprised if some states allow homemade pet food, but I haven’t yet confirmed that any do. Many states require animal feed…[Read more]