Looking for How Can I Sell My Home-Canned Foods, Like Jams, Salsa, Sauces, Fruits and Vegetables in 2024? Scroll down this page and follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions . There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above. If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days .
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Do you make a salsa, jam, jelly, sauce, chili, cookie, cake or other food that friends and family rave about and say, "You should sell that!"? Are you are thinking about starting a food business, there are many regulatory requirements that you will need to satisfy; some general and some are specific to a particular food product, such as dairy, low-acid canned food, seafood, or juice. This page will walk you through the basic requirements and resources available.
You may want to start by discussing your specific product and facility with the FDA District Office and the state and local regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction.
The production and sales of processed foods is governed by state and federal regulations. Each state is different, so proper advice is needed from a specialist in each state. Some states allow sales at farmer's markets of select foods; others prohibit sales altogether. Most states now have cottage food laws now that don't require a licensed kitchen. In those states, you can sell at a farmers market or roadside stand jams and jellies as well as baked goods that don't require refrigeration. Typically, in those states, you just need to label them with the weight or volume, our name, our address, the words "this item is home produced" and all the ingredients in order by weight. Usually, you can not do anything 'acidified' (like pickles), anything pressure canned, or anything needing refrigeration. For this we don't need a licensed kitchen or any inspections. "
Cottage food laws are applicable to very small startup food businesses that sell certain types of food products.
Step 1 - Can I make it as a "Cottage food"?
Step 2 - If not, Is there a licensed commercial kitchen I can use?
Step 3 - If no commercial kitchen is available, can I get a co-packer to make it for me?
Let's look at those options:
The vast majority of us now live in states that either have cottage food laws or exemptions. So, unless you live in KS, ND, MT, NJ or RI, click on the link below:
So FIRST - check to see if your food and circumstances qualify as a "cottage food" (also called "home food processor" in some states)
Click here if you live in Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, New Jersey and Rhode Island
A commercial kitchen is a licensed, inspected kitchen that meets the rigorous food safety standards. Virtually NO home kitchen would meet
this, nor pass an inspection. And it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to try to convert your home kitchen. Don't even think about it. A
much better approach is to simply rent a licensed kitchen when it is not in use. A restaurant that is only open in the evenings for example,
may be available in the mornings. See this page for local commercial kitchens that advertised they are for rent
.
Don't give up. Perhaps what you want to do does not fall under the cottage food laws. In that case, you're starting a regular food business. These pages will help you understand how to do that:
Starting and running a food business can be a high-risk endeavor. Liability insurance protects against financial losses due to allegations of bodily injury or property damage to others
Typical policies provide $1 million in coverage. usually, $1 million in coverage is required to rent commercial kitchens or work in kitchen incubators.
You may also want to purchase other types of insurance, like:
Claims like "Organic", "low-fat", "sugar-free", "a good source of", etc., are regulated by the government. There are federal regulations that limit the kinds of claims you make and how they may be used. You will certainly need to check with a lawyer who specializes in the food industry, and a food lab to test the claims.
The FDA's page about allowable claims and requirements is here . Also see this page: FDA Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements
You will be required to also provide a nutrition facts label.
See US FDA Food Labeling Guide (PDF) (downloaded Oct 2020)
and the
Allowable
Nutrient Claims were established by the Nutrition Labeling and
Education Act
:
In Sell Your Specialty Food , Stephen Hall outlines every food marketing opportunity and then supports entrepreneurial action with detailed guidance. Whether you own a business or you are thinking about starting one, Hall will show you how to:
March 24, 2015by Lisa Kivirist (Author), John D. Ivanko (Author)
Homemade for Sale is the a guide to conceiving and launching your own home-based food start-up. Packed with profiles of successful cottage food entrepreneurs, this book covers everything you need to get cooking for your customers, creating items that by their very nature are specialized and unique.
Credit is due to NC State Extension, VPI (Virginia Tech), Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D. and Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph. D., both of the National Center for Home Food Preservation for most of this information!
If you have any information to update this synopsis, please write me !
CERTIFIED FOOD PROTECTION MANAGER TRAINING
Cooperative Extension Service
Fairbanks State Office
1751 Tanana Loop, Room 101, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6180
Phone:
907-474-5211
877-520-5211 (toll free in Alaska)
Email: ces@alaska.edu
Step-by-Step Guidelines for Processing, Manufacturing, and Regulatory Approval of Acidified Foods in Georgia
If you want to open a new food business and don't know where to start, try the Food Licensing and Food Safety Wizard .
If you have further questions, please fill out the pre-consultation questionnaire for a referral to the MDA Licensing Liaison.
If you currently own a licensed food business and want to expand, remodel, or relocate your existing business, want to sell your existing business, or want to begin the licensing process, please call 651-201-6062 or email mda.licensing@state.mn.us .
Food License Types:
Thinking about becoming a Food Entrepreneur? You may want to review the following articles and decide if it is the right move for you.
Starting a Food Business in Virginia (website)
Virginia Cooperative Extension Food as a Business websiteCredit is due to Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D. and Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph. D., both of the National Center for Home Food Preservation for most of this information!
Water bath canner with a jar rack
Pressure canners for gas, electric and induction stoves: Presto 23Qt or T-fal 22Qt
Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)
Get the
most recent version of
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most recent version of
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