Cooking and selling food from the home front provides professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts with a low-cost means to operate a small business.

Begin by checking your local and state regulations for home-based food businesses.

The report should include the following: What is the general law on selling food from home … Home cooks who sell meals made in their own kitchens are technically breaking the law in most states, but in California, a new law may change that. In the US, retailers who sell food from home are required to adhere to Cottage Food Regulations. 2. A food containing both acid food(s) and low-acid food(s) may or may not be covered by 21 CFR part 114 as an acidified food. Know the General Laws Around Selling Food.

The second cottage law, passed in 2013 and known locally as the Baker’s Bill, expanded the lists of items that could be prepared at home for sale to the public. Food establishments, including private homes, that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for sale are subject to the Virginia Food Laws and related regulations. Follow proper food safety rules by making your food items in a licensed kitchen. A food establishment includes any business selling food, from a full-service restaurant to a store that only sells pre-packaged items. Therefore, please write a comprehensive report on the laws around selling hot meals and food from home in the USA. Register with the MDA each year food is sold under the ottage Food Exemption. Labeling food items to sell online also carries rules and regulations. If you would like information on opening a new establishment, please click here. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Food and Drug Protection Division helps home-based food businesses comply with food safety laws and produce safe products for sale. Home-based food businesses use their home (or someone else’s) to handle food for sale. To set up your home business, you would need a stove or two, refrigerator, food storage facilities and cooking utensils. Food must be produced, processed and stored in a manner that prevents contamination and spoiling. Items baked at home generally cannot sell within stores or restaurants unless the home kitchen has been certified. This includes preparing food for local markets or school canteens, catering for events, B&Bs, farm-stay or childcare businesses and online food sales from home.

Learn the rules before starting a food business in Georgia.

(Note these exceptions from inspection.) However bakers are permitted to use milk, eggs and cream in their baked goods provided that the final product does not require refrigeration. If you keep a garden or small farm, a farmers market is the perfect place to sell homegrown fruits, vegetables and herbs.
In most places, you will need to license your kitchen or rent a licensed kitchen to create your food items.

Before we get started, you need to know the basic laws behind selling food online. Home-based food businesses use their home (or someone else’s) to handle food for sale. Food businesses have their own set of rules and regulations to adhere to, which scares many people from even trying.

In 2013, the limit for gross annual revenue is $35,000.

Homemade or handmade products must meet FDA rules and regulations, but they must also meet state-specific Cottage Food Laws as well.


In 2014, it is $45,000.