Cottage Food Operator Checklist

Review this list as you prepare for your new cottage food business.

• Certification: All cottage food operators and any persons preparing or packaging products as part of a cottage food operation must complete the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited Certified Food Protection Managers (CFPM) course and exam; carry a copy to events.
   
• Register with county health department: The cottage food operation must register with the county health department that the operation resides in (will need to list all products the operation is planning to sell)
• Placard: Cottage food placard on prominent display at point of sale with the language below. For online sales, this language must be placed at the point of sale on the website or sales platform.
  
  "This product was produced in a home kitchen not subject to public health inspection that may also process common food allergens."
   
• Samples: If providing samples that will be prepared at location of sale, the Farmers Market Food Product Sampling application, fee and other requirements as listed on the application have been completed.
   
• Labels: All items for sale have been packaged with a proper label
   
• Water test results: If on a private water supply, a copy of water test results showing satisfactory E.coli/coliform bacteria  results has been submitted to the local health department.
   
• Acidified or fermented foods: requires one of the following:
   
  • Submit a recipe that has been tested by the United States Department of Agriculture National Center for Home Food Preservation or a cooperative extension system located in this State or any other state in the United States; or
     
  • Submit a written food safety plan for each category of products for which the cottage food operator uses the same procedures, such as pickles, kimchi, or hot sauce, and a pH test for a single product that is representative of that category
     
• Canned tomatoes or canned tomato products: requires one of the following:
  • Submit a recipe that has been tested by the United States Department of Agriculture National Center for Home Food Preservation or by a state cooperative extension located in this State or any other state in the United States; or
     
  • Submit a recipe, at the cottage food operator’s expense, to a commercial laboratory according to the commercial laboratory’s directions to test that the product has been adequately acidified