Tennessee Cottage Food Law

Foods that need time and temperature control for safety known as tcs foods generally include foods like milk and dairy products eggs meat beef pork and lamb poultry fish shellfish and crustaceans baked potatoes tofu or other soy protein sprouts and sprout seeds sliced melons cut tomatoes cut leafy greens untreated garlic and oil mixtures and cooked rice beans and vegetables.

Tennessee cottage food law. Knoxville tennessee gov. Typically the department of health or the department of agriculture approves and oversees cottage food businesses. They forwarded my question to the person listed above. The text of the new law made effective in april 2017 now called state of tennessee public chapter number 1105 is provided as appendix a.

The new law allows tennesseans who manufacture for sale non potentially hazardous foods baked goods candy jams and jellies for example in a home kitchen to forgo inspection and permitting by the tennessee department of agriculture regulatory services division. However they still allow home based food businesses under the domestic kitchen law which allows indirect sales to restaurants and retail stores. A domestic kitchen is much more difficult to setup requiring training permits plans and a home inspection. Faith critzer extension food safety specialist.

Most states now have these cottage food laws now that don t require a licensed kitchen. Bill haslam recently signed into law a bill that brings changes to how foods produced in home kitchens are regulated. Although a license or inspection from the ag department is no longer required producers can only sell in person at certain venues. Tennessee s cottage food industry faith critzer assistant professor department of food science nathan miller extension assistant department of food science rob holland.

The tennessee cottage food laws are for those individuals who elect to forgo inspection and permitting but must meet certain stipulations. A home based bakery business must follow the same regulations as other tennessee businesses which are required to register as a business and acquire a federal employer identification number. 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. I emailed the dept of agriculture who oversees the domestic kitchen operations when the domestic kitchen law changed to not having to have a licensed kitchen.

You cannot make decorated cakes to order from home in tn according to to dr. Cottage food laws are for people who want to sell shelf stable and low risk food products from their home without the necessity of a commercial kitchen or regulatory inspections. The changes are effective immediately. All food items packaged in a domestic kitchen must be properly labeled prior to sale.

Tennessee has updated their laws to exempt basic home based food processors from a license and kitchen inspection. The following at a minimum must be present on all food items figure 1.