Tennessee Cottage Food Laws

Which foods are subject to the tennessee cottage food law.

Tennessee cottage food laws. Tennessee has updated their laws to exempt basic home based food processors from a license and kitchen inspection. 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. Knoxville tennessee gov. A domestic kitchen is much more difficult to setup requiring training permits plans and a home inspection.

Although a license or inspection from the ag department is no longer required producers can only sell in person at certain venues. However they still allow home based food businesses under the domestic kitchen law which allows indirect sales to restaurants and retail stores. Cottage food law in 2012 tennessee updated their home based food laws to make it much easier for cooks to sell their homemade food. The recently passed law alters tenn.

Below are the pertinent details. To ensure compliance with the tennessee food safety act every food service establishment is inspected between one and four times per year depending on various factors such as the complexity of the food operation and level of active managerial control over foodborne illness risk factors to ensure compliance with the tennessee food safety act. Baked goods that do not require refrigeration. Cottage food laws are a set of more lenient regulations so small entrepreneurs such as you or me can sell homemade foods to the public.

Jams jellies and preserves. Bill haslam recently signed into law a bill that brings changes to how foods produced in home kitchens are regulated. Most states now have these cottage food laws now that don t require a licensed kitchen. Dried baking or spice blends.

The changes are effective immediately. 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. 53 1 208 by adding wording to address the following criteria for non potentially hazardous foods manufactured from a domestic kitchen. 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.

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.