The number of registered Minnesota cottage food producers has continued to grow since the Cotta
2024 Field Crop Annual Report656.86 KB
The Food Safety Modernization Act was passed in 2011 and was the first major revision of food safety regulation
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Any Private Pesticide Applicator in Minnesota using fumigants in an on-farm operat |
Cottage food can be produced in a home kitchen or in a commercial kitchen, as long as you follow local ordinances. Commercial kitchens offer the equipment and spaces usually required for a food license issued by the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, or one of their delegated regulatory agency.
As is always the case, do not make, sell, or store cottage food in your home if anyone in the household is sick. Follow good food safety practices of proper hand hygiene, preventing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, and regular cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces.
Where can I make cottage food?
Cottage food can be produced in a home kitchen or in a commercial kitchen, as long as you follow local ordinances. Commercial kitchens offer the equipment and spaces usually required for a food license issued by the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, or one of their delegated regulatory agency.
As is always the case, do not make, sell, or store cottage food in your home if anyone in the household is sick. Follow good food safety practices of proper hand hygiene, preventing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, and regular cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces.
Yes. The cottage food law does not specifically prohibit a producer from bringing bulk containers of qualified products like baked goods to a market or event and package per customer order using tongs, deli tissue, or disposable gloves. In addition, dispensing food from bulk containers into packages is different from sampling, so producers who dispense food are not required to meet the food product sampling requirements and restrictions specified in Minnesota Statute 28A.151.
However, cottage food producers do need to protect their food from sources of contamination to prevent adulteration according to Minnesota Statute 31.02, Prohibited Acts. Therefore, access to a handwashing station is necessary to prevent contamination from hands while working with unpackaged, ready-to-eat food. Bare hand contact is not allowed, and hand sanitizer is not a substitution for handwashing. A producer can either supply their own handwashing station (like the example below) or work with market managers to provide convenient, timely access to a handwashing station as needed. The food also needs to be protected while available for sale, such as in an enclosed display case or other type of covered container.
Labels that meet cottage food law requirements still need to be provided with food items given to customers. Labels can be applied to packages or containers prior to going to market, or provided at the time of dispensing the food by attaching them to packages or containers or handing them to the customer.
50. Can I bring unpackaged, bulk containers of cottage foods (like cupcakes) to a farmers' market or community event, and hand out the food after the customer chooses what they want to buy?
Yes. The cottage food law does not specifically prohibit a producer from bringing bulk containers of qualified products like baked goods to a market or event and package per customer order using tongs, deli tissue, or disposable gloves. In addition, dispensing food from bulk containers into packages is different from sampling, so producers who dispense food are not required to meet the food product sampling requirements and restrictions specified in Minnesota Statute 28A.151.
However, cottage food producers do need to protect their food from sources of contamination to prevent adulteration according to Minnesota Statute 31.02, Prohibited Acts. Therefore, access to a handwashing station is necessary to prevent contamination from hands while working with unpackaged, ready-to-eat food. Bare hand contact is not allowed, and hand sanitizer is not a substitution for handwashing. A producer can either supply their own handwashing station (like the example below) or work with market managers to provide convenient, timely access to a handwashing station as needed. The food also needs to be protected while available for sale, such as in an enclosed display case or other type of covered container.
Labels that meet cottage food law requirements still need to be provided with food items given to customers. Labels can be applied to packages or containers prior to going to market, or provided at the time of dispensing the food by attaching them to packages or containers or handing them to the customer.
