Review the MDA Starting a New Wholesale Food Business webpage. This includes information on topics including:
- Applicable regulations such as Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food
- Additional specialized regulations (acidified foods, juice HACCP, seafood HACCP, etc.) may apply
- Source water and waste-water system requirements
- Food business zoning requirements
- Local authority inspections (e.g., building plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire)
- Certification of Occupancy (if necessary)
- Retail Plan Review (if applicable)
- Meat or dairy product information
It is your responsibility to become familiar with the applicable regulations and Minnesota Statues to ensure you are manufacturing food safely and in the best interest of public health. Depending on the food being produced in your facility, you may need to employ an individual with specialized training, seek additional education/training, or you may need to consult with an external source (university, expert, process authority, or laboratory).
Review the MDA Starting a New Wholesale Food Business webpage. This includes information on topics including:
- Applicable regulations such as Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food
- Additional specialized regulations (acidified foods, juice HACCP, seafood HACCP, etc.) may apply
- Source water and waste-water system requirements
- Food business zoning requirements
- Local authority inspections (e.g., building plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire)
- Certification of Occupancy (if necessary)
- Retail Plan Review (if applicable)
- Meat or dairy product information
It is your responsibility to become familiar with the applicable regulations and Minnesota Statues to ensure you are manufacturing food safely and in the best interest of public health. Depending on the food being produced in your facility, you may need to employ an individual with specialized training, seek additional education/training, or you may need to consult with an external source (university, expert, process authority, or laboratory).
Contact the MDA, determine your area Manufactured Food Program (MFP) inspector, and arrange an in-person inspection. The area MFP inspector will provide you with a paper copy of the MDA Wholesale Food Handler license application. An electronic form of the license application is NOT available through the MDA website.
Contact the MDA or submit a Food Licensing Liaison Request. You may also use our "Find Your Inspector" Tool to search for your inspector by your food business address or zip code.
- Your business plan an
d predominant mode of sales - Food storage location(s)
- Types of food storage: ambient, refrigerated and/or frozen
- Equipment and facility design
- Food suppliers or vendors
- Distribution methods
In addition to basic business information such as legal name, doing business as (DBA), physical, and mailing addresses, the following four items are required on the license application:
- Minnesota tax ID number (associated with the business name registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State) or your Social Security number (if filing as an individual).
- Workers Compensation Insurance policy number and effective dates if you plan on having paid or compensated employees (if applicable).
- Estimated gross annual food sales (July 1- June 30th annually)
- Check, money order, or cashier's check for the license fee
License fees are based on your gross annual food sales and food safety risk. If you are found operating without a license, then a no-license penalty fee will apply.
The adjusted fee schedule, effective August 1, 2025, starts on line 83.27 of House File 2446.
You must renew annually. Historically, wholesalers were required to renew licenses by June 30th each year. In 2026, all licenses will be moved to a January 1 through December 31 license period. All renewing Wholesale licenses will be converted to Food Handler licenses at a six-month prorated fee on July 1, 2026. Then, converted Wholesale licenses will renew starting January 1, 2027 for the full calendar year to get on the same licensing schedule as all Food Handlers. A license renewal form will be mailed to you prior to June this year. Licenses may be renewed online.
Review the MDA Starting a New Wholesale Food Business webpage. This includes information on topics including:
- Applicable regulations such as Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food
- Additional specialized regulations (acidified foods, juice HACCP, seafood HACCP, etc.) may apply
- Source water and waste-water system requirements
- Food business zoning requirements
- Local authority inspections (e.g., building plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire)
- Certification of Occupancy (if necessary)
- Retail Plan Review (if applicable)
- Meat or dairy product information
It is your responsibility to become familiar with the applicable regulations and Minnesota Statues to ensure you are manufacturing food safely and in the best interest of public health. Depending on the food being produced in your facility, you may need to employ an individual with specialized training, seek additional education/training, or you may need to consult with an external source (university, expert, process authority, or laboratory).
The Juice HACCP regulation applies to processors, repackers, or importers of juice sold at wholesale (sold or distributed to other business entities) including:
- 100% juice or juice concentrates (including persons using pasteurized or otherwise treated juice ingredients)
- Fruit or vegetable purees
- Non-Juice Beverage with a juice ingredient (e.g, lemonade using fresh squeezed lemon juice). NOTE: For beverages containing less than 100% juice, only the fresh juice ingredient is subject to HACCP principles
- Juice produced and sold within the same state as well as juice sold in interstate commerce
- Juice importers
The Juice HACCP regulation does NOT apply to:
- Juice produced at a retail establishment and sold exclusively and directly to consumers (e.g., stores, roadside stands, farmers markets, juice bars, etc.)
- Juice beverages (<100% juice) using only treated (i.e., pasteurized) juice ingredients which were produced under juice HACCP principles (e.g., juice beverage produced from a pasteurized concentrate or lemonade produced from pasteurized lemon juice)
- Fruit or vegetable by-products (e.g., citrus oil)
- Juice ingredient used in the production of a non-beverage food (e.g., fruit flavored candy)
- Beverages using whole fruits or vegetables without juice extraction (e.g., smoothies)
- Warehousing or storage of the juice only (without processing)
- Harvesting, picking, or transporting raw agricultural ingredients of juice products without otherwise engaging in processing
- Juice used solely as a starting material for a fermented alcoholic product (Ex. wine or hard cider) in which the juice becomes an alcoholic beverage and is no longer recognizable as juice at the time processing is complete
The Juice HACCP regulation applies to processors, repackers, or importers of juice sold at wholesale (sold or distributed to other business entities) including:
- 100% juice or juice concentrates (including persons using pasteurized or otherwise treated juice ingredients)
- Fruit or vegetable purees
- Non-Juice Beverage with a juice ingredient (e.g, lemonade using fresh squeezed lemon juice). NOTE: For beverages containing less than 100% juice, only the fresh juice ingredient is subject to HACCP principles
- Juice produced and sold within the same state as well as juice sold in interstate commerce
- Juice importers
The Juice HACCP regulation does NOT apply to:
- Juice produced at a retail establishment and sold exclusively and directly to consumers (e.g., stores, roadside stands, farmers markets, juice bars, etc.)
- Juice beverages (<100% juice) using only treated (i.e., pasteurized) juice ingredients which were produced under juice HACCP principles (e.g., juice beverage produced from a pasteurized concentrate or lemonade produced from pasteurized lemon juice)
- Fruit or vegetable by-products (e.g., citrus oil)
- Juice ingredient used in the production of a non-beverage food (e.g., fruit flavored candy)
- Beverages using whole fruits or vegetables without juice extraction (e.g., smoothies)
- Warehousing or storage of the juice only (without processing)
- Harvesting, picking, or transporting raw agricultural ingredients of juice products without otherwise engaging in processing
- Juice used solely as a starting material for a fermented alcoholic product (Ex. wine or hard cider) in which the juice becomes an alcoholic beverage and is no longer recognizable as juice at the time processing is complete
The Juice HACCP regulation applies to processors, repackers, or importers of juice sold at wholesale (sold or distributed to other business entities) including:
- 100% juice or juice concentrates (including persons using pasteurized or otherwise treated juice ingredients)
- Fruit or vegetable purees
- Non-Juice Beverage with a juice ingredient (e.g, lemonade using fresh squeezed lemon juice). NOTE: For beverages containing less than 100% juice, only the fresh juice ingredient is subject to HACCP principles
- Juice produced and sold within the same state as well as juice sold in interstate commerce
- Juice importers
The Juice HACCP regulation does NOT apply to:
- Juice produced at a retail establishment and sold exclusively and directly to consumers (e.g., stores, roadside stands, farmers markets, juice bars, etc.)
- Juice beverages (<100% juice) using only treated (i.e., pasteurized) juice ingredients which were produced under juice HACCP principles (e.g., juice beverage produced from a pasteurized concentrate or lemonade produced from pasteurized lemon juice)
- Fruit or vegetable by-products (e.g., citrus oil)
- Juice ingredient used in the production of a non-beverage food (e.g., fruit flavored candy)
- Beverages using whole fruits or vegetables without juice extraction (e.g., smoothies)
- Warehousing or storage of the juice only (without processing)
- Harvesting, picking, or transporting raw agricultural ingredients of juice products without otherwise engaging in processing
- Juice used solely as a starting material for a fermented alcoholic product (Ex. wine or hard cider) in which the juice becomes an alcoholic beverage and is no longer recognizable as juice at the time processing is complete
Juice is the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables, purees of the edible portions of one of more fruits or vegetables, or any concentrates of such liquid or puree.
Juice concentrate means the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables and reduced in weight and volume through the removal of water from the juice.
Juice is the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables, purees of the edible portions of one of more fruits or vegetables, or any concentrates of such liquid or puree.
Juice concentrate means the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables and reduced in weight and volume through the removal of water from the juice.
- Processing - includes grinding, squeezing, extracting, expressing, pureeing or other actions to obtain the juice.
- Processor – means any person engaged in commercial, custom, or institutional processing of juice products, either domestic or foreign, including any person engaged in the processing of juice products that are intended for use in market or consumer tests.
- Retail Establishment – means an operation that provides juice directly to consumers and does not sell or distribute juice to other businesses. The term "provides" includes storing, preparing, packaging, serving, and selling juice.
