usa

Cottage Food Law in the USA State of Georgia

By foodmicrobiologyacademyPosted on March 25, 2025Posted in Food Regulations & Industry PracticesTagged cottage food, food regulations, food standards, regulatory affairs, usaNo Comments

This article was originally published on 29 August 2024 by Gavin Van De Walle of FoodSafePal, under the title, Georgia Cottage Food Law: Food safety training requirements. It is reproduced here, with permission. FoodSafePal is a trusted collaborative partner of ours, who provides food handler training in the United States. If you need food safety training to become a food handler in the United States, then do consider FoodSafePal – they can ensure your compliance with the cottage food laws in your state. Plus, as a special bonus, if you do take up food handler training from FoodSafePal, you can obtain $5 USD off the training, just by entering the discount code ‘foodsafety1’ during the registration process. Food that you make at home and sell to other people directly is known as cottage food. Each state has its own cottage food law, regulating the types of foods you can sell, to whom and how, and even how much you revenue you can earn each year from selling cottage food. Before you can open for business, some states require that you complete a food safety course. This article discusses the Georgia cottage food law, and whether you need food safety training to sell homemade food. Georgia cottage food production Georgia allows the production and sale of homemade goods that don’t require time or temperature controls to keep them safe. Allowed foods include: bread loafs, rolls, and biscuits cakes pastries and cookies candies and confections fruit pies jams, jellies, and preserves dried fruits dry herbs, seasonings, and mixtures cereals, trail mixes, and granola coated or uncoated nuts vinegar and flavored vinegar popcorn, popcorn balls, and cotton candy Georgia allows you to sell these non-potentially hazardous foods in person, at events, and online, but you cannot sell across state lines or to retail stores or restaurants. Conversely, you cannot produce time-temperature controlled for safety (TCS), such as: meat (beef, pork, lamb) poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), including eggs fish, shellfish, and crustaceans milk and dairy products cooked, plant-based foods like rice, beans, potatoes, or soy products like tofu mushrooms raw sprouts untreated garlic and oil mixtures Georgia’s cottage food law requires a license to operate a cottage food business. These license are good for one year and must be renewed annually. To apply for a license, you must ensure there are no local ordinances that would prevent you from operating a home-based business, your water quality is acceptable, and complete an approved food safety training or handling course. Do you need food safety training to sell homemade food in Georgia? As part of your cottage food license application, you must complete an approved food safety course and provide a copy of the certificate issued upon completion. Georgia only accepts food safety training courses that are ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accredited. FoodSafePal’s Food Handler training course is ANAB-accredited so it meets Georgia’s food safety training requirement for cottage food operators. The course was created for employees in commercial food establishments like restaurants and healthcare facilities, so some of the content isn’t applicableto cottage food businesses. However, the course still covers the essential food safety principles you must know to keep the food you produce and sell safe from contaminants and disease-causing organisms known as pathogens that can make someone sick. After completing the course, you must pass a 40-multiple-choice question test to earn your Georgia’s approved food handler certificate. You will need to include a copy of the certificate that you earn with your cottage food license application so don’t forget to print it after you pass. The bottom line Under Georgia’s cottage food law, you can produce and sell foods that don’t require time or temperature controls like baked or other dry goods directly to people throughout the state. If you want to start a cottage food business in Georgia, you must first apply for a license. With this application, you must include a copy of an ANAB-accredited food handler certificate, which you can earn by taking an online food handler training course, like FoodSafePal’s. Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RDN Gavin Van De Walle holds a master’s degree in human nutrition and food science. He is also a registered dietitian nutritionist who aims to make food safety intuitive and accessible for everyone.

Indiana Cottage Food Law and Food Safety Training in the United States

By foodmicrobiologyacademyPosted on March 10, 2025Posted in Food Regulations & Industry PracticesTagged cottage food, food industry, food regulations, Food safety, foodborne disease, regulatory affairs, usaNo Comments

This article was originally published on 5 May 2024 by Gavin Van De Walle of FoodSafePal, under the title, Indiana Cottage Food Law: Food safety training requirements. It is reproduced here, with permission. FoodSafePal is a trusted collaborative partner of ours, who provides food handler training in the United States. If you need food safety training to become a food handler in the United States, then do consider FoodSafePal – they can ensure your compliance with the cottage food laws in your state. Plus, as a special bonus, if you do take up food handler training from FoodSafePal, you can obtain $5 USD off the training, just by entering the discount code “foodsafety1”. Food that you make at home and sell directly to people is known as cottage food. Each state has its own cottage food law that determines the types of foods you can sell, to whom and how you can sell them, and how much revenue you can earn each year from the sale of your homemade goods. Before you can start a cottage food business, most states have certain requirements, a major one being the completion of an approved food safety training course. This article discusses the Indiana cottage food law, and whether you need food safety training to sell homemade food. Indiana cottage food production Indiana allows the production and sale of homemade goods that don’t require time or temperature controls to keep them safe. Examples of approved foods include: baked items, like cookies, cakes, fruit pies, cupcakes, bars, yeast breads, fruit breads, baguettes (no creme or pumpkin pies) candy and confections, like caramels, chocolate, fudge, peanut brittle, chocolate covered fruits, bon bons, buckeyes, chocolate covered nuts unprocessed fruits and vegetables tree nuts and legumes pickled cucumbers processed using a traditional method (no vinegar or acidifier) in-shell chicken eggs (with Egg Board license and labeling) some rabbit and poultry (with restrictions) honey, molasses, sorghum, maple syrup Except with certain restrictions, you cannot sell meats and other animal products. Indiana requires that you sell the allowed foods directly to Indiana residents in person, by mail order, or through the internet. Indiana regulates cottage food businesses — called home based vendors — different than retail food establishments like restaurants, so you don’t need a license or permit and the department of health also won’t routinely inspect your home kitchen. However, the department of health can inspect your inspection if the receive customer complaints about the safety of the food you sell or to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks potentially linked with your products. Misbranding your product is also grounds for the state to inspect your kitchen. Indiana has no restriction on the annual revenue you can earn from the sale of your homemade goods. Do you need food safety training to sell homemade food in Indiana? Indiana requires that you obtain a food handler certificate from a certificate issuer that is accredited by the ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB). A food handlers certificate proves that you have completed a course on basic food safety principles and passed a test about these principles. FoodSafePal’s Food Handler course is ANAB accredited so it meets Indiana’s cottage food law requirements for food safety training. FoodSafePal’s Food Handler course is designed for food workers in retail food establishments so some of the content isn’t applicable to cottage food operators. Still, it covers the important food safety principles you must know to keep your homemade products safe from disease-causing organisms called pathogens that can make people sick. After you complete the course content, you must take a test and answer at least 28 (70%) out of 40 multiple-choice question to pass and earn your food handlers certificate and card. You can learn and test in under two hours completely online. Upon passing, you can immediately download or print it as proof that you have completed the training. Keep this certificate in a safe and easily accessible place as you must provide a copy as requested by the state department of health or a customer. You must maintain the training by retaking and passing the course every three years. Labeling requirements Indiana’s cottage food law requires that each food is properly labeled with certain information. This information allow people to whom you sell contact you in the case of an illness potentially linked to your product. It also informs customers of allergens that may be present and that the food is produced in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the health department. This label must include the following information: your business name and address the common or usual name of the product the ingredients listed in descending order of predominance by weight the net weight or volume of the food by standard measure or numerical count the statement in 10 point type: This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health. NOT FOR RESALE. If you have a website, you must post the label of each product on it. The bottom line Under the Indiana cottage food law, you can produce and sell foods that don’t require time or temperature controls like baked and other dry goods directly to people throughout the state. If you want to start a cottage food business in Indiana, you must first earn a food handlers card by completing and passing an ANAB-accredited food handler training course, such as the one offered by FoodSafePal. After you complete the course and pass the test, you will be issued a certificate as proof of completion. You must maintain this certificate by retaking an approved food safety course every three years. Each food you make and sell must also have a label with the required information. Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RDN Gavin Van De Walle holds a master’s degree in human nutrition and food science. He is also a registered dietitian nutritionist who aims to make food safety intuitive and accessible for everyone.

The Food Safety Modernization Act: Transforming Food Safety Practices in the USA

By foodmicrobiologyacademyPosted on June 7, 2023Posted in Food Regulations & Industry PracticesTagged fda, food microbiologist, food microbiology, food science, food standards, foodborne disease, microbiology, regulatory affairs, usa, world food safety dayNo Comments

Today, 7 June 2023, is World Food Safety Day, a day the World Health Organisation has set aside to focus on failings in food safety and to celebrate achievements in food safety. This year’s theme is about how food standards in food safety save lives. There’s no doubt that they do. When one looks back to the 19th century, even, or maybe especially, in the the great industrialised nations of the modern world, up and coming food manufacturers, either out of ignorance or deliberately, manufactured foods that were certainly not in the public’s best interests. While we don’t have the level of morbidity and mortality we once did, there’s no doubt that foodborne disease represents a totally unacceptable high amount of illness, death and economic burden in our communities. What makes it even more difficult to understand is that foodborne illness is largely preventable, through the following of procedures, processes and protocols that have been developed following rigorous basic scientific research. Thus, food standards at all levels (local, state, federal), play an absolutely critical role in safeguarding the food supply of a nation. In this article, we want to focus on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a turning point in food safety in the United States that came into being only 12 years ago. IntroductionFSMA, enacted in 2011, is a landmark legislation that revolutionized food safety practices in the United States. Designed to address the challenges posed by an increasingly complex and global food supply chain, the FSMA introduced a comprehensive framework to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply. This article examines the key provisions of the FSMA, its impact on the food industry, and the strides made in safeguarding public health through enhanced preventive measures and regulatory oversight. Overview of the FSMAThe FSMA shifted the focus of food safety in the USA from reactive measures to a proactive, preventive approach. It empowered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the authority to set stringent standards and regulations across the entire food supply chain, from farm to fork. The act encompasses several key components, including preventative controls, inspections, import safety, response to outbreaks, and enhanced partnerships. Preventive controlsOne of the cornerstones of the FSMA is the establishment of preventive controls to identify and address potential hazards before they can cause harm. This includes the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) by food facilities. HARPC mandates a systematic approach to evaluate and prevent biological, chemical, and physical hazards in food production, processing, and distribution. It requires food manufacturers to develop and implement comprehensive food safety plans, conduct regular risk assessments, and institute preventive measures. Inspections and complianceThe FSMA introduced a risk-based inspection strategy to ensure compliance with food safety standards. It provided the FDA with increased authority to conduct inspections, sampling, and testing of food facilities. The act also mandated the establishment of a third-party certification program, enabling accredited auditors to assess and certify compliance with the FSMA requirements. Non-compliant facilities can be subject to corrective actions, penalties, and even product recalls if necessary. Import safetyRecognizing the importance of imported foods in the American market, the FSMA strengthened the FDA’s oversight of imported food products. It mandated the development of a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), which places responsibility on importers to verify that their foreign suppliers meet U.S. safety standards. The act also granted the FDA authority to refuse entry to imported goods from non-compliant facilities and increased the frequency of inspections for high-risk products. Outbreak response and partnershipsIn the event of a foodborne illness outbreak, the FSMA equipped the FDA with enhanced tools to respond swiftly and effectively. It established a food tracing system to track and trace products throughout the supply chain, enabling rapid identification of the source of contamination. Furthermore, the FSMA emphasized collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies, as well as industry stakeholders, to share information and resources and foster a culture of proactive food safety practices. Impact and challengesThe FSMA has had a profound impact on the food industry, leading to improved food safety practices and reduced foodborne illnesses. By shifting the focus towards prevention, the act has encouraged proactive measures, such as better recordkeeping, increased training, and improved sanitation practices. However, implementing the FSMA’s requirements posed challenges for smaller farms and food facilities due to resource constraints and compliance costs. To address these concerns, the FDA has provided educational resources, technical assistance, and flexibility in certain compliance deadlines. ConclusionThe Food Safety Modernization Act has transformed the landscape of food safety in the USA. By prioritizing prevention, enhancing regulatory oversight, and fostering collaboration, the FSMA has made significant strides in safeguarding public health and strengthening consumer confidence in the nation’s food supply. Continuous

Cottage Food Law in the USA State of Georgia

Indiana Cottage Food Law and Food Safety Training in the United States

The Food Safety Modernization Act: Transforming Food Safety Practices in the USA

Quick Links

Others & Legal