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Start your free trialCottage food laws by state vary. Cottage food laws in Michigan allow state residents to sell homemade foods at certain venues. However, there are rules and regulations for aspiring food artisans and cottage chefs to abide by. This article provides a quick overview of the most current cottage food laws in Michigan and discusses the state’s home chef licensing requirements.
Thinking about selling homemade food products in Michigan for money? Good for you! It's a growing trend that helps people supplement their income and live healthier lives. In Michigan, you're allowed to prepare various types of non-perishable foods and sell them directly to consumers at specific types of venues.
Some of the various products that you're allowed to prepare at home and sell include:
Starting a cottage food operation in Michigan is simple. The state makes it easy to get up and running. However, gross annual sales are limited to $25,000. Also, you won't be allowed to sell your products through grocery stores, retail stores, or via the Internet.
Does selling food from home Michigan require a cottage food license? Is there a penalty for selling food without a permit?
No. Not as long as you abide by the few parameters required by law.
Small-scale food artisans and home cottage chefs are allowed to sell specific homemade food items without penalty from the state without a license or kitchen inspections from the agricultural department.
However, the products must only be sold directly to consumers at certain locations, including fairs, farmer’s markets, and roadside stands.
Under the 2022 Michigan Cottage food law, non-potentially hazardous foods that require no refrigeration or temperature control for safety may be produced in a home kitchen. That means that you can use your primary domestic residence’s kitchen to prepare cottage foods for sale to the public.
You do not have to have your kitchen inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture to begin preparing and selling cottage foods. However, if you choose to launch a larger food operation to maximize your allowable gross annual sales, you may be subject to such inspections.
Michigan's Cottage Food Law makes it easy for new cottage cooks to launch their operations. However, because you were not subjected to licensing and inspection provisions, there are limitations to where you can sell the products you create. You may not sell your homemade food products:
That means that you wouldn't have to worry about shipping any of your food anywhere. That's against the law for cottage cooks in Michigan.
Selling cottage food products directly to customers allows aspiring home food entrepreneurs to test out the idea of whether or not they want to get into a food service business. It sounds simple, simple as pie, but the truth is there's a lot involved in running a successful food operation.
For those who have engaged in cottage food sales already and wish to advance their food operations to the next level, there are steps to take. Some home-based food artisans in Michigan find the $25,000 gross annual sales limit is not enough to suit their business plans.
Becoming a licensed food processor enables you to lift the gross annual sales limit. However, there are requirements that small-scale home-based cottage cooks are not subject to.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development provides various resources and tools for aspiring food business operators. Michigan cottage food law online training is required and offered by the Michigan State University Extension.
The state government of Michigan is very accommodating to people who wish to make healthy and delicious foods from home and sell them to the public. Michigan cottage food laws are more relaxed than many other states are. No license or kitchen inspection is required.
However, there are other considerations and regulations that you will need to address. Contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture to learn more about the specific requirements for becoming a cottage cook or licensed food business operator. Enjoy being a food artisan entrepreneur in the beautiful state of Michigan!
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