Home and Hearth BakerHome processor (NCDA&CS home kitchen inspection)
N.C. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, G.S. 106-120 et seq. (Chapter 106, Article 12), esp. G.S. 106-129, 106-130, 106-139, 106-140; 02 NCAC 09B .0116 (adopts 21 CFR, incl. Part 117) and .0135; NCDA&CS Food and Drug Protection Division Home Processor program (agency program; no statute or rule written for home kitchens)
Yearly sales limit
No state limit
No sales limit found in G.S. Chapter 106 Article 12, 02 NCAC 09B, or NCDA&CS home processor pages.
No sales limit found in G.S. Chapter 106 Article 12, 02 NCAC 09B, or NCDA&CS home processor pages.
Permit or registration
Inspection required before making or selling food; no permit is issued
Home processor inspection; inspector gives an inspection report and a 'Notice of Inspection'
N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Food and Drug Protection Division, Food Program
Fee: No fee (NCDA&CS)
Official page
Home processor inspection; inspector gives an inspection report and a 'Notice of Inspection'
N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Food and Drug Protection Division, Food Program
Fee: No fee (NCDA&CS)
Official page
Food safety training
Only for acidified foods (e.g., pickles, BBQ sauce): an Acidified Foods Course certificate may be required (NCDA&CS; 21 CFR 114 and 108)
NC State Acidified Foods Manufacturing School (if required)
NC State Acidified Foods Manufacturing School (if required)
Where you make it
The kitchen inside the home (NCDA&CS). A kitchen in a garage, basement, or separate building is not home processing and is treated as a commercial business. No pets may enter the home at any time, even only at night. Food-contact surfaces smooth and easy to clean; no insects, rodents, or other pests; kitchen and bathroom sinks with hot and cold running water (kitchen sink for food prep only, wash hands at a separate or bathroom sink); thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer; shielded or shatterproof light bulbs; waste to sewer or septic. Water: a recent water bill (or a letter from the leasing office or other bill payer) for public water, or a certified-lab coliform and E. coli test less than one year old for a private well (no store-bought kits). Standards: 21 CFR 117 Subpart B (NCDA&CS).
Selling in person
Allowed: retail from home (pickup), farmers markets, special events (NCDA&CS); Wake County also lists roadside stands
Phone and online orders
Not addressed by NCDA&CS. Wake County Environmental Health lists online sales for NCDA&CS-inspected home producers (see open questions)
Delivery and shipping
Allowed by implication: NCDA&CS label guidance mentions products sold on demand directly to consumers by home pickup, delivery, or at special events
Selling out of state
Not addressed by NCDA&CS (Home and Hearth Baker supports in-state sales only)
Stores and wholesale
Allowed: retail stores, distributors, and restaurants; products must be labeled (NCDA&CS)
Examples you can sell
Low-risk, shelf-stable foods that do not need refrigeration or freezing (NCDA&CS)
- Baked goods that do not need refrigeration (breads, cakes, pies, cookies)
- Jams, jellies, and preserves
- Candies, including freeze-dried candies
- Dried mixes and spices
- Honey and peanuts (listed on the NCDA&CS application)
- Some liquids, such as iced tea, coffee, and lemonade
- Some sauces, after evaluation for shelf stability
- Acid and acidified foods such as pickles and BBQ sauce, after testing
Not allowed
- Refrigerated or frozen products
- Low-acid canned foods
- Dairy products
- Seafood
- Bottled water or juice
- Bakery items with cream or cream cheese fillings
- Cheesecakes
- Prepackaged retail items that need refrigeration
- Meat and meat-containing products (regulated by the NCDA&CS Meat and Poultry Inspection Service, not this program)