Home and Hearth BakerCottage food production operation
ORC 3715.01(A)(19), 3715.021, 3715.023, 3715.025, 3717.22(B); OAC 901:3-20-01 to 901:3-20-05 · ORC 3715.025 as enacted by HB 487 (129th GA, 2012); OAC 901:3-20 rules effective 2016-01-22
Yearly sales limit
No state limit
Permit or registration
Not required by the state
Food safety training
No
Where you make it
The person's home: the owner's primary residence with only one stove or oven used for cooking (a double oven is allowed), of ordinary residential design, in an ordinary kitchen (ODA)
Selling in person
Directly to consumers from the home; registered farm markets; farmers markets (prepackaged and labeled, no local license; open display needs a local temporary or mobile license); festivals organized by a political subdivision lasting no more than 7 consecutive days; registered farm product auctions
Phone and online orders
Not addressed by statute, rule, or the ODA fact sheet. Hamilton County Public Health says cottage foods may not be sold on the internet (see open questions)
Delivery and shipping
Not addressed; retail-license exemption in ORC 3717.22(B)(6) covers sales from the production site only (see open questions)
Selling out of state
No
Stores and wholesale
Allowed: licensed grocery stores, other retail food establishments, and restaurants/food service operations may sell or use labeled cottage food products
Examples you can sell
Non-potentially hazardous foods, and only items listed in OAC 901:3-20-04(A); no reduced oxygen packaging
- Non-potentially hazardous bakery products (cookies, breads, brownies, cakes, fruit pies per ODA)
- Unfilled baked donuts
- Pizzelles
- Waffle cones and waffle cones dipped in candy
- Jams, jellies, fruit butters, fruit chutneys
- Candy (ODA: includes no-bake cookies and chocolate-covered non-perishable items), not including fresh fruit dipped in or combined with candy
- Granola, granola bars, granola bars dipped in candy (fruit must be commercially dried)
- Popcorn, flavored popcorn, kettle corn, popcorn balls, caramel corn (not popping corn)
- Dry cereal and nut snack mixes with seasonings
- Roasted coffee, whole beans or ground
Not allowed
- Potentially hazardous foods (need time/temperature control), e.g. cheesecakes, custard or cream pies, pumpkin pies, cooked vegetables, garlic in oil (ODA examples)
- Acidified foods
- Low-acid canned foods
- Any food not listed in OAC 901:3-20-04(A)
- Fresh fruit dipped in, covered with, or combined with candy
- Egg noodles (ODA FAQ: need a home bakery license)
- Freezer jam and sugar-free jam (OSU Extension; not official, confirm with ODA)
- Products packed in reduced oxygen packaging (vacuum or modified atmosphere)
The statement your labels must carry
This product is home produced.
In type at least 10 point.