Food Safety Training Requirements for Cottage Food Businesses

The number of homemade — or cottage food — businesses has increased significantly in recent years.

Fueling this demand is consumers’ growing interest in knowing where their food comes from and who produces it.

Each state has its own cottage food laws that regulate the types and quantities of food you can make and sell.

These laws also determine whether you need food safety training before operating a cottage food business.

This article outlines food safety training requirements for cottage food businesses to help you stay compliant with your state’s laws.

What is cottage food?

Cottage foods are those that generally don’t require time or temperature controls to keep them safe.

Common examples of cottage foods include:

• nuts, like almonds, walnuts, and cashews
• grains, like rice, corn, and oats
• seeds, like sunflower, sesame, and chia seeds
• dry mixes, like spices, baking or granola mixes, and coffee
• baked goods, like cookies, cakes, muffins, and breads
• confections, like hard candies and chocolate

These foods don’t provide bacteria with the environment or nutrients they need to survive and multiply.

As such, they are less likely to make people sick from a foodborne illness.

Conversely, most states generally prohibit the production and sale of foods with a favorable environment for bacterial growth, such as:

• cooked vegetables
• cooked hot dogs and pizza
• raw seed sprouts
• meats, poultry, and seafood
• dairy products
• cut melons, cut tomatoes, and leafy greens

These foods pose a greater risk of causing foodborne illnesses since they are common sources of pathogens or disease-causing organisms.

Most states require you to sell your homemade foods directly to consumers—in person at your residence, a farmers market, a roadside stand, or a temporary venue. They typically do not allow sales through third-party vendors like restaurants, grocery stores, or coffee shops.

Some states limit how much annual revenue you can make with your cottage food business, while others allow unlimited sales.

Food safety training requirements for cottage food business by state

Many states require that you take a food safety course before operating a cottage foods business.

Most of these states require ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-accredited food handler training.

Here are the food safety training requirements for cottage foods by state:

State	Food Safety Training Requirements for Cottage Foods
Alabama	Yes, an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Alaska	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Arizona	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Arkansas	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
California	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course.
Colorado	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Connecticut	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Delaware	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Florida	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Georgia	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Hawaii	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Idaho	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Illinois	Yes; an ANAB-Conference for Food Protection food safety manager course.
Indiana	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Iowa	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Kansas	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Kentucky	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Louisiana	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Maine	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Maryland	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Massachusetts	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Michigan	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Minnesota	Yes; a state-approved course.
Mississippi	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Missouri	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Montana	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Nebraska	Yes, an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
Nevada	Yes; but only for acidified foods.
New Hampshire	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
New Jersey	Yes; an ANAB-Conference for Food Protection food safety manager course.
New Mexico	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course.
New York	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
North Carolina	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
North Dakota	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Ohio	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Oklahoma	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Oregon	No, but food safety training is required to sell time-temperature control for safety foods.
Pennsylvania	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Rhode Island	Yes, an ANAB-accredited food handler training course or other state-approved food safety course.
South Carolina	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
South Dakota	No; but food safety training is required to sell canned goods.
Tennessee	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Texas	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course.
Utah	Yes, a state-approved food handler course.
Vermont	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Virginia	Yes; an ANAB-accredited food handler training course, unless you’re exempt.
Washington	Yes, a state-approved food handler course.
West Virginia	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Wisconsin	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.
Wyoming	No, but training builds customer trust, expands selling opportunities, and may lower insurance costs.

How to earn your food handler card as a cottage food operator

Most states that require food safety training for cottage food businesses require that the training be ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)-accredited.

Food handler training covers content specific to licensed food establishments like restaurants, markets, and food trucks, as well as places that make and serve food like healthcare facilities and daycares.

As a result, some of the content may not apply to your cottage food business.

However, you still must know and understand the material to pass the test at the end of the course and earn your food handler card.

Food handler courses cover topics like:

• good personal hygiene
• handwashing
• time and temperature controls
• cross-contact and cross-contamination prevention
• cleaning and sanitizing procedures

You can train and test with FoodSafePal in as little as 90 minutes.

Once you pass the test and earn your food handlers card, you can print or download it.

This card and certificate serve as proof that you successfully completed the training, which you can submit as part of your application with the state to sell homemade food.

The bottom line

Homemade or cottage food refers to food you make at home and sold directly to consumers — either in person, at a farmers market, or another temporary venue.

Many states require you to complete an ANAB-accredited food handler training course before operating a cottage food business.

You’ll earn a food handler certificate after passing the test, which you’ll typically need as proof of training when applying with your state to operate a cottage food business.