New Jersey Cottage Food Law: Required Food Safety Training

Each state has its own cottage food law, regulating what foods you can make and sell, how and where you can sell them, and what safety requirements you must meet.

Before you can operate a cottage food business, most states — including New Jersey — require you to complete an approved food safety training course, among other steps.

This article discusses the New Jersey cottage food law and whether you need food safety training to sell homemade food.

New Jersey cottage food production

New Jersey allows the production and sale of a wide variety of foods under its cottage food law as long as the foods don’t require time or temperature controls to keep them safe.

Examples of permitted foods include:

• Baked Goods: Cakes, cookies, breads, muffins
• Candy & Confections: Fudge, caramel, hard candy
• Chocolate Items: Chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-covered dried fruit
• Dried Goods: Dried fruit, dried pasta, dried herbs and seasonings
• Baking Mixes: Dry baking mixes like pancake or brownie mix
• Fruit Products: Jams, jellies, preserves, fruit pies, fruit empanadas, fruit tamales (excluding pumpkin)
• Snack Mixes: Granola, cereal, trail mix, popcorn, caramel corn
• Honey & Syrups: Processed honey, sweet sorghum syrup (not raw honey)
• Nut Products: Nuts, nut mixtures, nut butters
• Beverage Products: Roasted coffee, dried tea
• Condiments: Vinegar, mustard
• Specialty Items: Waffle cones, pizzelles

Foods you cannot sell under New Jersey’s cottage food law include:

• Baked Goods: Cheesecake, French toast, pancakes, waffles, crepes, focaccia with vegetables, cheese/cream-filled pastries, CBD- or alcohol-infused baked goods
• Candy: Cotton candy made or spun onsite
• Chocolate-Covered Items: Fresh fruit (e.g., strawberries), candy apples, candied or freeze-dried fruit or vegetables
• Dried Fruit: Bananas, plantains, strawberries
• Herbs & Seasonings: Fresh herbs, homegrown or foraged dried herbs, dried mushrooms, dried beans
• Dried Pasta: Raw pizza dough, egg noodles, pasta with egg
• Dry Mixes: Raw cookie dough
• Fruit Preserves: Pepper jelly, rhubarb jelly, tomato jelly or sauce
• Fruit-Filled Baked Goods: Pecan pie, pumpkin, sweet potato, yam, rhubarb, vegetable or meat pies, key lime or lemon pie, fresh/unbaked fruit, fruit tarts
• Fudge: Fudge with uncooked fruit toppings, no-bake fudge
• Granola & Trail Mix: Chickpeas, peas, banana chips, plantain chips, dried strawberries
• Honey & Syrups: Infused honey with particles, elderberry syrup, floral syrups (e.g., hibiscus, wildflower)
• Nuts & Seeds: Items with health or immunity claims, wildflower seeds
• Nut Butters: Sesame butter, tahini, fruit butters (apple, guava, fig), butters with alcohol
• Popcorn: Liquid toppings, liquid cheese, unapproved coating ingredients
• Coffee & Tea: Liquid beverages, fresh or foraged herbs/flowers/teas, homegrown dried herbs
• Vinegars & Mustards: Egg-based mustard, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, infused oils, alcohol-based vinegars (e.g., red wine, balsamic)
• Waffle Cones & Pizzelles: Fresh pancakes, waffles, crepes, cream toppings, cannoli

New Jersey allows you to sell directly to customers from your home, farmers’ market or farm stand, or temporary retail food establishment.

You may not sell to restaurants, stores, or anyone who intends to resell your product.

New Jersey does not regulate cottage food operations in the same way it regulates retail food establishments, but your local health department may inspect your kitchen if there is a complaint or concern about food safety.

Do You Need Food Safety Training to Sell Homemade Food in New Jersey?

To sell homemade food in New Jersey, you must earn your food manager certification — also known as the Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM).

You earn this certification by passing an exam accredited by the Conference for Food Protection and the ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB).

You’ll need to submit proof of your certification when submitting your cottage food permit application. It’s also good to keep this certificate in a safe and easily accessible, and while not required, it’s best practice to have it on display at the point of sale and posted on your website if you have one.

You must maintain the certification by passing the test every five years.

There are no prerequisites to take the exam, but it’s wise to study for it by completing a food manager training course, such as FoodSafePal’s.

FoodSafePal’s food manager training is clear, focused, and practical, with no filler — just what you need to know to feel confident on exam day.

Starting in September 2025, FoodSafePal will also offer the nationally accredited CFPM exam as part of its program.

Labeling requirements

New Jersey’s cottage food law requires that each product you sell is properly labeled with certain information.

Every product you sell must have a label that includes:

• the product’s common or usual name
• your name and business name
• your food operator’s permit number
• your town or municipality and “NJ”
• a complete ingredient list in descending order by weight
• allergen information, in a “Contains” statement
• the following statement:
  “This food is prepared pursuant prepared pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:24-11 in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Department of Health.”

If you make items that are not easily labeled like cupcakes or small items like chocolates, you must provide at least one tag with the full labeling information. You must also have a sign on display with your permit information and the statement: this food is prepared pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:24-11 in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Department of Health.

The bottom line

Under the New Jersey cottage food law, you can make and sell foods that don’t require time or temperature controls to keep them safe, like baked goods, dry mixes, canned jams, and more.

If you want to start a cottage food business in New Jersey, you must earn your Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification by passing an accredited exam.

FoodSafePal offers training to help you prepare for this exam — no fluff, just what you need to know. Starting in September 2025, the accredited exam will also be available directly through FoodSafePal.

After you pass the exam, you’ll receive a certificate valid for five years. You’ll need to include a copy of it with your application for approval.

Each food you make and sell must also have a label with the required information.