Requirements for selling food from home or the farm

If you have ever considered making and selling food or selling farm products direct to consumers, here are some answers to a few frequently asked questions we receive at Ohio State University Extension. These answers are specific to Ohio. Please check with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture or Penn State Extension for applicable rules in Pennsylvania.

Can I make food in my home to sell?

Ohio law allows cottage foods to be made in a person’s home without an inspection or license to sell. There is a specific, limited list of foods that can be made including baked goods, jams, dried mixes and more. These foods do not require temperature control to keep them safe for us to eat. The foods must be properly packaged and labeled, including the declaration “This food is home produced.” Cottage foods produced in Ohio can be sold only in Ohio.

Baked goods that require refrigeration, such as cheesecakes, cream pies, noodles or fry pies, require a home bakery license from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. This is $10 per year and requires a kitchen inspection. You can learn more about all ODA food licenses at agri.ohio.gov/divisions/food-safety.

Can I sell salsa, sauces or pickles that I make in my home? Fresh salsa, sauces and pickles require refrigeration, so they cannot be sold fresh. Since these foods require the correct acidity and heat processing to make them safe as a canned product, they cannot be made in the home and sold. They can be made in an approved, inspected facility (like a shared-use establishment) where a process authority reviews the ingredients and processing for food safety.

Can I dehydrate or freeze-dry herbs or fruits or candy to sell?

This has become a popular question lately as the availability of home freeze-dryer units has increased. Any food you dehydrate or freeze dry at home cannot be sold, including candy. Also, none of these dehydrated or freeze-dried foods can be added as ingredients to other food items for sale, including dry mixes for dips or soups.

Do I need a license to sell eggs? Ohioans can sell eggs from the farm without an inspection or license as long as they maintain 500 or fewer birds. If you want to sell eggs off the farm at a farmers market, restaurant or retail store, then an inspection is required. ODA will inspect your farm for safe water, correct refrigerator temperature and properly labeled egg cartons. Selling to consumers off farm also requires a low risk Mobile Retail Food Establishment license from your local Public Health District.

Do I need a license to sell freezer meat?

There are a couple of approaches to selling freezer beef, pork, lamb and goat that you raise. If you want to sell whole, halves or quarters, then you can work with either a custom processor or fully inspected processor. Customers can pick up meat directly from the processor, or the farmer can deliver directly from the processor to the customer. In this case, there is no license required for the farmer. If you want to store frozen individual cuts to sell out of a freezer from your property or off farm at a farmers market, then you are required to have an inspection from ODA to obtain a warehouse registration. You will also need to obtain a low risk Mobile Retail Food Establishment license from your local Public Health District to sell the meat cuts.

OSU Extension has several resources to help you in your food business journey. Our Food Business Team presented the “Starting a Food Business” webinar series in 2023. You can view these free recordings at go.osu.edu/startingafoodbusiness. We also offer the “Food Business Central” online course.

Navigating food regulations, establishing a new business and applying best practices for food safety can be challenges for food entrepreneurs. This self-paced course equips food entrepreneurs with knowledge and strategies to launch a successful farm-raised or home-based food business in Ohio. The cost of the course is $25; register at go.osu.edu/foodbusinesscentral.

There are many helpful resources from Penn State Extension including their “Food for Profit” online course and many free recorded webinars and articles. A great place to start is the Resources for Food Entrepreneurs website, extension.psu.edu/food-entrepreneurs. There are many things to consider but it could be the right next step for you.

I will leave you with this quote from Colin Powell, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”