Starting a Cottage Food Business in Georgia:

Venues and Services Allowed:

• Events
• Farmers markets
• Home pickup
• Online
• Roadside stands

Venues and Services Prohibited:

• Restaurants
• Retail stores
• Wholesale

Cottage food operators must display their license at the point of sale. Georgia Laws on Selling Food from Home

Foods Allowed:

• Baked goods such as bread, biscuits, brownies, cakes, cookies, muffins, pizzelles, sweet breads
• Candies such as chocolate, cotton candy, fudge, truffles
• Dried fruits, spices and seasonings, pastries
• Jams and jellies, preserves
• Snacks such as caramel corn, chocolate-covered items, crackers, granola, kettle corn, nuts

Foods that are "non-potentially hazardous" are allowed, as long as they don't need to be refrigerated.

Prohibitions:

• Use of commercial equipment
• Selling products across state lines
• No pets in the kitchen area

Georgia Laws on Selling Food from Home

There is no limit on sales.

Requirements:

1. Business license: obtained from the county's permit department at a cost of \$50
2. ANSI-accredited food safety manager course: costs around \$100
3. Cottage food license: obtained by filling out an application form on the cottage food website for Georgia, with a fee of \$100 (or \$50 after June 30th), and listing the products to be sold.
4. Home inspection: performed by the Department of Agriculture or Environmental Health Department
5. Private well analysis: required if the water source is from a private well, at a cost of $100
6. Private sewer inspection: required if using a private sewage system, with a cost of $125 for checking and $300-$500 for pumping.

Startup costs may range from $275 to $1000.

Labelling Requirements:

• Business name and address
• Ingredients
• Net weight
• Product name
• Statement "made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to state food safety inspections".

If nutritional claims are made on the label, federal requirements for nutrition information must be followed. Special requirements for items not individually wrapped or packaged may apply.

Home Kitchen Requirements:

• All ingredients for the cottage food operation must be kept separate from personal ingredients. 

Starting a Cottage Food Business in Georgia:

• To sell food products from home in Georgia, an operator must first apply for a business license from their county's permits department, which costs \$50. Georgia Laws on Selling Food from Home
• They must then complete an ANSI-accredited food safety manager course, such as the Learn2Serve Food Safety Manager Online Course, which costs about \$100.
• The operator must then apply for a cottage food license by filling out a form on the cottage food website for Georgia, which costs \$100 (or \$50 after June 30th of the year). The operator must list the products they intend to sell on the application.
• Before getting a license, the Department of Agriculture or Environmental Health Department will inspect the cottage food operator's kitchen. If the operator uses a private water source, the water must be analyzed and approved before a license will be given, which costs $100. If the operator uses a private sewage system, they must have their septic tank checked ($125) and then pumped ($300-$500).

Allowed Foods and Venues:

• Only "non-potentially hazardous" foods are allowed, which are mostly foods that don't need to be refrigerated.
• Homemade food products can be sold at events, farmers markets, online, or roadside stands. Home pickup is also allowed.
• Prohibited venues for selling food products include restaurants and retail stores, and wholesale services are also prohibited.

Georgia Laws on Selling Food from Home

Labelling Requirements:

• The label must include the business name, business address, ingredients, net amount, product name, and statement.
• The statement on the label must read "MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS".
• If a nutritional claim is made on the label, federal requirements for nutrition information must be followed.
• Requirements for items that are not individually wrapped or packaged can be found in the cottage food bill.

Home Kitchen Requirements:

• All ingredients for the cottage food operation must be placed in a separate area from ingredients for personal use.
• The scale used to weigh cottage foods must be checked for accuracy by the Department of Agriculture.