Prepackaged Food For Resale

Posted by Damian Roberti on January 10, 2022

Prepackaged food types

Baked goods, sweets, and high-acid canning are all low-risk prepackaged items, and many jurisdictions enable you to prepare them in your own home kitchen. Pickles, salsas, and jams are examples of these foods that have a low risk of foodborne illness. Any prepackaged food product containing potentially hazardous ingredients, such as meat, cheese, rice, beans, and even cooked vegetables, as well as any food that requires refrigeration, normally necessitates the use of a separate licensed commercial kitchen.

"How to Sell prepackaged Food"

Licensed Kitchens Come in a Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Despite the fact that many states allow you to prepare low-risk meals in your home kitchen, you must nevertheless follow a set of guidelines to ensure that your kitchen meets cottage kitchen rules. Before consenting to license your kitchen, the Oregon State Department of Agriculture examines your floor plan, recipes, processing, packaging, labeling, equipment, cleaning and sanitation, product date system, and child and pet management. The list may appear onerous, but many of the items on it, such as packaging and labeling, are things you'll need to think about anyway to get your business up and running.

"Selling prepackaged Food in California"

Many of the same requirements apply to licensed commercial kitchens as they do to cottage kitchens, particularly in terms of food safety and hygiene. You can even build a commercial kitchen on your property if it's zoned properly, but it can't be the same size as your personal kitchen. When it comes to cleanliness and food safety infrastructure, commercial kitchens are pushed to higher standards.

"How to Sell Packaged Food Online"

You'll need separate sinks for hand washing, cleaning vegetables, and mopping, for example. You'll also need enough refrigeration to keep potentially hazardous goods chilly enough to avoid contamination. The health inspector licensing your kitchen will need information regarding your menu, methods, and labeling, just like the cottage kitchen process.

Different Licenses, Different Sales Venues

The licensing process for prepackaged food differs based on where, how, and where you sell your products, in addition to the size of your company and the materials you use. If you sell prepackaged food cooked in a commercial kitchen directly to clients, such as at a farmers' market, in your own storefront, or by home delivery, your city or county health department will be your licensing agency.

Unless your products contain more than a small amount of meat or you're selling in other states, your state department of agriculture licenses your kitchen if you wholesale to retailers. In some circumstances, you'll deal with the federal Department of Agriculture to obtain a license. Cottage kitchens are licensed in many jurisdictions, and many states enable you to sell cottage kitchen products wholesale and retail.