How Can I Sell My Home-Canned Foods, Like Jams, Salsa, Sauces, Fruits and Vegetables

Looking for How Can I Sell My Home-Canned Foods, Like Jams, Salsa, Sauces, Fruits and Vegetables in 2024?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.  If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

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How Can I Sell My Home-Canned Foods, Like Jams, Salsa, Sauces, Fruits and Vegetables

Starting a Food Business - How to Start Selling Home-Canned Salsa, Jams and Other Food Products

Do you make a salsa, jam, jelly, sauce, chili, cookie, cake or other food that friends and family rave about and say, "You should sell that!"? Are you are thinking about starting a food business, there are many regulatory requirements that you will need to satisfy; some general and some are specific to a particular food product, such as dairy, low-acid canned food, seafood, or juice. This page will walk you through the basic requirements and resources available.

Food Regulations:

• Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) requirements,
• Other federal rules
• State, and local requirements.

You may want to start by discussing your specific product and facility with the FDA District Office and the state and local regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction.

Where to start

The production and sales of processed foods is governed by state and federal regulations. Each state is different, so proper advice is needed from a specialist in each state. Some states allow sales at farmer's markets of select foods; others prohibit sales altogether. Most states now have cottage food laws now that don't require a licensed kitchen. In those states, you can sell at a farmers market or roadside stand jams and jellies as well as baked goods that don't require refrigeration. Typically, in those states, you just need to label them with the weight or volume, our name, our address, the words "this item is home produced" and all the ingredients in order by weight. Usually, you can not do anything 'acidified' (like pickles), anything pressure canned, or anything needing refrigeration. For this we don't need a licensed kitchen or any inspections. "

Cottage food laws are applicable to very small startup food businesses that sell certain types of food products.

Step 1 - Can I make it as a "Cottage food"?

Step 2 - If not, Is there a licensed commercial kitchen I can use?

Step 3 - If no commercial kitchen is available, can I get a co-packer to make it for me?

Let's look at those options:

Option 1 - States with Cottage Food Laws

The vast majority of us now live in states that either have cottage food laws or exemptions. So, unless you live in KS, ND, MT, NJ or RI, click on the link below:

See this page for specific information for your state - (EXCEPT for Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, New Jersey  and Rhode Island)

So FIRST - check to see if your food and circumstances qualify as a "cottage food" (also called "home food processor" in some states)

States without Cottage food laws or exemptions:

Click here if you live in Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, New Jersey and Rhode Island

Option 2 - Can I make it in a commercial kitchen?

A commercial kitchen is a licensed, inspected kitchen that meets the rigorous food safety standards.  Virtually NO home kitchen would meet this, nor pass an inspection.  And it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to try to convert your home kitchen. Don't even think about it. A much better approach is to simply rent a licensed kitchen when it is not in use.  A restaurant that is only open in the evenings for example, may be available in the mornings. See this page for local commercial kitchens that advertised they are for rent.

Option 3 - It isn't a cottage food and I can't find a commercial kitchen to use: Co-Packers

Don't give up. Perhaps what you want to do does not fall under the cottage food laws. In that case, you're starting a regular food business. These pages will help you understand how to do that:

1. CoPackers: Want to Sell Your Salsa, Preserves, Jams, Etc.? Learn About Using A CoPacker to Prepare It!
2. Food testing Labs: Selling your Preserves? See This List of Labs that Can Test Your Homemade, Home-Canned Foods

Going Big Time: Registering food Products with the FDA

• Registration for Acidified and Low-Acid Foods
  If you are producing an acidified or low acid canned food, you must register your facility and your scheduled process. All commercial acidified and low-acid canned food processors located in the United States and all processors in other countries who process acidified or low-acid canned food products for export to the United States must register with the FDA. Processing plants must also submit process filing forms containing scheduled process information for each acidified and low-acid canned food produced, and must meet all other requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. Importers, wholesalers, distributors, brokers, etc. are excluded from the requirement to register.
• The registration is done via an online form: FDA - Liberty Food Facility Registration
  This page provides more info (the registration process has been outsources to
  LIBERTY MANAGEMENT GROUP LTD.
  75 Executive Drive, Suite 114, Aurora, Illinois, USA - 60504.
  Phone : +1 (630) 270-2921
  Fax : +1 (815) 986-2632
  E-mail : info@fdahelp.us.
• More information can be found here:
  • FDA Registration Certificate
  • U.S. FDA Agent Requirements
  • FDA Agent Services
  • Food Registration - FAQ
  • Food Registration - Answers
  • Export Certificates
  • FDA Registration & US Agent Fees

Insurance

Starting and running a food business can be a high-risk endeavor. Liability insurance protects against financial losses due to allegations of bodily injury or property damage to others

• from your product or activities,
• claims that your product caused injury

Typical policies provide $1 million in coverage. usually, $1 million in coverage is required to rent commercial kitchens or work in kitchen incubators.

You may also want to purchase other types of insurance, like:

• property insurance,
• workers compensation,
• commercial auto insurance,
• business interruption insurance,
• disability income protection,
  

Making Health, Nutrition and Other Claims

Claims like "Organic", "low-fat", "sugar-free", "a good source of", etc., are regulated by the government. There are federal regulations that limit the kinds of claims you make and how they may be used. You will certainly need to check with a lawyer who specializes in the food industry, and a food lab to test the claims.

The FDA's page about allowable claims and requirements is here. Also see this page: FDA Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements

You will be required to also provide a nutrition facts label.

See US FDA Food Labeling Guide (PDF) (downloaded Oct 2020)

and the

Allowable Nutrient Claims were established by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act:

Related stories and articles

• An entrepreneur selling homemade ice tea
• How to start a cookie business
• Mississippi State extension has a good set of free online course videos to watch: see
  7 Ways to Quickly Grow Your Food Business An online course to help you grow your food business.

Books

Other food business links

• Question and Answer Guide for Starting and Growing Your Small Business
• Starting a Food Business (FDA)
• ANSI Accredited Food Handler Training Courses
• Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses
• Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers
• How to Direct Market Your Beef

Federal Resources for Small Businesses

• Starting a Food Business - Website from The U. S. Food and Drug Administration's, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
• State HACCP Contacts and Coordinators - HACCP Contacts and Coordinators provide technical advice, assistance, resources and conduct activities to support HACCP implementation in small and very small plants.
  The Contact is generally the State meat and poultry program director or another representative of the State government. (A comprehensive listing of all state food regulatory officials is available from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)).
• Internal Revenue Service
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Copyright Office
• Small Business Administration
• FedWorld (Federal Agency Information)
• The Bureau of Export Administration
• Economic Development Administration
• Minority Business Development Agency
• National Technology Information Service
• General Services Administration
• National Archives
• Social Security Administration
• Postal Service
• Trade and Development Agency

Credit is due to NC State Extension, VPI (Virginia Tech), Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D. and Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph. D., both of the National Center for Home Food Preservation for most of this information!

If you have any information to update this synopsis, please write me!

Cooperative Extension Program Links and State Food Regulations

Credit is due to Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D. and Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph. D., both of the National Center for Home Food Preservation for most of this information!