The short answer is, "probably not." 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. The National Center for Home Food Preservation does NOT provide guidelines to home food preservers who wish to take the next step from home food preservation to commercial food preservation. Home food preservation is not regulated; however, food preservation and processing for commercial purposes is regulated. There are federal level regulations from the U.S. FDA (also USDA for meat and poultry products), state level regulations, and often county or city regulations. Read further to find someone who can help.
Who can help?
Processed Food Business Resources
- If you are wanting to sell canned, low-acid or acidified foods, also see “Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods”: http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/acidifiedlacf/default.htm
- Search through some of the internet sites from Cooperative Extension Service programs or some other state-specific sites listed below. An excellent source is this web page from Penn State University Department of Food Science: http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/entrepreneurs
- Contact your county Cooperative Extension Agent to locate a program in your state or contact your state university's Food Science program. See: http://nifa.usda.gov/partners-and-extension-map?state=GA for a clickable map of contacts who can lead you to the right person. (This site is maintained by USDA, not the NCHFP.)
- Check your state's Department of Agriculture for resources. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture maintain a web site with links to state departments of agriculture at: http://www.nasda.org/9383/States.aspx
- Look for "Value Added" programs that encourage small scale processing of foods. An example of a value added process is when a strawberry grower turns his strawberries into jam. Many state university Extension or other agriculture programs, state departments of agriculture or rural development centers have value-added initiatives and assistance. An internet search using terms such as “valued added agriculture” generates a list of web sites.
- Check to see if your state has an incubator kitchen program. Some states have programs that help entrepreneurs develop recipes to commercialize. These are usually test kitchens that share resources. Again, state Departments of Agriculture or a state university's food science department are good leads for finding incubator programs.
- It is important to look for state-specific resources to help you know what regulations will apply to your situation. However, if you want to jump-start your thinking about whether a food processing business is right for you, this web page from Penn State University Department of Food Science has some links to helpful reading for early decision making: http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/entrepreneurs/starting-a-business
Cooperative Extension Program Links
| State | Resources |
|---|---|
| Alabama |
Alabama Extension Food Safety |
| Alaska |
Alaska Cooperative Extension Food and Health Programs Alaska Division of Environmental Health Opening A New Food Establishment Fairbanks Test Kitchen, Alaska Cooperative Extension |
| Arizona | Direct Farm Marketing and Tourism Handbook University of Arizona, Agricultural and Resource Economics: https://cals.arizona.edu/arec/publication/direct-farm-marketing-tourism-handbook-complete-handbook |
| California |
University of California Food Safety Home page
Starting a Food Business |
| Colorado |
Colorado Farm to Market Website: |
| Connecticut |
University of Connecticut Starting A Food Processing Business Starting A Food-Based Business |
| Delaware |
University of Delaware Food Safety Programs Checklist to Open a Business in Delaware: |
| Florida | University of Florida Food Entrepreneurship in Florida series http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_series_food_entrepreneurship_in_florida |
| Georgia |
University of Georgia Food Science and Technology online resources with helpful links to regulations, available workshops and other relevant websites such as Georgia Department of Agriculture: http://extension.uga.edu/programs-services/food-science.html University of Georgia Extension Service Bulletin 1455: https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201455_1.PDF Georgia Department of Agriculture Georgia Department of Agriculture
|
| Hawaii |
State of Hawaii Department of Health, Food Information: |
| Idaho | University of Idaho Food Technology Center: http://web.cals.uidaho.edu/ftc/ |
| Illinois |
Market Maker website |
| Indiana |
Purdue University, Department of Food Science, Pilot Plant Purdue University, Department of Food Science, Home Based Vendors: Purdue University, Department of Food Science, |
| Iowa |
Starting a Home-Based Food Business in Iowa |
| Kansas |
Kansas Department of Agriculture Starting A Food Business Kansas State University Value Added Foods Lab |
| Kentucky | University of Kentucky Food Systems Innovation Center: http://www.uky.edu/fsic/ |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State University, Food Science Department: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/foodscience/ |
| Massachusetts |
University of Massachusetts Food Science Starting A Small Food Business Massachusetts Department of Public Health Starting A Wholesale Food Business |
| Maine |
New England Food Entrepreneurs website: |
| Maryland |
Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center- Providing Tools for Business Success: http://extension.umd.edu/mredc Maryland’s 2012 Cottage Food Business Law: http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/chapters_noln/Ch_255_sb0550T.pdf University of Maryland Extension (EB-416): “Turning Out Your Product: From Food Safety to Marketing, There’s a Lot You’ll Need to Know” |
| Michigan |
Michigan State University Product Center: |
| Minnesota | Guide to Starting a Local Food Business in Minneapolis: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/webcontent/convert_269947.pdf University of Minnesota, Department of Food Science and Nutrition Website - Pilot Plant: http://fscn.cfans.umn.edu/research-services/pilot-plant |
| Mississippi |
Food As A Business Mississippi State Department of Health Food Facilities and Permits |
| Missouri |
Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, Industry Foods University of Missouri Farmer and Food Business Resources |
| Montana |
Montana Department of Agriculture Start A Farm or Food Business MSU Food and Nutrition Extension site: |
| Nebraska | University of Nebraska, The Food Processing Center Web Site - http://www.fpc.unl.edu |
| Nevada | Small Business Development in rural Nevada: http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/comdev/index.asp?ID=104 |
| New Hampshire |
New England Food Entrepreneurs website: |
| New Jersey | Rutgers State University, NJ Agricultural Experiment Station Web Site - Food Innovation Research & Extension Center (FIRE): http://www.foodinnovation.rutgers.edu |
| New Mexico | New Mexico State University Food Technology: http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/foodtech/ |
| New York |
Cornell University Food Venture Center |
| North Carolina |
North Carolina State University Extension, Entrepreneur Initiative for Food: |
| North Dakota |
North Dakota State University |
| Ohio | Ohio State University, Food Industries Center: http://foodindustries.osu.edu/ |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Food and Agricultural Products Research and Technology Center Website: http://www.fapc.okstate.edu/ |
| Oregon | Oregon State university and Oregon Department of Agriculture Web Site - Food Innovation Center: http://fic.oregonstate.edu |
| Pennsylvania | Penn State University, Deparment of Food Science Web Site - Resources for Small Food Processors & Potential Entrepreneurs http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety |
| South Dakota |
South Dakota State University Extension Requirements for Food Entrepreneurs Selling Food in South Dakota |
| Tennessee | Getting Started in a Food Manufacturing Business in Tennessee, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service Publication PB1399: https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1399.pdf Considerations for a Value-Added Agribusiness, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service Publication PB1642: https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/pb1642.pdf Design and Construction of Food Processing Operations, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service Publication ADC Info #18: http://cpa.utk.edu/pdffiles/adc18.pdf ‘Getting Started in a Food Manufacturing Business in Tennessee’ publication, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange (Trace): http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_agexfood/41/ |
| Texas | Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLifeExtension, Food Processing Entrepreneurs: (menu on the right side) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/food-technology/food-processing-entrepreneurs/ Adding Value to Agricultural Products, Texas A&M University Agricultural Extension Service Publication L-5361: http://nacogdoches.agrilife.org/files/2011/06/value_added_ag_11.pdf |
| Utah |
Utah State University Food Safety Programs |
| Vermont |
University of Vermont Extension Food Safety Manufacturers and Processors website State of Vermont Food Safety Programs |
| Virginia |
Virginia Cooperative Extension Food as a Business website
Va Tech Extension Resources for Food Business |
| Washington |
Washington State University Extension Food Processing: http://www.foodprocessing.wsu.edu/ |
| West Virginia |
West Virginia Bureau for Public Health Food Safety Program |
| Wisconsin |
University of Wisconsin, Cooperative Extension: |
| Wyoming |
Wyoming Department of Agriculture Food Industry Guidance Wyoming Small Business Development Network |
Page updated October 26, 2019