H.B. 408 Summary

• Establishes a cottage food law allowing home-based food production businesses to sell non-potentially hazardous foods (baked goods, jams, jellies, preserves, chocolates) directly to consumers without Department of Health facility licensing.

• Requires cottage food operators to register with the Department of Health, complete a food safety online course (renewed every 5 years), and earn between $5,000 and $50,000 annually from cottage food sales.

• Prohibits internet sales of cottage food products; sales must be direct to consumers only, with clearly labeled products including operator name/address, production date, ingredients, and warnings that products are home-produced and not from inspected facilities.

• Mandates strict sanitation and safety standards including municipal water access, proper sewage disposal, hand washing facilities, separate ingredient storage, functioning refrigeration and toilets, and prohibition of animals and sick persons from food preparation areas.

• Department of Health must adopt implementing rules by December 31, 2015, and can cease operations immediately if a foodborne illness outbreak is traced to a cottage food product; effective January 1, 2016.