SB 756 Summary

• Establishes the "Access to Local Foods Act" to permit cottage food operations to produce and sell food products from home or farm kitchens under Department of Health regulation.

• Requires cottage food operators to obtain a $25 permit, provide food handler education certificates, and comply with labeling requirements including "Made in a Home or Farm Kitchen" and allergen disclosures.

• Allows non-potentially hazardous cottage food products to be sold directly to consumers or through third-party vendors, while potentially hazardous products may only be delivered by the cottage food operator themselves.

• Imposes additional certification requirements for operations using preservation methods such as canning, pickling, fermenting, or dehydrating, requiring either Hawaii Master Food Preservers certification or department-approved recipe testing.

• Exempts cottage food operations from most food safety licensing and inspection requirements under state law and preempts conflicting county regulations; effective July 1, 2050.