Which Foods Can I Produce and Sell from My Home Kitchen

Low risk foods are the only products allowed to be processed in your home kitchen. These foods do not provide ideal conditions for bacteria to grow making them shelf stable and do not require refrigeration or freezing.

Processors can use their home kitchen to make products to sell at non-profit events, for-profit events, retail stores, restaurants, online sales as well as opening and repackaging food products or ingredients purchased from other locations. The consumer should be made aware that the products are made in a home kitchen.

Low-risk food products include:

Any baked item that does not require refrigeration ( Breads, Rolls, Biscuits, Cakes, Pastries, Cookies, Fruit Pies, and many more. )
Jams, jellies, and preserves
Candies
Dried mixes/Spices
Dried Fruits
Dry Herbs, Seasonings and Mixtures
Cereals, Trail Mixes, and Granola
Coated or Uncoated Nuts
Vinegar and Flavored Vinegar
Some liquids (coffee, tea, lemon aide)
Popcorn, Popcorn Balls, and Cotton Candy
Acidic and acidified foods (i.e. pickles, BBQ sauce, etc.)
Freeze dried fruits/vegetables

CFR list of low risk foods

Foods Requiring Shelf-Stability Testing

If you're planning to sell any of these preserved foods (sauces, freeze-dried items, dehydrated foods), it's important to follow guidelines and get them tested or have test results from a certified laboratory for shelf-stability. This ensures the safety of your products for consumers.

Sauces: This applies to most homemade sauces, as they wouldn't have the same preservatives as commercially produced ones.
Freeze-dried Foods (excluding candies): Freeze-drying removes moisture, which helps with preservation, but testing might be required for extended shelf life.
Dehydrated/Dried Foods: Similar to freeze-dried items, dehydration removes moisture, but testing might ensure safety for long-term storage.

Special Case:

Pickles and Acidified Foods: These require contacting the Department of Agriculture office for specific guidance, as acidity preservation is different.

reference: Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 114) Acidified Foods

Resources for More Information:

NC State University Extension Website: This website likely has detailed information on product testing for shelf-stability.
"Product Testing" Section

Which Foods Can I Produce and Sell from My Home Kitchen

Foods Requiring Shelf-Stability Testing

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