HB 463

Existing law provides that in-home cottage food production of baked goods, jams, jellies, candies, and dried herb and herb mixes are excluded from regulation by the State Department of Health and county health departments, as well as the requirement to have a food service permit

This bill would extend the protections granted to in-home cottage food production to include in-home producers of roasted coffees

Relating to cottage food production operations; to amend Section 22-20-5.1, Code of Alabama 1975, to extend the protections granted to in-home cottage food production to include in-home producers of roasted coffees.

Section 1

Section 22-20-5.1, Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows:

§22-20-5.1.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following words have the following meanings:

(1) BAKED GOOD. Includes cakes, breads, Danish, donuts, pastries, pies, and other items that are prepared by baking the item in an oven. A baked good does not include a potentially hazardous food item as defined by rule of the department.

(2) COTTAGE FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATION. A person operating out of his or her home who meets all of the following requirements:

a. Produces a baked good, a canned jam or jelly, a dried herb or herb mix, any roasted coffee, or a candy for sale at the person's home.

b. Has an annual gross income of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or less from the sale of food described in paragraph a.

c. Sells the foods produced under paragraph a. only directly to consumers.

(3) DEPARTMENT. The State Department of Public Health.

(4) HOME. A primary residence that contains a kitchen and appliances designed for common residential use.

(b) A cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment and is not required to have a food service permit issued by the county health department.

(c) Neither the State Department of Public Health nor a county health department may regulate the production of food at a cottage food production operation except as provided by this section.

(d) The department may issue a stop sale, seize, or hold order for any food suspected of being the cause of a food borne illness.

(e) The department shall promulgate adopt rules requiring a cottage food production operation to label all baked goods, canned jams or jellies, candies, roasted coffees, and dried herb or herb mix that the operation sells to consumers, and requiring completion of a food safety course. The label shall include the name and address of the cottage food production operation and a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department. The operator of a cottage food production operation shall maintain certification of having attended and passed a food safety course approved by the department.

(f) A cottage food production operation may not sell baked goods, jams and jellies, candies, roasted coffees, or dried herbs and herb mixes over the Internet."

Section 2

This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.