I petition the Louisiana State Legislature to enact a Cottage Foods Bill authorizing individuals to produce and sell baked goods, in addition to the honey, jams, jellies and sauces that are already allowed, in an individual’s home kitchen.
A Cottage Food Production Operation is an individual, who operates out of the individual’s home, who produces a baked good, a canned jam or jelly, or a dried herb or herb mix for sale at the person’s home; and sells foods produced (baked good, canned jam or jelly, or a dried herb or herb mix) only directly to consumers from the cottage food production location. A cottage food product does not include any food that is potentially hazardous that requires time/temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.
A cottage food production operation can only produce non-potentially hazardous baked goods, canned jams or jellies, or dried herbs/herb mixes. The following are examples of non-potentially hazardous foods that may be prepared and sold at a cottage food production operation:
• Breads, rolls, biscuits
• Sweet breads, muffins
• Cakes (birthday, wedding, anniversary, etc.
• Pastries
• Cookies
• Fruit pies
• Jams and jellies
• Dry herbs and dried herb mixtures
Food produced by a cottage food production operation must be labeled. The label must include the name and address of the cottage food production operation, common or usual name of the product, if a food is made with a major food allergen, such as eggs, nuts, soy, peanuts, milk or wheat that ingredient must be listed on the label, and a statement: “This food is made in a home kitchen and is not inspected by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department." The labels must be legible.
This law will create employment opportunities for residents of Louisiana, allow residents on a fixed retirement income to supplement that income up to the allowed amount, allow commercial bakery owners to relocate to a home-based bakery should their business revenue decline as a result of a declining economy, hence allowing them to restructure while still generating an income.
Please join us today by signing this petition, and contacting your representative. The link below contains a list of the current members of the Louisiana House and Senate.
http://legis.state.la.us/bios.htm