Maryland Cottage Food Law and Me!

What is the Maryland Cottage Food Law?

As my home bakery grows, I'm encountering new opportunities and challenges. Recently, several potential customers from out of state have asked if I can ship items to them, which is fantastic! Unfortunately, I’ve had to decline due to the Maryland Cottage Food Law restriction for small businesses.

This got me thinking about the Maryland Cottage Food Law and its limitations for small businesses like mine. So, what exactly is this law? In short, it allows individuals to sell specific non-potentially hazardous foods (foods that have a low moisture content, high acidity, and do not contain ingredients that require refrigeration) prepared in home kitchens to the public.

Examples of allowable foods are:

·         Cookies

·         Cakes

·         Fruit pies or tarts

·         Jams and jellies

Items that cannot be sold include:

·         Beverages

·         Meats

·         Personally-produced nut/seed butters

·         Raw dough

In order to ship across state lines, I’ll need to do the following:

·         Secure a commercial kitchen contract

·         Liability insurance for the commercial space

·         Certified Food Service Manager license

I look forward to the day when I can invest in these upgrades and serve customers nationwide! Until then, here is a sneak preview of the new Megabyte line of cookies - huge, decadent, soft in middle, yet crispy on the outside treats that need two hands to enjoy!