Amended law opens new markets for home-based food businesses
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Jackie Farrell, 806-468-5543, jrfarrell@ag.tamu.edu
CANYON – Home cooks wanting to sell their products can attend a “Food Handlers Cottage Foods Class” accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services on April 23 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Randall County, 200 N. Brown Road, Canyon.
“This class is required for all who are going to sell cottage foods at a farmers market or to the public,” said Jackie Farrell, AgriLife Extension family and consumer science agent for Randall County. “The class is tailored to cover the food safety aspects of the cottage food laws in Texas.”
The cottage food act was amended last September to allow specific foods to be prepared and sold from unlicensed residential kitchens, Farrell said. The food can be sold from the home, a farmers market, a farm stand, or at a fair, festival or event that must be sponsored by a municipality, county or non-profit organization.
All cottage operation food labels must include the name and address of the operation, the product, possible allergens and a statement saying the food was not prepared in a kitchen inspected by the Department of State Health Services or a local health department.
The two-hour class will explain these rules and regulations and more, she said. The class will be offered at two different times: 10 a.m.-noon and 6-8 p.m. Class fee is $20, payable at the door. All checks should be made out to: FPM Account #230202.
Preregistration is requested by April 21 to 806-468-5543 or jrfarrell@ag.tamu.edu with your name, contact number and preferred class time.
The new Canyon Farmers Market is scheduled to open in June on the courthouse square, and in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, it is expected to offer handmade crafts and locally produced foods, Farrell said.
Farrell said the list of products that can be sold under this law include: baked goods that do not require refrigeration, such as cakes, cookies, breads and pastries, candy, coated and uncoated nuts, canned jams and jellies, fruit pies, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, popcorn and popcorn snacks, cereal, dry mixes, pickles, and dried herbs or herb mixes
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