LABELING The GDA reviews product labels for forma ng only. It is up the processor to ensure packaged co age food products are correctly labeled with the follow- ing informa on: The BUSINESS NAME and ADDRESS of the co age food opera on; The COMMON NAME of the product; INGREDIENTS STATEMENT listed in descending order of predominance by weight (including all ingredients broken down into sub-ingredients); The NET WEIGHT or VOLUME of the product; ALLERGEN declara ons following FDA require- ments;* NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION if any nutri onal claims are made; and The COTTAGE FOOD STATEMENT in 10-pt Times New Roman or Arial font, and in a legible color: "MADE IN A COTTAGE FOOD OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO STATE FOOD SAFETY INSPECTIONS." *There are eight major food allergens that must always be clearly iden fied on a food label in either the ingredients statement and/or in a "Contains" statement immediately a er the ingredients state- ment: Milk, Eggs, Fish, Crustacean Shellfish, Tree Nuts, Wheat, Peanuts, and Soybeans. For addi onal labeling ques ons and support, contact the Food Safety Division headquarters office at 404-656-3627. WWW.AGR.GEORGIA.GOV/FOODSAFETY Visit the Food Safety Division's website for addi onal informa on; including informa on about ge ng a notarized affidavit for proof of U.S. ci zenship, the Co age Food Regula ons and license applica on, Food Labeling brochure, contact informa on, FAQs, guidelines for food sold at non-profit events, and more. FOOD SAFETY DIRECTIVES 1) Handwashing Clean before prepara on and packaging, and a er any unsanitary ac vity. Use liquid soap, paper towels, and warm water. 2) Bare-Hand Contact Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods should be avoided. Use disposable gloves, bakery papers, or tongs. 3) Hair Restraint & Clean Garments Hair restraint and clean outer garments worn while processing and packaging. 4) Ea ng, Drinking, & Tobacco Employees should not eat, drink, or use tobacco products while processing and packaging. 5) Preven ng Contamina on When Tas ng Employees should not use a utensil more than once to taste a co age food product. 6) Employee Health Employees exhibi ng the following symptoms should not process or package co age foods: Vomi ng; Fever; Diarrhea, Jaundice; or Sore throat with fever. 7) Unauthorized Persons No persons other than the operator or employees under their supervision should be in the kitchen during processing or packaging. 8) Food Contact Surfaces Food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils should be clean to sight and touch before processing, and as necessary during processing to prevent product contamina on. 9) Proper Storage of Ingredients/Finished Products Ingredients and finished products should be stored separate from residen al supplies, and in a manner that prevents contamina on. 10) Proper Use & Storage of Chemicals Chemicals should be used according to the label instruc ons; Stored to prevent contamina on of food and contact surfaces; Spray bo les should be labeled; and No pest control chemicals used in the kitchen. 11) Pests Pests should not be present, and the kitchen should be kept clean to prevent harborage condi ons. 12) Pets Pets should not be allowed in the kitchen during processing and packaging. Starting a COTTAGE FOOD Business in Georgia GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Gary W. Black Commissioner Food Safety Division 19 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW Room 306 Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: 404-656-3627 Fax: 404-463-6428 www.agr.georgia.gov Twitter @GDAFoodSafety GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Starting a Cottage Food Business COTTAGE FOOD OPERATIONS Co age food sales are allowed under Georgia regula- ons, Chapter 40-7-19. Licensed co age food opera- tors can only make non-poten ally hazardous foods (see Approved Co age Food Products below). Opera- tors can use their domes c home kitchen to produce products to sell directly to consumers at non-profit events, for-profit events, and through on-line inter- net sales. Co age food operators may not distribute or wholesale these products, nor can they ship co age food products across state lines. Without a Food Sales Establishment License, co age food prod- ucts are considered to be from an unapproved source, and cannot be distributed to retail stores, restaurants, or ins tu ons. APPROVED COTTAGE FOOD PRODUCTS The following products can be produced with a Co age Food License: Loaf Breads, Rolls, and Biscuits; Cakes (except those that require refrigera on); Pastries and Cookies; Candies and Confec ons; Fruit Pies; Jams, Jellies, and Preserves (not to include Fruit Bu ers); Dried Fruits; Dry Herbs, Seasonings, and Mixtures; Cereals, Trail Mixes, and Granola; Coated & Uncoated Nuts; Vinegar and Flavored-Vinegars; and Popcorn, Popcorn Balls, and Co on Candy. COTTAGE FOOD CHECKLIST If you want to start a co age food business, there are some steps you should complete before you contact the GDA about becoming licensed : The first step is to contact your city/county PLANNING & ZONING office(s) to make sure that there are no local ordinances that would stop you from opera ng a home based business. The next step depends on your water/sewage connec ons: If you are on a PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY, your water quality should be acceptable. If you have a PRIVATE WELL the water will have to be tested annually. You must also adhere to the requirements found in the Department's Non-Public Water Supply Tes ng Guidance document. For sewage disposal, if you are on city/ county sewer, you should contact your local PUBLIC UTILITIES to ensure that your intended co age food opera ons are acceptable for the exis ng system. If you are on a private sep c system, you should contact your county health department to ensure your home's SEPTIC SYSTEM can handle the output from your co age food opera ons. The last step is to obtain FOOD SAFETY TRAINING that is American Na onal Standards Ins tute (ANSI) accredited. There are several programs accredited by ANSI, and a Food Handler's cer ficate is adequate to meet the Department's requirements. A copy of the cer ficate issued upon course comple on be a ached to the co age food license applica on. Gary W. Black, Commissioner LICENSING A Co age Food License Applica on form is available on the GDA website, or via fax, mail, or email. Prior to licensing, a notarized affidavit and proof of U.S. ci zenship is required. The annual $100 license fee is due January 1st. Co age food operators applying a er June 30th only pay $50. All products the co age food operator intends to produce must be listed on the applica on form; these products are then listed on the co age food license issued to the operator. If the operator decides to change or add addi onal co age food products (not listed on the original applica on) the operator must file another applica on form and pay an addi onal license fee to cover the cost of the reassessment of the home kitchen and processing of the new applica on. INSPECTION The GDA will perform a one- me, pre-opera onal inspec on a er processing the Co age Food License Applica on, which ensures the co age food operator can meet the requirements of the regula ons. A er the pre-opera onal inspec on, GDA only performs addi onal inspec ons as needed due to a change in opera ons (add/changing products), or to inves gate consumer complaints and poten al foodborne illness outbreaks. FOOD SAFETY DIRECTIVES These simple food safety guidelines are "best prac c- es" for food handling in co age food opera ons. They are strategies used to limit the poten al for foodborne illness outbreaks. See a summary on the back page of this brochure.