NACOGDOCHES – A “Cottage Food Business Workshop” will be presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. March 28 in Nacogdoches.

Julie Prouse, the AgriLife Extension assistant in nutrition and food science, College Station, said the workshop will be held at the AgriLife Extension office in Nacogdoches County, 203 W. Main St., Nacogdoches.

“In 2013, a law was passed in Texas allowing for the sale of homemade foods, also known as cottage foods,” Prouse said. “While this law opens up opportunities for individuals wishing to go into the cottage food business, there is much information individuals need to know about food safety and legal regulations in order to have a successful cottage food operation.”

The Cottage Food Act allows specific foods to be prepared and sold from unlicensed residential kitchens. Foods can be sold from the home, a farmers market, a farm stand, or at a fair, festival or event sponsored by a municipality, county or non-profit organization. However, individuals who operate a cottage food business in Texas are required to complete a food handler’s course accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The workshop will cover topics ranging from the business aspect of cottage food, to the safety practices needed to ensure that food is safe throughout the process, she said. Sessions will address the Cottage Food Law, how to start a cottage food business, selling cottage food products at farmers markets and food preservation.

An optional accredited food handler’s class also will be offered.    

Program cost is $40 per person, which includes lunch. There is an extra $10 charge to attend the food handler’s course. To register, contact Prouse at 979-458-2025 or jprouse@tamu.edu for a registration form or obtain one from your local AgriLife Extension office. Preregistration by March 23 is strongly encouraged.

“The food handler’s course will provide basic safety training and an understanding of good safety practices that will help food business owners produce a safe product for the consumer,” Prouse said. “This course is tailored to cover the safety aspects of cottage food production. Upon completion, participants will be mailed a food handler’s card that will be valid for two years.”

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