What is the buzz around Florida’s Cottage Food law? Are you a Florida beekeeper and interested in selling your honey under cottage food law, but uncertain of the rules and regulations?
Beekeepers are permitted to sell raw honey as a cottage food product as long as the beekeeper harvests the honey from the hives and then packages and sells the product themselves. Beekeepers operating as a cottage food operator require no license or permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and are not inspected by any state government entity.
Beekeepers may bottle honey at their residences provided they:
- Do not exceed $50,000 in annual sales;
- Sell and deliver honey directly to the consumer;
- DO NOT deliver products by mail order;
- Label products in accordance with the requirements as outlined in Section 500.80(5), Florida Statutes and United States Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 101
Honey products must be prepackaged with a label affixed that contains the following information:
- Name and address of the beekeeper;
- Name of the cottage food product;
- The ingredients of the cottage food product, in descending order of predominance by weight;
- Allergen information as specified by federal labeling requirements;
- If any nutritional claim is made, appropriate nutritional information as specified by federal labeling requirements
The following statement must appear on the product and be printed in at least 10-point type in a color that provides a clear contrast to the background label:
“Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida’s food safety regulations.”
Still have questions? Please refer to Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Cottage Food Guidance Document or contact Lee County Extension Office’s Family and Consumer Science Agent, Jennifer Hagen at 239-533-7510 or email Jennifer for more information.
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