Santa Clara County follows California Cottage Food Law (AB 1616, AB 1240) allowing home preparation of approved non-hazardous foods. Class A sells direct; Class B allows indirect sales.
California Cottage Food Law, enacted by AB 1616 in 2013 and expanded by AB 1240 in 2021, allows residents to produce approved low-risk foods (baked goods, jams, granola, candy, dry mixes, roasted coffee) in their home kitchen for retail sale. Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health administers cottage food registrations (Class A) and permits (Class B) locally. Class A operators may sell direct to consumers at farmers markets, events, and from the home, with gross sales capped at 75,000 dollars per year under current law. Class B operators may also sell indirectly through restaurants and retail stores and are subject to an initial kitchen inspection. All operators must complete a food processor course within three months of registration, label products with the CFO registration number and required statements, and follow sanitation rules. Meat, seafood, dairy, and other potentially hazardous foods are not allowed as cottage foods.
Operating a cottage food business without registering with the county Environmental Health Department can result in cease-and-desist orders, administrative penalties, and seizure of product. Selling prohibited foods triggers state and local enforcement.
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See how Santa Clara County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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