Florida Statute 500.80 broadly preempts local regulation of cottage food operations, allowing Pinellas County residents to produce certain non-hazardous foods at home with annual gross sales up to $250,000.
Cottage food operations in Pinellas County are governed primarily by Florida Statute 500.80, which exempts qualifying home-based food businesses from state permitting and limits the ability of counties and cities to impose zoning restrictions specifically targeting cottage food activity. Operators must comply with statutory product, labeling, and sales limits, including the requirement that products be sold direct-to-consumer, be properly labeled with the operator's name and address, and include the disclosure that the food was made in a cottage food operation not subject to Florida's food safety regulations. Pinellas County still applies general home occupation standards in Chapter 138 to traffic, signage, and accessory structure use.
Selling unapproved product types, exceeding the $250,000 gross sales cap, or failing to label products properly can result in enforcement action by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and loss of the cottage food exemption.
Pinellas County, FL
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Pinellas County, FL
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Pinellas County, FL
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See how Pinellas County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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