Oak Park residents may sell homemade food products under the Illinois Cottage Food and Home Kitchen Operations Act (410 ILCS 625/4). The state law allows sale of non-potentially hazardous baked goods, candies, jams, and other approved items directly to consumers without a commercial kitchen, subject to labeling requirements and annual sales caps.
Illinois law governs cottage food operations statewide, and Oak Park residents operate under these state rules. The Illinois Cottage Food and Home Kitchen Operations Act allows individuals to prepare and sell certain non-potentially hazardous foods from their home kitchen. Approved products include baked goods (breads, cookies, cakes without cream fillings), candy, jams, jellies, fruit butters, dried herbs, popcorn, granola, and dry mixes. Potentially hazardous foods requiring temperature control (such as those containing meat, dairy fillings, or cut fruit) are not permitted. Products must be labeled with the name and address of the cottage food operation, the product name, ingredients, allergen warnings, and the statement 'Made in a home kitchen that is not inspected by the Department of Public Health.' The annual sales cap is $50,000 for cottage food operations (no food handler license needed under this threshold). Sales may be made directly to consumers at farmers' markets, farm stands, or from the home, but not through retail stores or online shipping. The Cook County Department of Public Health oversees food safety compliance in Oak Park.
Selling unapproved or potentially hazardous foods from a home kitchen can result in a cease-and-desist order from the Cook County health department. Failure to properly label products may result in fines. Exceeding the annual sales cap requires obtaining a food service license and meeting commercial kitchen standards.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Cook County.
See how other cities in Cook County handle cottage food operations.
See how Oak Park's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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