Riverside, CA Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

California's Cottage Food Law allows residents to prepare approved non-potentially-hazardous foods in their home kitchen and sell them within the state. Approved foods include baked goods without meat or cream fillings, jams and jellies, dried fruits, granola, candies, popcorn, dry spice blends, roasted coffee, and certain other shelf-stable items on the California Department of Public Health approved list. Meat, seafood, dairy-filled items, and anything requiring refrigeration for food safety are not allowed. Class A CFOs (direct sales only — farmers' markets, bake sales, home pickup) must complete a self-certification, while Class B CFOs (indirect sales through restaurants, retail) must pass an initial inspection. Both classes must register with Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, pass an approved food-handler course, and label products with the CFO name, registration number, ingredient list, allergens, net weight, and the statement "Made in a Home Kitchen." Annual gross sales are capped at $150,000 (the 2024 threshold). At the City level, Riverside treats a CFO as a home occupation, so the restrictions in RMC Chapter 19.440 apply: no employees outside the household, no commercial signage, limited customer pickup, and no exterior alterations. A separate Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program under AB 626 allows hot meal preparation with additional county health approval, but Riverside County has not yet fully opted in to the MEHKO program as of the 2024 framework — check current status with county Environmental Health.