Cottage food operations are allowed in unincorporated Solano County, governed by California's Cottage Food law (Health & Safety Code 113758, AB-1616). Operators register or permit through Solano County Environmental Health as a Class A (direct sales) or Class B (direct and indirect sales) operation from their home kitchen.
Selling certain non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods made at home is permitted under California's Cottage Food Operation (CFO) law, originally enacted by AB-1616 and codified in Health & Safety Code Section 113758 and related sections of the California Retail Food Code. Solano County's Department of Resource Management, Environmental Health Division, administers these home-based food operations locally. A Class A CFO, which makes only direct sales (from the home, online, at farmers' markets, and temporary events), registers with Environmental Health and is generally self-certified without a routine kitchen inspection. A Class B CFO, which makes direct and indirect sales (including to stores, restaurants, and other third-party retailers), must obtain a permit and pass an initial kitchen inspection. Operators must complete an approved food processor training course and label products as required by state law; allowed foods are limited to the state's approved cottage food list. The county also offers Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) registration for same-day home-cooked meals, a separate program from CFO. Because the use is home-based, it must also fit within the Chapter 28 home occupation standards.
Operating a cottage food business without the required Class A registration or Class B permit, exceeding the allowed gross-sales ceiling, selling non-approved foods, or skipping the required food-handler training violates the California Retail Food Code and Solano County Environmental Health rules. Environmental Health can suspend or revoke the registration/permit and pursue enforcement; selling unsafe or mislabeled food can also trigger broader health-code action.
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