Cottage Food Law Coming To Michigan?
Business By adonisthegreek1 Updated 24 Sep 2009 , 4:42pm by bobwonderbuns
Due to economic hardships, Michigan is considering a cottage food law to help people supplement their income.
http://www.sustainablefarmer.com/bblog/?p=174
Good for Michigan! 
Now if only some other states and counties would come to their senses!
Please someone tell me about cottage industry. I read the bill and it's a lot of lingo I don't understand. I know Ohio has this law. Does it mean I can bake out of my home kitchen if it's inspected? Help me understand this. Should I be contacting my state rep? Please tell me how to get this bill passed.
Woohoo! I just lit up Facebook with this piece of info as well as a link so everyone can find their representitive! It would be awesome if it passed!!
In Ohio, here are the laws regarding Cottage Food laws: I love Ohio for this reason lol
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Division of Food Safety
8995 East Main Street l Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068
General Number: 614-728-6250 Fax Number: 614-644-0720
E-mail: [email protected]
Cottage Food Production Operation (Nov. 29, 2001)
What is a cottage food production operation?
A âCottage Food Production Operationâ is defined in Chapter 3715 of the Ohio Revised Code to mean a person who, in the personâs home, produces food items that are not potentially hazardous foods, including bakery products, jams, jellies, candy, and fruit butter. These foods must be labeled properly or they will be considered misbranded or adulterated.
"Home" means the primary residence occupied by the residence's owner, on the condition that the residence contains only one stove or oven used for cooking, which may be a double oven, designed for common residence usage and not for commercial usage, and that the stove or oven be operated in an ordinary kitchen within the residence.
What foods are not allowed to be manufactured for sale or distribution by a cottage food production operation?
A âCottage Food Production Operationâ is not permitted to process acidified foods, low-acid canned foods, or potentially hazardous foods. Low acid food means any food with a finished equilibrium pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity greater than 0.85. Acidified food means a low acid food to which acids or acid foods are added (Ex. Beans, cucumbers, cabbage, puddings, etc.). Potentially hazardous food means it requires temperature control because it is in a form capable of supporting the rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms (Ex. Raw or cooked animal products, cooked vegetables, garlic in oil, cheese cakes, pumpkin pies, custard pies, cream pies, etc.)
What are the requirements for the labeling of cottage food products?
A âCottage Food Production Operationâ is required to label all of their food products and include the following information on the label of each unit of food product offered or distributed for sale:
1. The name and address of the business of the âCottage Food Production Operationâ;
2. The name of the food product;
3. The ingredients of the food product, in descending order of predominance by weight;
4. The net weight or net volume of the food product;
5. The following statement in ten-point type: âThis Product is Home Produced.â
Note: If a nutritional claim is made (i.e. low fat, salt free, etc.) federal labeling requirements must be met. Specific food labeling information is available at the ODA web site: www.state.oh.us/agr/labelingrequirements.htm.
What does the statement âthis product is home producedâ mean?
The statement means that the food product was produced in a private home that is not subject to inspection by a food regulatory authority.
Cottage Food Production Page 1 of 2
Where may a cottage food production operations sell their food products?
Cottage Food Products that are properly identified and labeled may be sold directly to the consumer from the site where the products are produced; sold through grocery stores, farm markets, farmers markets, etc.; sold and/or used in preparing food in a restaurant.
Does a cottage food production operation need to acquire a license to process and package food products?
No: A âCottage Food Production Operationâ is exempt from inspection and licensing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. However, all food products, including those produced and packaged by a âCottage Food Production Operationâ, are subject to food sampling conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to determine if a food product is misbranded or adulterated.
Questions?
Contact ODAâs Division of Food Safety at 614-728-6250 or 1-800-282-1955 (toll-free within Ohio only). Or, via e-mail at [email protected].
Thanks K for the wealth of info there. So for every cake that goes out my door I have to have every ingredient labeled on the box? How do you handle that when it comes to wedding cakes? And I assume I'd still need insurance for liability?
Everything is going to be run the same on the business end, I'm pretty sure, such as paying taxes, liability, etc.
For the ingredients, maybe you could just print out a list onto a bunch of index cards (if you have a set flavor list) and include them with each order?
Whether or not you have to label the ingredients depends on what the final version of the bill says when passed. Just because it is required in Ohio does not necessarily mean it will be the law in Michigan. I really urge everyone to get in touch with your State Reps to learn more about the bill and show your support of it! 
Well it's about time!! The thing that worries me is the small business tax in this state are the highest in the nation -- Michigan is a VERY unfriendly state to the small business. This is the problem we've always had -- they want to bring in business yet they tax the pedoodles out of them and then the food laws are a whole 'nother story! I sincerely hope Michigan can pull it together on this one!
Okay I just read the article and they refer to the Michigan State Product Center. I've dealt with them -- complete waste of time!! They talk a good talk but have no clue when it comes to the reality of the situation.
Nope, I hold no hope out for this one... Sadly... 
I'm with Bob on this one. Sounds great, but having dealt with MI on many occasions I'd be surprised if this gets off the ground.
I hope it all works out though. I gave up on MI and went over the line to Ohio. I would have been getting taxed out the wazoo with MI, but OH is sooooooo much nicer to deal with. Not an option for most though so here's to hoping for the best. I hope everything pans out.
I think if we really want this (which we do!) we're going to have to work for it. If anyone wanted to get together to do petition drives (maybe we could bring dummy cakes?) I'd be all for it!
I've already asked Facebook friends to send a letter to their rep, and its already generating results. I sent a note to the owner of a different website that I go to which has many Michigan members, so as soon as that gets the okay, I'll probably be soliciting support from there too, haha.
Our state is in way too bad of shape for us not to try as hard as we can! Do I need to post a picture of Rosie the Riveter? haha
I don't want to get into an evil speaking/Michigan bashing contest here. I can only say I've dealt firsthand with both the state and the MSU Product Center (and yes, I can name names) and to be honest, there's a reason our state is on the bottom of every list in the nation. That's experience speaking, not my personal views on the subject.
I don't want to get into an evil speaking/Michigan bashing contest here. I can only say I've dealt firsthand with both the state and the MSU Product Center (and yes, I can name names) and to be honest, there's a reason our state is on the bottom of every list in the nation. That's experience speaking, not my personal views on the subject.
Did you happen to talk to these upstanding members of our fun loving state? 
Mike
Actually that looked a lot like me after my experience with both State and MSU!! 
I couldn't get the video Mike posted. Was it deleted?
I couldn't get the video Mike posted. Was it deleted?
It was removed by the user. Thankfully!!! It was an altercation at a Lion's game with some poorly behaved Lion's fans accosting fans of another team. Sad. 
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