Arizona Members- Check Out The New Food Cottage Bill

Decorating By KimAZ Updated 4 Nov 2011 , 3:31am by chassidyg

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KimAZ Posted 19 Jul 2011 , 6:43pm
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Hi,
Will Humble from the Dept of Health Services says the registration will be online as of tomorrow, July 20th. Problem is, he doesn't say where.

I'll keep you posted as soon as I know.

KimAZ

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jenny311 Posted 19 Jul 2011 , 6:47pm
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Thanks for keeping us up to date on the latest!

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deesweets Posted 19 Jul 2011 , 10:02pm
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My concern has been that the law isn't the way we first assumed it was to be. I have heard a little that they are still requiring the professional kitchen and a license still required. If that is true not to sure how this law is helping us. Hopefully it isn't true.

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KimAZ Posted 19 Jul 2011 , 11:19pm
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That is not true at all. Go to the AZ State Legislature website and look at the bill, now law. It has an overview of what is required.

KimAZ

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Sweetlepea Posted 19 Jul 2011 , 11:52pm
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I went to the AZ legislature website to look up the bill. Am I missing something? I didnt find anything about any rules or regulations or how to go about even getting started. Nothing. Am I not looking in the right spot? :/

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deesweets Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 12:16am
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Kim that is such good news. I had heard some different news on a different site. Where exactly do you find the information on the AZ leg. website? Thank you for keeping up with this.

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glendaleAZ Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 12:49am
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Right now, I'm studying for my food handler's card. I'm so happy! icon_smile.gif

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PieceofCakeAZ Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 3:23am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deesweets

My concern has been that the law isn't the way we first assumed it was to be. I have heard a little that they are still requiring the professional kitchen and a license still required. If that is true not to sure how this law is helping us. Hopefully it isn't true.




The AZ state law won't require a professional kitchen so those in more lenient counties can probably start not long after the 20th, but as of now, Maricopa county does and based on an email I received from the Director of Environmental Services, John Kolman in May the county won't even be looking at it until January 2012 and at that time they will see how it applies to the 2009 FDA food code and county policy.

The county will eventually address it on their site and if they agree with it,then they will amend the MC Food Code and it will be full steam ahead for Maricopa County home bakers, but when that will actually happen is anyones guess.

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KimAZ Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 5:46am
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I watched the links to the actual live legislature meetings in progress ( several months ago online) and that is where I heard this info. The links are still on the AZ Legislature's site under "show bill videos".

Since it is a Cottage Food Law, which means we can bake from home there are no license's needed, nor a home inspection. They will require that you have a food handler's card. That is what a cottage food law is...not baking or using a commerical kitchen.

Here is the exact post from their website:

"4 (g) Baked and confectionary goods that are not potentially hazardous and that are prepared in a kitchen of a private home for commercial purposes if packaged with a label that clearly states the address of the maker, includes contact information for the maker, lists all the ingredients in the product and discloses that the product was prepared in a home. The label must be given to the final consumer of the product. If the product was made in a facility for developmentally disabled individuals, the label must also disclose that fact. The person preparing the food or supervising the food preparation must obtain a food handler's card or certificate if one is issued by the local county and must register with an online registry established by the department pursuant to paragraph 13 of this subsection. For the purposes of this subdivision, "potentially hazardous" means baked and confectionary goods that meet the requirements of the food code published by the united states food and drug administration, as modified and incorporated by reference by the department by rule."

13. Establish an online registry of food preparers that are authorized to prepare food for commercial purposes pursuant to paragraph 4 of this subsection.

This is the summary that was sent to the govenor on April 21, 2011.

"Permits baked and confectionary foods that are not potentially hazardous to be prepared in private home kitchens for commercial purposes if the label has the bakers address, contact information, and product ingredients. Additionally, the product label must disclose if the food preparation was conducted in a facility for the developmentally disabled.

· Requires the person preparing the food or supervising its preparation to obtain any required food handlers permit or certificate issued by the local health department and to register with the DHS online registry."

I hope that helps.

KimAZ

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deesweets Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 1:31pm
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Ok under "video" didn't think to look there. Anyway thanks for the info. There is another lady that helped get this bill moving and I guess she was referring to people trying to sell at Farmer's Markets would still need to bake from a commercial kitchen. I have just been picking up bits and pieces of information here and there and was hoping that they would have had some type of website up and running before now to at least give us all of the information that we needed to get moving. So today is the day. Food handler's card here I come. Again thank you.

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mamaof3cutiez Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 5:51pm
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I just found the registry information on the AZDHS website! http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/oeh/fses/goods/index.htm

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katiescakesaz Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 9:40pm
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Thanks for the registry info. I wish I hadn't already had labels made up. Mine have all of the required information, but instead of saying they were baked in a private home it says "prepared in a kitchen without government inspection" which was the language I got from the bill. I guess I'll put something to that effect on the ingredients label.

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KimAZ Posted 20 Jul 2011 , 11:13pm
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Just a head's up....
I went to go get a new food handler's card today. On the booklet they have online to study test questions, there is a paragraph that states it is illegal to sell food from home.

Obviously that has not yet been changed. I did write to the Director of the AZ Dept of Health Services to make him aware of this. Not sure who will make the change but just wanted to share this info in case you notice it too.

KimAZ

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luvbug2552 Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 12:08am
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Thank you mamaof3cutiez for the AZDHS web site. I just checked it out. Lots of helpful info. I've been waitng for this day. Now I can get start doing cakes for buisness like my friends and family have been telling me for along time. But couldn't because of old laws and no comercial kitchen.. Thanks Kimaz for keeping us posted........

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glendaleAZ Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 12:12am
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Here's the link for the online study guide.

http://www.maricopa.gov/EnvSvc/EnvHealth/Pdf/Engbook.pdf

it also give you the testing locations and cost for the test.

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glendaleAZ Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 12:23am
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Hi Kim,

At the bottom of the study guide it list some review questions, did you use these to help you study for the test? And if yes, could you say how many were actually on the test?

Thanks,
Tammy

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morrisaz2004 Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 12:29am
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You can also take the food handler test online. (For Maricopa County, there are two approved sites....AZFoodHandlerCard and StateFoodSafety) It only costs a couple of buck more and you can go at your own pace. You can also rewind the video's if you miss something. I took the test online, back in April, and it took me maybe an hour to go thru. Test was a breeze. You do have to go pick up your food handler card at one of four different locations, but it's a lot quicker than standing in line, taking the test, waiting to see if you passed, then waiting for your card. icon_smile.gif

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glendaleAZ Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 12:37am
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Hi morrisaz2004,

I'm not sure if I looked in the right place or not, but the online testing site I found was going to cost me $75.00, but the walk-in test is only 10.00.

Can I ask how much you paid for the online test?

Thanks!

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morrisaz2004 Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 1:11am
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GlendaleAZ,
I only paid $16 for the online test....AZFoodHandlerCard.com. I printed out my completed certificate, took it right into the maricopa dept. of health office in Mesa and paid $5 for the actual card. I was only in the facility for less than 10 minutes. No waiting in long lines, etc. PM me if you need more info. Hope this helps.

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KimAZ Posted 21 Jul 2011 , 3:10am
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The food handler's test questions at the bottom of that page online are exactly what they ask on the test, just not all of them. There are only 25 questions on the test and you have to get 20 right to pass. It's a muliple choice test. It's very easy!

It costs $10 to take the test whether you pass or fail. Then $5 for the actual card. I paid, took the test, double checked my answers and turned it in. They checked it right then and there. I waited for maybe 10 minutes to have my photo taken and was out of there within 25 minutes tops.

Good luck!

KimAZ

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KakeMistress Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 8:15pm
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I have a question about the food ingredient labels, I use wasc for most of my cakes so my question is do I just copy the ingredient label from the box mix and list them as my ingredients or can I list it as a "cake starter base" and then list all the extras that I use?

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KimAZ Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 12:04am
post #82 of 99

It is my understanding that you must list each ingredient you use in the recipe. So if you use a box mix, it still must list each ingredient from that label then anything extra you add to it as well.

According to the AZ Dept of Health website, more "rules" will be coming by the end of the year. I have no idea what that means but I'll keep watch.

KimAZ

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KakeMistress Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 12:12am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KimAZ

It is my understanding that you must list each ingredient you use in the recipe. So if you use a box mix, it still must list each ingredient from that label then anything extra you add to it as well.

According to the AZ Dept of Health website, more "rules" will be coming by the end of the year. I have no idea what that means but I'll keep watch.

KimAZ





LOL I was afraid of that but I am willing to do anything to be legal, so I am off to type up my labels.. Do you make a seperate label for each kind of cake that you offer? I know I will do a seperate one for my carrot cake because thats not a wasc.

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mytony Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 12:43am
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It is so cool,good post.

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mamaof3cutiez Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 6:52pm
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how long does it take to get an email response from the AZDHS website after you register?

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cakesbyashli Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 10:06pm
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it took a couple of days. then they will mail you a certificate.

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mamaof3cutiez Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 10:49pm
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thank you! do they send the certificate by email or regular mail?

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cakesbyashli Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 10:59pm
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regular mail i believe. I haven't received mine yet though.

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mamaof3cutiez Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 11:03pm
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okay thanks. I just registered today. when did you register?

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cakesbyashli Posted 29 Jul 2011 , 12:28am
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I registered on Saturday, received an email confirmation Monday saying a certificate will be mailed within 7-10 days. If you have questions,
[email protected] is the email. they are pretty quick to respond to you the same day.
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