Cottage Food & Home Operation

Are you interested in preparing food at home and serving to the public? State statute and local codes do allow this type of food operation with certain restrictions. To learn about the Missouri Cottage Food Production Operations, commonly referred to as the “Cottage Law,” you can read the state statute.

Our Springfield City Code also allows this type of food preparation as a home occupation. The restrictions to in Springfield City Code can be seen in Sec. 36.451(3)(n).

Cottage Food and Production Operations / Home Occupations are limited to preparing and serving the following types of non-potentially hazardous foods. 

• Baked goods 
• Canned Jams or Jellies 
• Dried herb or Herb mix 

These non-potentially hazardous types of foods pose a low health risk on account of them not supporting the growth of bacteria. 

How are “Potentially Hazardous Foods Defined”?  Pages 13 and 14 of our Missouri Food Code provides a lengthy definition of potentially hazardous foods.

Cottage Food / Home Food Operations are only allowed to prepare and serve food to the end consumer. They are not allowed to prepare these types of foods for other businesses.  Preparing foods for sale to other businesses (not the end consumer) makes the operator a “Food Manufacturer” who must comply with the rules associated with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Manufactured Foods Program. Preparing foods out of a residence is not allowed by the DHSS Manufactured Foods Program.

Home Food Operations are required to label their prepared non-potentially hazardous foods with the following: 

• Name and address of the processor preparing the food (this would be the address of the residence) 
• Common Name of the food 
• Name of all ingredients in the order of predominance 
• Net weight of the food in English or metric units 

A statement that the product is prepared in a kitchen that is not subject to inspection by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.