Frequently Asked Questions

If the product being freeze dried is not considered to be a Potentially Hazardous Foods or a Temperature Controlled for Safety Foods, it may be eligible to be sold under Michigan Cottage Food Law. Those products must be freeze-dried in a commercial freeze dryer and vacuum packaged. The finished freeze-dried food, when properly processed, will typically yield a water activity below 0.60.

Food products that are not eligible to be freeze dried and sold under Cottage Food Law include ice cream and other dairy products, meat or fish, cut melon, eggs, cooked and/or cut vegetables (including tomatoes and leafy greens), candies purchased from other Cottage Food vendors, and cheesecake. This list is not exhaustive.

Food products that may be eligible to be freeze dried and sold under Cottage Food Law include whole, uncut produce such as berries, snap peas, and mushrooms, and candies sourced from approved sources or made by the vendor.

MDARD Cottage Food Landing Page

Yes, as long as the sample is a non-potentially hazardous food, sampling is allowed. A few additional reminders and considerations:

• The samples cannot contain additional ingredients that require time or temperature control. An example of this would be adding cream cheese to a dry dip mix or adding yogurt to granola.
• Safe food sampling guidelines must be followed, as with any other food sample.
• A label for the product being sampled should be available for customers to review.
• Cottage foods can not be used in cooking demonstrations by the market.

MDARD Cottage Food Landing Page

Peanut butter made from ground peanuts or other similar nut butters are allowable under the Cottage Food Law. If you have concerns about the specific mixes of other products in the nut butter, please contact your MDARD inspector.

Cottage Food Law Landing Page

Dahlias are not winter hardy in Michigan and are considered annuals. Annuals do not require licensing.

MDARD Nursery Licensing Landing Page

Products with cheese or cooked vegetables added to them require temperature control and are therefore no longer eligible cottage food items. Bread with herbs only could be a Cottage Food eligible item.

MDARD Cottage Food Landing Page

Licensing requirements depend on whether the succulents are perennials or not in Michigan’s climate. Annuals do not require licensing. Perennials require a nursery stock license from MDARD, of which there are multiple different types depending upon the scale of the operation.

MDARD Nursery Licensing Landing Page