Wholesale
Sales through a "cottage food vendor"
COTTAGE FOOD VENDORS
- Must register with DSHS (free, fast, and online).
- It is the 3rd party seller that must register with DSHS as a “cottage food vendor”, not the cottage food producer.
- The cottage food vendor and the cottage food producer must have a contractual relationship (contracts do not need to be in writing).
- Cottage food vendors must sell food directly to the consumer at a farmer’s market, farm stand, food service establishment (restaurant), or any retail store.
- The cottage food vendor must display in a prominent place near the location where the food is offered for sale a sign with the following disclosure “THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL LICENSING OR INSPECTION.” (yes, the sign must be in all caps like the statute.)
- Any food you are selling through the cottage food vendor must include on the label the date the food was made.
- Only foods that do not require time or temperature control for safety may be sold through a cottage food vendor.
EXAMPLES OF FOOD YOU CAN SELL THROUGH A COTTAGE FOOD VENDOR
- Baked goods not requiring refrigeration
- Jams and jellies
- Candy
- Coated and uncoated nuts
- Fruit butters, jams, and jellies with a pH of 4.6 or less
- Fruit pies and pecan pies
- Popcorn, cereal, granola, trail mix, snack mix
- Canned, acidified salsa with a pH of 4.6 or less
- Pickled fruits and vegetables with a pH of 4.6 or less
- Fermented vegetables with a pH of 4.6 or less
- Roasted coffee or dry tea
- Dry mixes
- Marshmallow cereal treats
- Dried pasta
- Pretzels
- Tortillas
- Doughnuts
- Cake balls
- Maple syrup/cane syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Unroasted nut butters
- Ghee
- Energy/protein bars
- Dehydrated fruits and vegetables
- Mustard
- Vinegar
- Hot cocoa drink mix
- Dried herbs/spice mixes
- Dried soup mixes
- Seasoned salt
- Trail mix
- Fudge and divinity
- Cookie kits (cookies + icing + sprinkles)
- Dry pancake/waffle/baking mix
- Pineapple upside-down cake
- Freeze-dried foods that don’t contain meat
Wholesale FAQ
Q1. Can a restaurant actually serve my food, or does the food have to stay in its package?
A: We are still working with DSHS to come up with an agreed-upon interpretation of the wholesale rules.
Q2: Can a restaurant use my cottage food as an ingredient in their food?
A: We are still working with DSHS to come up with an agreed-upon interpetation of the wholesale rules.
Q3: Can a cottage food vendor ship the cottage food product or have it delivered by UberEats or similar delivery drivers?
A: No, the food must be for sale at a farmer’s market, farm stand, food service establishment (restaurant), or any retail store.
Q4. Can I ship my cottage food product to a cottage food vendor for them to sell it at their location?
A: No, the food must be personally delivered to the cottage food vendor.
Q5: Does the vendor have to buy the food from me up front, or can they pay me a share after they sell it, like a consignment arrangement?
A: Both are acceptable under the cottage food vendor rules; it totally depends on whatever arrangement you and the cottage food vendor work out.
Q6: Are fermented foods that are refrigerated for quality eligible to be sold at wholesale?
A: Yes. They are not a TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) food. Refrigerating to preserve quality or slow down fermentation is not the same as refrigerating a food to prevent pathogen growth or toxin production.
