California's Cottage Food Law Now In Effect

The California Homemade Food Act went into effect on Jan. 1, which allows makers of homemade food to sell their goods to restaurants and grocery stores, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

The law creates a new category of food production called a "cottage food operation," which can be operated out of a home kitchen. The law permits only "non-hazardous" types of foods to be sold, which are foods unlikely to grow harmful bacteria or other toxic organisms at room temperature, according to the Sustainable Economies Law Center. 

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, cottage food operators must attend a food safety class and pass an exam developed by the California Department of Public Health in order to sell their goods. Sellers must label their products, pay a small fee and submit to an annual kitchen inspection by health officials, according to Bloomberg.

Read the full Bloomberg story here, and read the final version of the bill here.