Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (AgriLife) will present a Cottage Food Business Workshop on March 28 in Nacogdoches. An optional accredited food handler’s class also will be offered, reports The Gilmer Mirror.
Texas passed the Cottage Food Act in 2013. It allows specific foods to be prepared and sold from unlicensed residential kitchens. Foods can be sold from the home, a farmers’ market, a farm stand or at a fair, festival or event sponsored by a municipality, county or non-profit organization. However, individuals who operate a cottage food business in Texas are required to complete a food handler’s course accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
“While this law opens up opportunities for individuals wishing to go into the cottage food business, there is much information individuals need to know about food safety and legal regulations in order to have a successful cottage food operation,” said Julie Prouse, AgriLife Extension assistant in nutrition and food science.
Preregister by March 23. The cost of the workshop is $40 per person and includes lunch. Charge for the optional food handler’s course is an extra $10. For more information or to register, contact Prouse at 979-458-2025 or jprouse@tamu.edu.