What is the Cottage Foods Act?
In 2012, Colorado legislature enacted the Colorado Cottage Foods Act, which allowed for small operations (like Butternut!) to sell certain food products directly to consumers without the onerous licensing and inspection requirements faced by commercial food producers.
What are you allowed to sell?
For some light night-time reading, you can review the Eligible Foods on the CDPHE site, but in a nutshell, Cottage Food producers can sell ‘shelf-stable foods’ that don’t need to be refrigerated. Cheese can be used in the products as long as they are baked (like our delish Dill Havarti Sourdough), but no meat is allowed. Someday, Bacon Jalapeno… someday.
Who can you sell to?
Cottage Foods producers may only sell within Colorado. This applies to local pickup and shipped products. You can add ‘access to Butternut bread’ to the list of great things about living in Colorado!
If you don’t get inspected, how do I know your food is safe?
Fair question! Cottage Foods producers do have to undergo periodic training on safe food production and handling, and are “encouraged” to follow all applicable commercial food regulations. When it comes to cleanliness, safe storage temperatures, and wholesome ingredients, Butternut goes above and beyond the requirements to ensure a consistently delicious and safe product.
What about food allergens?
Cottage Foods producers cannot certify that any food sold is free of any allergen due to the lack of testing and inspection. If you have a life-threatening allergy to any common food ingredient or household substance, please be careful to research ingredients and handling procedures to ensure your safety. That said, we do our best to list all ingredients in our products, and avoid cross-contamination during preparation and storage.
Can I sell your products in my store|restaurant|bakery|(insert business here…)?
The Cottage Foods Act only permits sales to “consumers”, so we are not allowed to sell to commercial entities of any sort. What you do with the food after purchase is your responsibility, but all Butternut Bakery products must be labeled ‘not for resale’.
