UF/IFAS Helps Floridians Launch Food Business Dreams (IFAS)

UF/IFAS Helps Floridians Launch Food Business Dreams

Sharlay Smith (right), The Lentil House creator and Natasha Parks (left), UF/IFAS Extension agent that taught the course that inspired The Lentil House.

In Florida, a cottage food business is a business that makes less than $250,000 in annual gross sales and is legally allowed to use a home kitchen to produce certain foods for sale, including honey, jams and jellies, bread, nuts and more. While cottage food business owners are not subject to commercial regulation, they need to adhere to guidelines for safe food production, which are taught during UF/IFAS Extension courses.

“A restaurant is just that, a restaurant,” said Amy Simonne, UF/IFAS professor of food safety and quality and resident cottage food expert. “But a home is so many things. Sometimes a home may resemble a hospital with sick people, or it may resemble a day care with kids running around, and we have to teach people how to make sure the food they prepare is safe regardless of their home situation. It is possible to make safe food at home for public consumption and we teach people how to do that.”

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