Looking for a step-by-step guide? See our San Diego cottage food guide.
Cooks on What's Cookin' Tonight who make shelf-stable foods (baked goods, jams, granola, dried mixes, and similar items) operate as Cottage Food Operations (CFOs) under California law. Registration is handled by your local environmental health department.
California regulates cottage food operations under the California Health and Safety Code (administered by the California Department of Public Health). For the official program page, including what can be sold, labeling requirements, and class A vs. class B distinctions, see:
A Cottage Food Operation is not a catering operation and is not a MEHKO.
Registration is handled by your county's environmental health department. In San Diego County, you register with the Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ); the San Diego cottage food guide covers the classes, cost, and steps. In Riverside County, you register with the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health (rivcoeh.org). If you want help getting started, email hello@whatscookintonight.com.
Are you a MEHKO cook (hot prepared meals) instead? See MEHKO Permitting Requirements.
Platform fees and the cottage food label generator: Platform fees, Cottage food labels.