Illinois has a Cottage Food Law allowing its citizens to operate a home based bakery or food processing business.
It’s official on August 16, 2011, “In honor of Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair, Governor Pat Quinn today signed three pieces of legislation to support Illinois’ agriculture industry and increase access to farmers’ markets for the growing cottage food industry.”
According to the Illinois Stewardship Alliance; “The cottage food bill changes Illinois’ food safety law to allow the production of “non-potentially hazardous” homemade baked goods, jams and jellies, fruit butter, dried herbs, dried tea blends etc to be sold at farmers markets provided they are properly labeled as homemade products, annual gross receipts from sales are $25,000 or less, the “cottage food operation” is registered and the person preparing and selling the food has a valid Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager Certificate.” (Resource – Illinois Stewardship Alliance)
Cottage Food Operation Guidelines created by the Illinois Stewardship Alliance
