Maine Cottage Food Links
Credit: KR Legal Research Keelworks.org
An individual from Maine who wants to sell cooked commercial food from home must obtain a Maine home food license, or an individual can participate in the Maine Food Sovereignty ordinance.
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/qar/permits_and_licenses/documents/home-license-101.pdf
A home food license permits you to create various products at your home that you can sell from home and/or retail stores. The foods must be shelf-stable (non-potentially hazardous). Products that require refrigeration or freezing to control microbial growth are not allowed with a Home Food License (a commercial food processing license would be required) (Maine.gov, n.d.). General requirements can be found at:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/qar/permits_and_licenses/documents/home-license-101.pdf
The Food Sovereignty ordinance allows local governments in the state to legalize the sale of nearly all types of homemade foods directly to consumers. However, it excludes home-based meat and poultry processing. More information about food sovereignty ordinances can be found here:
A list of the counties that adhere to food sovereignty in Maine can be found here:
https://www.localfoodrules.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/FoodSovereignCommunities.pdf
You can find assistance for starting a home-based food business here:
The website provides information on Commercial (not shelf-stable foods), Home-Food Processor (shelf-stable foods, baked goods without dairy-based frostings and fillings), and Mobile Food Vendor (farmers markets).
