Selling dried sourdough starter in Alabama
What Alabama official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — dry mix / non-tcs list supports — confirm. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in Alabama, selling dried sourdough starter is a different cottage-food question than selling bread. The product is flour and water that you fermented, then dried. Official pages almost never use the words “dried starter.” This post only repeats what the current statute, agency page, or extension guide actually says — and where that source is silent.
Dried starter is not automatically a baked good
A loaf is baked. Dried starter is a dry culture. Some states publish a closed allowed-foods list (baked goods, jams, dried herbs). Some allow non-TCS / non-potentially-hazardous foods as a class. A few name baking mixes, dry mixtures, or — in Kansas — dehydrated sourdough starter. We do not stretch a baked-goods line into a dry-culture line unless a source supports that read.
The quick facts
- Law
- Alabama Cottage Food Production Law
- Statute
- Ala. Code §22-20-5.1
- Agency
- Alabama Department of Public Health
- Dried-starter read
- Dry mix / non-TCS list supports — confirm
- Annual sales cap
- No annual sales cap published in the statute row
- Registration / permit
- Registration required (statute row): Yes.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): No.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): Yes (specific course).
- Last verified
- 2026-10-15
Where in-state sales usually go
Sales cap, registration, allowed foods, and every county — free on Crosodo.
From the Crosodo statute row: Indirect sales to grocery stores, restaurants, or wholesale are not permitted; producers may use an agent for delivery but cannot sell through retailers.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Alabama state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include in at least 10-point font: the common or usual name of the food, the producer's name and home or P.O. Box address, a statement that the food is not inspected by the department or local health department, all ingredients in descending order of predominance, and a disclaimer that the food may contain allergens.
Walk the fields in the Alabama cottage food labeling guide. Do not copy another state's disclaimer.
Interstate / shipping across state lines
Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.
Cottage-food exemptions are state instruments. They do not replace federal rules that apply when food enters interstate commerce. If you want to ship out of state, ask the state manufactured-food program and confirm FDA facility registration for your situation. We do not invent a license name or a fee here.
Official sources
Every number and product claim on this page is tied to a source opened on 2026-10-15, plus the Crosodo statute row and — where we have them — the regulations library notes for Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia.
- Ala. Code § 22-20-5.1 (Justia text) — last verified 2026-10-15
- Ala. Code §22-20-5.1
- Alabama Department of Public Health
- ACES cottage food law
- Alabama cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Alabama
- Alabama labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Alabama dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Alabama?
Ala. Code § 22-20-5.1 defines cottage food as non-potentially hazardous food and lists dried baking mixes and dried/dehydrated herbs. Dried sourdough starter is not named. A fully dried flour culture may fit the dried-baking-mix line — confirm the product with ADPH / the county health department before you sell.
What is the Alabama cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Alabama under cottage food law?
Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.
Crosodo Journal entries are recipe, craft, and cottage-food notes for home bakers. Recipes assume an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — start with the free state directory, check a product with Can I sell this?, or grab a label template. Not legal advice.
