Selling dried sourdough starter in Florida
What Florida official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — not named — general non-tcs path — confirm. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in Florida, 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
- Florida Statutes §500.80 (Cottage food operations), Title XXXIII, Chapter 500 (Food Products)
- Statute
- Fla. Stat. §500.80
- Agency
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Dried-starter read
- Not named — general non-TCS path — confirm
- Annual sales cap
- $250,000 annual (statute row)
- Registration / permit
- Registration required (statute row): No.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): Upon-complaint.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): No.
- 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: Florida prohibits wholesale sales but allows online, mail-order, and in-person sales including delivery to consumers; state law preempts local restrictions on cottage food operations.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Florida state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include the name and address of the cottage food operation, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight or volume, allergen information per federal requirements, and the statement 'Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations' in at least 10-point contrasting type.
Walk the fields in the Florida 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.
- FDACS Cottage Foods — last verified 2026-10-15
- Fla. Stat. §500.80
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Fla. Stat. § 500.80
- Florida extension
- Florida cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Florida
- Florida labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Florida dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Florida?
Fla. Stat. § 500.80 uses a non-TCS standard: cottage food is food that does not require time or temperature control for safety. FDACS cottage-food pages give examples (baked goods, dried goods, jams). Dried starter is not named. A fully dried culture is typically non-TCS — confirm with FDACS rather than analogizing to 'dry herbs' the way the May draft did.
What is the Florida cottage-food sales cap?
$250,000 annual (statute row)
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Florida 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.
