Selling dried sourdough starter in Georgia
What Georgia 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 Georgia, 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
- Georgia Code O.C.G.A. §§26-2-470 through 26-2-478 (enacted by HB 398, 2025); formerly Georgia Rules and Regulations Chapter 40-7-19 (Cottage Food Regulations)
- Statute
- O.C.G.A. §26-2-470 et seq. (eff. July 2025); prior: GA R&R 40-7-19
- Agency
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- 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): No.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): Upon-complaint.
- 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: As of July 1, 2025 (HB 398), Georgia allows wholesale, online, retail store, restaurant, and mail-order sales; third-party sellers must display cottage food products separately and label the section as products from residential kitchens exempt from state inspection.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Georgia state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include the business name, address or GDA-issued identification number, phone number, and the statement 'This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.' in at least 10-point type. Operators may obtain a GDA identifier in lieu of a home address.
Walk the fields in the Georgia 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.
- Georgia Department of Agriculture — cottage food — last verified 2026-10-15
- O.C.G.A. §26-2-470 et seq. (eff. July 2025); prior: GA R&R 40-7-19
- Georgia Department of Agriculture
- GA Rules 40-7-19 (legacy cottage rules)
- Georgia extension
- Georgia cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Georgia
- Georgia labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Georgia dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Georgia?
HB 398 (effective July 1, 2025) moved Georgia to a broad non-potentially-hazardous homemade-food rule (O.C.G.A. § 26-2-470 et seq.). Dry goods are in the Crosodo statute summary. Dried starter is not named. Confirm with GDA. Crosodo's statute notes say HB 398 also speaks to interstate cottage sales — that does not replace FDA interstate rules. Confirm both with GDA.
What is the Georgia cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Georgia 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.
