Selling dried sourdough starter in Illinois
What Illinois 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 Illinois, 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
- Illinois Compiled Statutes 410 ILCS 625/4, Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, Section 4 (Cottage food operation); as amended by Public Act 102-0633 (SB 2007, eff. January 2022) and Public Act 103-0903 (SB 2617, eff. January 2025)
- Statute
- 410 ILCS 625/4 (Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, §4)
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Public Health
- Dried-starter read
- Not named — general non-TCS path — 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): 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: Illinois prohibits sales to restaurants, retail stores, and wholesale; direct in-state sales are allowed anywhere including home, online, farmers markets, events, and roadside stands; non-perishable items may be shipped within Illinois only.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Illinois state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include the product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, allergen information, net weight/volume, the city/unit of local government name, and the point-of-sale notice: 'This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens.' Products must be pre-packaged in the home kitchen; exceptions (e.g., wedding cakes) require local health department approval.
Walk the fields in the Illinois 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.
- IDPH cottage food — last verified 2026-10-15
- 410 ILCS 625/4 (Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, §4)
- Illinois Department of Public Health
- Illinois extension
- Illinois cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Illinois
- Illinois labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Illinois dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Illinois?
Illinois cottage-food law allows a wide set of homemade foods with a specific prohibited list (IDPH). Dried starter is not named. If it is not on the prohibited list and is non-TCS, bakers often treat it as in scope — that is not an IDPH quote. Confirm with IDPH / your local health department.
What is the Illinois cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Illinois 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.
