Selling dried sourdough starter in Indiana
What Indiana 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 Indiana, 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
- Indiana Code Title 16, Article 42, Chapter 5.3 — Home Based Food Products (enacted as HEA 1149, 2022; prior law under Chapter 5.2) Additional homestead vendor / small farm vendor path added by HEA 1424 / Public Law 163 (2026).
- Statute
- Ind. Code §16-42-5.2
- Agency
- Indiana State Department of 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): 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: Sales to restaurants, retail stores, and wholesale are prohibited; producers may sell at events, farmers markets, home, online, and roadside stands only.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Indiana state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels or point-of-sale signs must include: business name, home address, product name, date produced, ingredients, and the statement 'This product is home produced and processed and the production area has not been inspected by the state department of health. NOT FOR RESALE.' Net weight/count is also required.
Walk the fields in the Indiana 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.
- Indiana IDOH home-based vendor/) — last verified 2026-10-15
- Ind. Code §16-42-5.2
- Indiana State Department of Health/)
- Indiana extension
- Indiana cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Indiana
- Indiana labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Indiana dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Indiana?
Indiana home-based vendor law (IC 16-42-5.3, plus HEA 1424 / P.L. 163 of 2026) allows most nonperishable foods, including dried goods. Dried starter is not named. Confirm with the Indiana Department of Health home-based vendor page. HEA 1424 added a homestead / small-farm vendor path — read that statute before you assume the old vendor rules still apply to you.
What is the Indiana cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Indiana 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.
