Selling dried sourdough starter in Kentucky
What Kentucky 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 Kentucky, 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
- Kentucky Revised Statutes §217.136 — Home-Based Food Processors; Exemption from Permit Requirement and Fair Packaging and Labeling Laws (§217.137 addresses home-based microprocessors)
- Statute
- KRS §217.137
- Agency
- Kentucky Department for Public Health
- Dried-starter read
- Dry mix / non-TCS list supports — confirm
- Annual sales cap
- $60,000 gross annual income from the products (KRS 217.015(56))
- Registration / permit
- Registration required (statute row): Yes.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): Upon-complaint.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): No.
- Last verified
- 2026-10-15
The May 2026 guide printed $25,000. The statutory definition is $60,000. CHFS home-based processing updates repeat the $60,000 figure. KRS 217.136 was amended effective July 15, 2026 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 52) — the amendment we opened is about cosmetics/lard, not a new cap.
Sales cap, registration, allowed foods, and every county — free on Crosodo.
Where in-state sales usually go
From the Crosodo statute row: Sales limited to direct-to-consumer only within Kentucky — from home (pickup or delivery), markets, roadside stands, community events, and online; shipping outside Kentucky is prohibited, and sales to restaurants or retail stores for resale are not allowed.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Kentucky state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include: name and address of home-based processing operation, common/usual name of food product, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight/volume or count, date processed, allergen information, and the statement 'This product is home-produced and processed' in 10-point type.
Walk the fields in the Kentucky 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.
- KRS 217.136 (home-based processors) — last verified 2026-10-15
- KRS §217.137
- Kentucky Department for Public Health
- CHFS home-based processing
- CHFS HBP updates PDF
- Kentucky extension
- Kentucky cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Kentucky
- Kentucky labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Kentucky dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Kentucky?
KRS 217.015(56) defines a home-based processor as a person who produces non-potentially hazardous foods, including dried herbs, spices, nuts, roasted coffee, candy, dried grains, jams, bread, and cookies, with gross income of no more than $60,000 from those products. Dried starter is not named. Dried grains is the closest official class. Register with CHFS. Confirm the product.
What is the Kentucky cottage-food sales cap?
$60,000 gross annual income from the products (KRS 217.015(56)) The May 2026 guide printed $25,000. The statutory definition is $60,000. CHFS home-based processing updates repeat the $60,000 figure. KRS 217.136 was amended effective July 15, 2026 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 52) — the amendment we opened is about cosmetics/lard, not a new cap.
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Kentucky 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.
