Selling dried sourdough starter in Maryland

If you keep a jar going in Maryland, 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

Through September 30, 2026 the statutory maximum was $50,000. Chapter 320 takes effect October 1, 2026. The MDH PDF still quotes $50,000. Regulations library row md-cottage-sales-cap-100000. See the October 1 Journal post.

Where in-state sales usually go

From the Crosodo statute row: Sales at retail food stores (indirect) are allowed but require prior submission of labels and documentation of ANSI-accredited food safety course completion to the Maryland Department of Health before any retail sales can commence. The Department must notify the producer in writing that requirements are met before retail sales begin.

County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Maryland state guide and your county page.

Labeling

Labels must include: business name and address (or name, phone, and MDH-assigned ID number); product name; ingredients in descending order by weight; net weight or volume; allergen information per federal requirements; nutritional information if any claim is made; and the statement in 10-point or larger type: 'Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations.' Retail store labels must additionally include phone number, email address, and date the product was made.

Walk the fields in the Maryland 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.

• MDH Cottage Food Guidelines (2025 PDF) — last verified 2026-10-15
• MD COMAR 10.15.03.27
• Maryland Department of Health
• Chapter 320 enrolled PDF
• HB0535 bill page
• October 1, 2026 cap post
• COMAR 10.15.03.27
• Maryland extension
• Maryland cottage food state guide
• Selling cottage food in Maryland
• Maryland labeling guide
• All 50 states — dried starter hub