Selling dried sourdough starter in New York
What New York official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — unverified product-list fact — confirm with the office. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in New York, 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
- New York Agriculture and Markets Law Article 20-C §251-z-4 (Exemptions); implemented through 1 NYCRR Part 276 Home Processor Exemption
- Statute
- N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law §251-z-4; 1 CRR-NY 276.4
- Agency
- New York Department of Agriculture and Markets
- Dried-starter read
- Unverified product-list fact — confirm with the office
- 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): No.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): No.
- 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: Wholesale to restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores within New York State is explicitly permitted. Products may also be sold online (NY residents only) and via delivery. Shipping out of state is not permitted. Registration is free, location-specific, and has no expiration date.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the New York state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include: product common/usual name, ingredient list in descending order by weight, net quantity, processor name and full address, and all major allergens (eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, soybeans, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, sesame). A phrase such as 'Made in a Home Kitchen' (minimum 1/16-inch font) must appear on the label.
Walk the fields in the New York 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.
- NY Ag & Mkts home processing — last verified 2026-10-15
- N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law §251-z-4; 1 CRR-NY 276.4
- New York Department of Agriculture and Markets
- New York extension
- New York cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in New York
- New York labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
New York dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in New York?
New York's 20-C Home Processor Exemption (1 NYCRR Part 276) is a reviewed list. The Crosodo statute row says approved foods are non-PHF baked goods (and that they must be baked) plus certain jams and snack mixes. Dried starter is not named. Repackaging a commercial dry mix is not the same as drying a live culture. File the registration request with Ag & Mkts and ask — do not treat the May 'conditional dry baking mix' sentence as an approval.
What is the New York cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of New York 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.
