Selling dried sourdough starter in Ohio
What Ohio official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — not on the published closed list — confirm. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in Ohio, 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
- Ohio Revised Code §3715.023 (Labels for cottage food production operation); §3715.025 (Restrictions on cottage food production operation); Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 901:3-20 (Cottage Food Production)
- Statute
- O.R.C. §3715.023; §3715.025; Ohio Admin. Code Ch. 901:3-20
- Agency
- Ohio Department of Agriculture
- Dried-starter read
- Not on the published closed list — 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): 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: Labeled cottage food products may be sold to or used by retail food establishments and food service operations licensed under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3717. This enables indirect/wholesale sales within Ohio. Products may not be sold outside the state of Ohio.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Ohio state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include: business name and address, product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net weight and volume, and the statement 'This product is home produced.' in 10-point type. Labels must also comply with 21 CFR Part 101 federal labeling requirements (per OAC 901:3-20-02).
Walk the fields in the Ohio 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.
- OAC 901:3-20-04 cottage food products allowed — last verified 2026-10-15
- O.R.C. §3715.023; §3715.025; Ohio Admin. Code Ch. 901:3-20
- Ohio Department of Agriculture
- ODA cottage foods
- Ohio extension
- Ohio cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Ohio
- Ohio labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Ohio dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Ohio?
OAC 901:3-20-04 is a closed list. Item (16) is 'dry baking mixes in a jar, including cookie mix in a jar.' Dried sourdough starter is not named. A jar of flour-plus-dried-culture is not automatically that item. Confirm with the Ohio Department of Agriculture Food Safety Division. The May hard No overstated the list — dry baking mixes are on it; starter is not.
What is the Ohio cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Ohio 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.
