Selling dried sourdough starter in Oregon

If you keep a jar going in Oregon, 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

The May 2026 guide printed $50,000 / $51,200. ODA's 2026 cottage-food inflation rulemaking and the Cottage Food Exemption FAQ we opened use $52,700 for 2026. Confirm the current OAR / FAQ if you are close to the ceiling.

Where in-state sales usually go

From the Crosodo statute row: Direct sales to end users are permitted in any manner including online, mail, and at events. Sales to retailers (including coffee shops but not restaurants) are permitted if the retailer agrees to store/display the foods separately and clearly indicate they are homemade and not prepared in an inspected food establishment. Sales to institutions (restaurants, schools, hospitals, caterers, day care centers, nursing homes, correctional facilities) are prohibited. A Domestic Kitchen Bakery License (~$50/year) is required for establishments wishing to sell to retailers under licensed status rather than using the residential-dwelling exemption. The department may provide a unique identification number for use on labels. Annual records must be maintained for 3 years.

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

Labeling

Each product label must include: the statement 'This product is homemade, is not prepared in an inspected food establishment' (or equivalent), product name, ingredients in descending order by weight, net volume, name and phone number of the establishment, address or unique identification number, applicable allergen warnings, and presence of pets in the dwelling. If nutrient content or health claims are made, nutritional information is also required.

Walk the fields in the Oregon 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.

• ODA Cottage Food Exemption (PDF) — last verified 2026-10-15
• ORS §616.723
• Oregon Department of Agriculture
• OAR 603-025-0320
• OSU Extension EM 9192
• 2026 inflation final rule PDF
• Oregon extension
• Oregon cottage food state guide
• Selling cottage food in Oregon
• Oregon labeling guide
• All 50 states — dried starter hub