Selling dried sourdough starter in Pennsylvania
What Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, 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
- Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 3 – Agriculture, Chapter 57 – Food Protection, Subchapter B – Food Safety, Sections 5721–5737 (Food Safety Act)
- Statute
- 3 Pa.C.S. §§5721–5737
- Agency
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Dried-starter read
- Dry mix / non-TCS list supports — confirm
- 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): Yes.
- 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: Registration includes sales direct from the production site including internet sales. However, a separate Retail Food Facility License may be required for sales at events or Farmers Markets. Businesses aiming to sell across state lines might also need FDA registration. The registration covers home-based operations in residential kitchens as well as residential-style kitchens in alternate locations such as churches, fire halls, or remodeled garages. Not available in Philadelphia County.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Pennsylvania state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labeling must comply with applicable federal and state requirements. Products must include product name, manufacturer/packer/distributor name and address, net weight or volume, ingredient list, and lot dates or numbers. Products must be properly labeled prior to sale. Specific commodity requirements for baked goods, jams and jellies, beverages, canned foods, and candy are detailed in the application packet.
Walk the fields in the Pennsylvania 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.
- PDA limited food establishment — last verified 2026-10-15
- 3 Pa.C.S. §§5721–5737
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Pennsylvania extension
- Pennsylvania cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Pennsylvania dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania limited food establishments / home food processors may sell non-TCS foods, including dry goods (PDA). Dried starter is not named. Registration and a kitchen inspection are part of the PDA path. Not available in Philadelphia County on the Crosodo statute row — confirm that county fact with PDA. Confirm the product.
What is the Pennsylvania cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Pennsylvania 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.
