Selling dried sourdough starter in Tennessee
What Tennessee official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — not named — general non-tcs path — confirm. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in Tennessee, 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
- Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53 – Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, Chapter 1 – General Provisions, Part 1, Section 53-1-125 (Tennessee Food Freedom Act, Public Chapter No. 862, SB 693)
- Statute
- Tenn. Code §53-1-125 (Food Freedom Act)
- Agency
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture
- Dried-starter read
- Not named — general non-TCS path — 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: The Tennessee Food Freedom Act (Public Chapter 862, effective July 1, 2022) broadly exempts production and sale of non-TCS homemade food items from all licensing, permitting, inspecting, packaging, and labeling laws. Sales may be direct to consumer in person or remotely. Local government ordinances restricting homemade food sales are preempted. Note: Prior to the 2022 Food Freedom Act, the older domestic kitchen regulations (TDA Chapter 0080-4-11) required a permit, inspection, and food safety certification, and limited sales to 100 units/week; the Food Freedom Act supersedes these requirements for qualifying non-TCS homemade foods.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Tennessee state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, homemade food items are exempt from state packaging and labeling laws (except during DOH foodborne illness investigation). No specific labeling requirements are imposed by the statute. Best practice is to include product name, ingredients, and producer contact information.
Walk the fields in the Tennessee 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.
- Tennessee domestic kitchen — last verified 2026-10-15
- Tenn. Code §53-1-125 (Food Freedom Act)
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture
- Tennessee extension
- Tennessee cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Tennessee
- Tennessee labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Tennessee dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Tennessee?
Tennessee domestic-kitchen / homemade-food rules cover non-TCS foods and name a prohibited list (meat, seafood, unpasteurized milk, alcohol). Dried starter is not named. Confirm with TDA food manufacturing.
What is the Tennessee cottage-food sales cap?
No annual sales cap published in the statute row
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Tennessee 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.
