Selling Home Produced Food in New Hampshire
Written by: Ann Hamilton, Field Specialist, Food & Ag, Food Safety
UNH Cooperative Extension staff gets asked by constituents if they can make and sell
food from their home kitchen in New Hampshire. We get asked this question because we work
with people who grow and sell farm products at farm stands and farmer’s markets as well as
work with the food service industry on safe food handling practices and production. The
requirements in New Hampshire are clear on what you can and cannot sell from a home kitchen,
where you can sell it, and when you do or do not need a license.
The first step is to check with the NH Department of Health & Human Services, Food
Protection, for specific guidelines. Even if a license is not required, there are set guidelines that
you must follow in order to sell food in New Hampshire that is produced in a home kitchen. For
example, in some instances raspberry jam or oatmeal raisin cookies may be sold without a
license but a label is required that includes, but not limited to, this statement: “This product is
exempt from New Hampshire licensing and inspection.” Pickled products such as dilled beans,
bread & butter pickles and tomato relish cannot be produced and sold to the public without a
license nor can milk and dairy products
NH DHHS, Food Protection, has a good website for you to learn more information on
Homestead Food Operations. Food Protection staff can also be reached by calling them at (603)
271-4589 or (800) 852-3345, ext. 4589. There is a great section on “Frequently Asked
Questions” that I encourage everyone selling food currently from a home kitchen or is interested
in selling food to read. If you are located or selling in a self-inspecting city or town contact the
licensing department regarding rules and regulations for selling food in that location in that
location.
Another great website is the New England Food Entrepreneurs. The New England
Extension Food Safety Consortium provides a gateway website featuring information and
resources for the specialty food industry. The website includes information on starting a food
business, marketing, product development, federal and state regulations, and training and
education.
Whether you are licensed or not, it is important to follow good safe food handling
practices when selling food from your home kitchen. The main areas of concern for food
handlers are: using good personal hygiene practices; avoiding cross-contamination of food
though un-sanitized cutting boards, kitchen utensils, towels, equipment or workers’ hand; and,
time and temperature principles such as cooking foods to proper temperatures, keeping hot foods
hot and cold foods cold. In addition, family pets should be restricted from the kitchen while
producing food to sell. The last thing you need is dog or cat fur in cookies that you are selling at
the farmer’s market.
Visit the UNH Cooperative Extension web site at www.extension.unh.edu for
information on a variety of topics in food and agriculture, natural resources, community &
economic development, youth & families, and 4-H.
Ann Hamilton is a field specialist in food safety with the food and agriculture team for
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension in Carroll County. She can be reached at
[email protected].
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
University of New Hampshire, U.S. Department of Agriculture and N.H. counties cooperating.
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