Cottage Food Safety Certification Class

This training provides a 3-year certification and meets the food safety training requirement for the Colorado Cottage Foods Act established and supported by the Colorado State Dept. of Health & Environment.

Participants learn food safety guidelines and the specifics for operating a small home-based cottage food business from a home kitchen. Learn about the most current Colorado Cottage Food Act.

The main sections of the training cover food safety guidelines for preparing foods in a home kitchen which is different from a food service site that would be inspected by the County and/or State Health Depts. We cover the basics of proper hygiene; preventing cross-contamination and cross-contact of food allergens; temperature control for safe food preparation, storage, transporting produce and sales. The allowable food products are highlighted with CSU Extension fact sheets provided for each food product allowed. Then instructors go into product ingredient labeling, packaging requirements, marketing, preparation at altitude and for going further with your business.

All of the participants that pass the test receive a CSU Extension Cottage Food Safety certificate to post for customers to see. They are also added to a CSU Extension Cottage Food Producers listserv that now has over 6000 names on it as of 2022. Participants receive updates via emails and the answers to questions that are asked get shared with all listserv producers.