Louisville Cottage Food Laws Compliance Checklist

Kentucky CFO License & Registration Requirements

Kentucky's Homestead Food Operation Program requires registration with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture before selling any food. You must complete the online CFO registration form and maintain annual renewal. Louisville operators must also register with the Jefferson County Department of Public Health if producing foods requiring local approval. The registration confirms your kitchen meets baseline sanitation standards and your products fall within approved categories (non-potentially hazardous foods like jams, pickles, baked goods, and certain dry goods). Failure to register or operating with an expired license is grounds for immediate cease-and-desist orders and product seizure by health inspectors.

Approved Products & Kitchen Standards

Kentucky's CFO law permits only specific non-potentially hazardous foods: baked goods (without cream cheese or potentially hazardous fillings), jams and jellies, honey, dried herbs, certain pickled vegetables, and roasted coffee beans. Your home kitchen must meet Kentucky Department of Agriculture standards including dedicated food prep surfaces, separate hand-washing facilities, and no cross-contamination with pet areas or non-food activities. Louisville requires that all food equipment be stainless steel or food-grade surfaces, and your kitchen must pass unannounced Jefferson County inspections. Common violations include inadequate hand-washing stations, improper food storage temperature monitoring, and commingling CFO products with household items.

Labeling, Sales Restrictions & Common Violations

All CFO products sold in Louisville must carry labels with your name, address, product name, ingredients, net weight, and the statement 'Made in a Home Kitchen' as required by Kentucky law. You cannot sell products through retail establishments—direct-to-consumer sales only (farmers markets, farm stands, or online delivery within Kentucky). Common violations tracked by Jefferson County inspectors include unlabeled or mislabeled products, selling prohibited items (potentially hazardous foods like jams with cream cheese), operating without visible CFO registration, and inadequate traceability records. Keep detailed batch records and ingredient sourcing documentation for FDA compliance and recall readiness, which Panko Alerts monitors across state and local agency databases.

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