Starting a Food Business in CA

[alvarez1292]

I'm looking to start a food business in Southern California. I've been doing some research and it looks like our food product falls outside the scope of the Cottage Food Law, which means we won't be able to produce in our home and sell to consumers.

Does anybody know what the protocol is for being able to sell food to consumers legally? Would we have to rent a location (don't want to do food truck) with a commercial kitchen? Also, does anybody know what specific licensing or permits would be needed to operate a small food business in SoCal?

 

[FlyingRon]

This is way more than really a legal question. You might start with this article and come back if you have questions: https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/so-you-want-to-start-a-food-business/Content?oid=3681110