Starting a Food Product; Need Advice (liability insurance, sales, licenses, agent)

[nnh]

I'm starting a lunch product which I would make from home. Everything is ready to go, but I'm not sure how to sell it. How exactely do I get in touch with store owners? Should I go through a distributer?

I'd like to get this everywhere. How do I sell something new through someone else storefront without knowing them?

[sweetana3]

I would suspect that there is no where in the USA where you can legally sell a "lunch food product" made in your home kitchen. We have one of the most controlled food systems in the world.

Good luck.

[ESFP]

That is true. We were going to include bottle water with our retail sales, but the restrictions as a consumable product changed our mind. However, I see box lunches on charter boats, buses, fairgrounds, and at sporting events. You could start there, probably not so controlled, and learn as you go.

[South Range Family]

First I'm going to assume that every State is different. In Ohio we have something that I call the "Amish Law". Because of the Amish, everybody is allowed to make and sell cookies, breads, pastries, and fresh vegetables at home without any kind of inspections or license. You can sell them at roadside stands or markets. Sometimes the local convenience stores place these products on their counters. They have to have a label listing ingredients. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY is allowed to sell any kind of canned goods from their garden. That rule is there strictly for botulism. They can't guarantee that you canned it properly, so it's not allowed.

Other kinds of prepared foods are allowed, but you must have your kitchen inspected and licensed by the health department. No household pets are allowed. Some people build a dedicated kitchen above their garage or somewhere that is separate from the house. Many people, myself included have a mobile trailer. It's more commonly called a concession stand. We are licensed and inspected by the health department every year. We are also inspected by the health department, and fire department at every single event that we attend. I also attended a two day serve safe health class that allows me to be the person in charge. It's mandatory in Pennsylvania, and will be mandatory in Ohio very soon. The health license costs us $116 every year. The health class was another $200.

When the health department comes out for our annual inspection, they draw a picture of the inside of the trailer and locate every appliance. They also ask us what our products will be for the year. They list those on the back of the license, and that is what we are allowed to sell. Nothing else. Their biggest concern is that we have at least 4 sinks in the trailer. They are for wash, rinse, sanitize, and a separate hand washing sink. Some counties require a 5th sink for food prep. Legally we are not allowed to prepare anything in our house. It must be made in the trailer. I forgot to mention the mandatory 2 million dollars worth of liability insurance that I carry too. The cost of that will depend on what your annual sales are, but you can count on starting out around $500 per year.

Marketing....... After you get all of the above ducks in a row, you have to go to the local stores and convince them to place your product. This is what Pepsi, Frito, and the bread people do. At most places you would provide a rack that is placed at the end of the aisles. You maintain the rack, and the store keeps track of what was sold. You then share a percentage with the store.

Years ago, we had a friend that owned a corner market. My wife made banana, and zucchini breads that he sold for us. I'm surprised at how much of a demand that there was. It worked out pretty well for us.

[Niners fan]

You should start by calling the local health department in your county. They can give you an idea of any licenses needed for your area. At some point you might want to contact an insurance agent about a liability policy, too.

[NJ Chutzpah]

a lot of people who make food out of home are caterers.

try using that angle for a start, and as your popularity grows your options will increase